Ironless magnetically levitated planar actuator

This paper describes a magnetically levitated planar actuator with moving magnets. This ironless actuator has a stationary coil array above which a translator with a permanent-magnet array is levitated and propelled in the xy plane. During the movements in the xy plane, the set of active coils is switched, as a result of which the stroke in the xy plane can be made, in principle, infinitely long. Measurements on the realized planar actuator show the feasibility of this concept.