Moving magnet actuator

A moving magnet actuator is a type of electromagnetic linear actuator.{{Cite journal | last1 = Hiemstra | first1 = D. B. | last2 = Parmar | first2 = G. | last3 = Awtar | first3 = S. | title = Performance Tradeoffs Posed by Moving Magnet Actuators in Flexure-Based Nanopositioning | doi = 10.1109/TMECH.2012.2226738 | journal = IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics | pages = 201–212 | year = 2012 | volume = 19 | s2cid = 6653631 | url = http://psdl.engin.umich.edu/pdf/Hiemstra_IEEEMagnetics_MMA.pdf}} It typically consists of an arrangement of a mobile permanent magnet and fixed coil, arranged so that currents in the coil generate a pair of equal and opposite forces between the coil and magnet.

A voice coil actuator, also called a voice coil motor (VCM), is an electromagnetic linear actuator where the magnet is fixed and the coil is mobile. In this configuration the coil is common called a voice coil.