Magnetostrictive Actuators

Magnetostrictive actuators have been successfully employed in a wide variety of applications, such as motion/force generation, vibration/noise control of mechanical equipment, hydraulic actuation, etc. The basic advantages of magnetostrictive actuators are fast response, large stroke and high energy density. Especially for actuators using giant magnetostrictive materials, these advantages become more significant. However, hysteresis and device-based losses limit the dynamic response. In this article the principle of magnetostrictive actuation will be considered and properties of magnetostrictive materials and some examples of field applications will be discussed.