The Leica TM30 is the only total station which uses direct drives based on the piezo principle for horizontal and vertical movements of its alidade and telescope.
The direct drives using piezo technology enable high speed motorization and acceleration capabilities together with infinitesimal step sizes at low power consumption. The step sizes reach the range of nanometers. Unmatched durability and extended maintenance cycles of the direct drives are achieved by a subsequent elimination of the transmission drives moving parts. No gears are used for the movements. Furthermore, the Leica TM30 direct drives do not produce a magnetic field nor are they affected by them. This guarantees the unrestricted operation of these direct drives in magnetic fields as they can appear for instance in electric power plants.
Compared to conventional drives, the main advantages of the Leica TM30 direct drives are the following properties:
- High speed (up to 200gon/s)
- High acceleration (up to 400gon/s2)
- Long durability and robustness
- No noise emission
- Compact design
- No power consumption at rest
