P-606.1P Piezo Gripper, 500 µm Jaw Travel

PI's monolithic gripper combines high stiffness with low mass, enabling dynamic, stable gripping and positioning in photonics manufacturing.

The photonics manufacturing community faces the challenge of handling ever smaller and more delicate components with safety and repeatability in mind. Conventional gripping mechanisms quickly reach their limits — whether due to insufficient precision, limited dynamics, or inflexible gripping geometries. This is precisely where the piezo gripper comes into play, having been specifically developed for these highly sensitive applications.

Applications

Piezo actuator technology enables force-controlled motion, extremely fast reaction times, and completely jerk-free gripping — delivering a solution perfectly tailored to the requirements of modern photonics processes.

Use case

In the production of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), grating-coupled fiber arrays must be positioned with utmost precision and bonded in place using epoxy resin. This process requires controlled gripping, alignment, and repeated placement of the delicate arrays without damaging their surfaces or coupling structures

Thanks to its force-controlled motion, jerk-free monolithic bending element, and 500 µm jaw travel, the piezo-driven microgripper enables exceptionally gentle and repeatable handling. This allows fiber arrays to be precisely aligned with the PIC coupling structures before final epoxy bonding takes place — a critical step toward achieving high coupling efficiency and stable optical performance in the finished product.

Controller & software

The P-606.1P requires the E-709.PRG controller and the software "PI Software Suite C-990.CD1 – E-709.CRG".

Only version 2.8.2.0 of the C-990.CD1 – E-709.CRG PI Software Suite is intended for use with the controller.

This version of the PI Software Suite can be downloaded at:

https://www.physikinstrumente.com/en/knowledge-center/downloads/product-documentation/A