What makes SPS Electro-active Polymer technology innovative?

SPS Electro-active Polymer material offers unique qualities that balance the high strain of elastomeric EAPs with the high modulus of piezoceramic materials. 

Piezoceramics are only able to actuate on the micron scale. This strain limitation prevents piezoceramics from being used for large displacement actuations.

Elastomeric EAPs are limited in their application by their very low modulus and high voltage demands. This low force generation limits them from being used in applications that require compact solutions.

SPS Electro-active Polymer technology is ideally suited for innocative SPS EAP actuators that fill the niche for applications that require modest force generation over short distances. These proprietary actuator designs have low operating voltages and fit design packages where high strain is required and every millimeter counts.

SPS Electro-Active Polymer Actuator Materials Advantages

Electro-Active Polymers (EAPs) have received quite a bit of attention over the past decade. Many corporations are designing products using EAP’s rather than using bulky, inefficient motors or electro-mechanical devices. Industry analysts project the market for EAP’s will grow from $15 million in 2007 to $250 million in 2012. The expected surge in growth will come from the lucrative medical device market, robotics equipment for manufacturing, and consumer electronics industry. A number of competitive EAP materials have appeared in the marketplace over the past decade. While suitable for certain industrial applications, none of the existing materials have the technical capabilities to perform well in precision medical devices or other advanced applications. Existing technologies are either too soft or lack the desired combination of flexibility and force. More importantly, they do not provide the precision movement needed for products like catheters or laparoscopic surgical tools. SPS’ patented EAP technology offers the extended force and strain capabilities needed to satisfy these rigorous requirements.

SPS is currently offering both EAP films and custom, multilayer actuators.  Films are available in standard sizes or to customer request.  SPS offers custom EAP actuators build to customer specifications.  

In addition to materials and actuators sales, SPS is working with and actively seeking partners to develop EAP actuators applications utilizing the extended properties of the SPS EAP films.

EAP actuators have a very broad application space.  Please contact SPS to discuss your challenges and requirements.  

• Haptic Feedback
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Tools
• Consumer Electronics
• Robotics
• Deformable Mirrors

SPS EAP Materials in Action

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