CTEC - Pulse-com

The company

Cedrat Technolgies or CTEC is a growing high-tech SME involving 50 peoples based in the French Innovation Valley, close to Grenoble, specializing in the 4 following technology domains:

Smart Actuators: Actuators & motors based on piezoelectric ceramics, electroactive polymers and other smart materials for nano positioning, damping, vibration & acoustic generation, micro actuation…
Smart Sensors: Magnetic, magneto resistive, piezoelectric sensors or generators for realising Force, Torque, Position, Speed, Acceleration sensors, including contactless sensors & resonant sensors.
Mechatronic systems: Multi-degree-of-freedom mechanisms; Motion control; Active Control of Vibrations; Vibration assistance to process; Proportional valves; Fast injectors;
Detection systems: Structural Health Monitoring (SHM); NDT using magnetic or acoustic effects; Magnetic or acoustic localisation; Energy harvesters;

In all these domains, CTEC designs, manufactures and tests components, systems and associated electronics, following customer requirements and keeping the objective to achieve both technical and marketing success. CTEC has developed its expertise from space activities and is now spreading it in aircraft, instrumentation, optics, machine tools, medical… CTEC also performs R&D activities and transfers of technologies for mass production applications. Training activities completes technology transfers to both SMEs and large industries.

Main Tasks in PULSE-COM

Main tasks of CTEC will consist at first in characterizing PMP actuation and PZL sensing separately and in combination. Then CTEC will design and test two micro machines: an opto-switch and an optical micro-valve starting from the PMP-PZL materials prepared by partners.

For both cases, a test bench will be prepared with appropriated light excitation and fine instruments such as laser interferometer for measuring submicron-resolution stroke; A sensing electronics will be designed to exploit PZL signal, either using as PZL analogue signal or resonant frequency variation versus bending method.

MAIN CONTACT

Jolan GAUTHIER

https://www.cedrat-technologies.com/

Jolan GAUTHIER, Eng., passed his engineering degree in 2018 from INSA Lyon (France). In early 2019 he joined CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES as a mechanical engineer. Since then he works mainly on piezo actuators, integrating them in innovative mechanisms for optical applications such as shutters, tip-tilt and XY stages for micropositioning. He also developed rotary actuators for exigent environments and acquired experience in spatial projects. Finally, he is currently acting as a Technical Projects Manager on several European projects for CTEC including PULSE-COM.

Mathieu THOMACHOT, Eng. got a Master of Electronics and Optics Engineering at ESPEO in Orléans (France), in 2003, and a Master of Plasma Sciences at the University of Orléans on the same year. After his graduation, he joined AcXys Technologies, an SME specialized in atmospheric plasma equipment for surface preparation. He stayed in the growing company from 2003 to 2019, occupying different positions such as R&D Engineer, Sales Engineer, Sales Manager and Site Director. He was a major actor in the development of the company, with staff growing from 4 to 17 employees and turnover up to 1 M€. In 2019, he joined CTEC as a Sales Application Engineer with the mission of developing sales in Asian countries.

Frank CLAEYSSEN, Dr, was awarded his engineering degree in 1985 from ISEN-IEMN Lille (France). From 1985 to 1989, he developed high-power Sonar Transducers in a lab of Sub Marine Detection of French Navy and passed his Ph.D. at INSA. Then, he joined CEDRAT and established its TECHNOLOGIES branch, dealing with Smart Actuators, Transducers, Motors & Sensors. He got several French National Prizes in 2006-2009. He is inventor of about 20 patented piezo or magnetic actuators, motors & sensors, such as the APA^®. In 2012, he acquired CTEC and became the Managing Director. Since his acquisition, CTEC has doubled, reaching in 2019 a turnover of 6 M€ with a team of 50 people.

Mathieu CASTRUCCIO, Eng., got in 2015 his Master of Electronics and Real Time System at UJF in Grenoble (France). Following his graduation, he joined OSE, an SME specialized in the electronic board manufacturing and integration, where he stayed for three years as a test Engineer. In March 2019, he joined CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES as Electronics Engineer to work in the field of low power analogic, numeric, sensor applications and testing.

Nabil BENCHEIKH, Dr. got in 2007 his Ph.D. at Technical University of Compiegne (France) on the design of a miniature electromagnetic planar conveyor. He teaches dynamical analysis, mechanical drawing and analysis tools of tests measurement. Since 2008 at CTEC, he works as a Technical Projects Manager on several projects related to the design, prototype and of piezoelectric and electromagnetic devices including: the MTG scanning space mechanism for ESA/SENER; FUI HBS piezo harvesting; piezo SHM in FP5 AISHA II; piezo ultrasonic cleaning, coating, unmoulding in FP7 SONO and H2020 PROTECT.