Linear Motion Tips helps engineering and manufacturing professionals stay current on the latest linear guides and linear guide system news and information. Below you will find a variety of articles about linear guides and linear guide systems from written by industry professionals.

Rotary Stage features Compact Package and Accurate Positioning

RTHM-100 compact rotation stages are designed to rotate optical components and small tooling in the confined spaces of the manufacturing processes for fiber optical components and semiconductor devices, fiber optic alignment, laser diode research, bio-medical applications and inspection systems.

The lightweight design feature low 32 mm profile height and incorporates anodized aluminum body with pre-loaded ball bearings with run-outs of 5 microns. This proprietary bearing design provides smooth rotation with minimal wobble.

A precision ground worm gear produces consistent driving torque to the rotor and eliminates variations in the motor current.

RTHM-100 stages feature an angular resolution 0.1 arc-sec, which may be achieved with either DC Servo or stepper motor controls.

The stages are equipped with a reference home sensor. RTHM-100 stages can run in continuous or start/stop rotation modes and mounted horizontally or vertically.

These stages feature zero backlash, large 50 mm center aperture and can rotate loads of 20 kg over unlimited rotation angle.

IntelLiDrives, Inc.
www.intellidrives.com

Linear Motion Handbook from Rexroth

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – A new 350+ page Linear Motion Technology Handbook from Rexroth is an educational, engineering reference book on linear motion technology and its uses, offering everything from a review of basic principles to examples of practical applications. It deals extensively with all common types of linear motion guides, as well as ball screw drives and ready-to-install linear motion actuators and Cartesian systems.

The first section of the handbook provides insights into the fundamental physical principles involved in linear motion technology, including information about the structural design, operating principles and characteristics of linear motion technology components. Topics such as rolling contact, life expectancy, pre-load, rigidity, accuracy and lubrication are also discussed in detail.

Later sections describe the structural design and technical characteristics of the manufacturer’s linear bushings and shafts, profiled rail systems, ball screw assemblies, and ready-to-install linear motion actuators and Cartesian robots. Readers will also find useful design hints and advice on product selection, assembly and installation, as well as tips for cost-effective project engineering.

To download individual sections of the handbook or to get the entire handbook, visit

http://www.boschrexroth.com/country_units/america/united_states/en/products/brl/catalogs/white_papers/lmt_handbook/index.jsp

www.boschrexroth-us.com/country_units/america/united_states/en/index.jsp

New Precision, Multi-axis Air Bearing Gantry System from Steinmeyer

BURLINGTON, MA — Steinmeyer, Inc. announced a new precision, multi- axis air bearing gantry system. This motion system consists of an XY stage utilizing air bearings plus a conventional ball screw driven Z table. It is ideal wherever there is a need for ultra high precision and outstanding dynamic performance.

Typical uses include:

- laser machining
- inspection systems
- pick and place devices
- dispensing systems, and
- gene chip production equipment.

These stages (which may be completely customized) achieve the following standard XY specifications: travel is 600 mm X 600 mm, positional accuracy is 10 microns, positioning repeatability is +/- 1 micron, straightness and flatness is 1 micron. Both X and Y stages are driven by ironless, electrodynamic linear motors with maximum acceleration of 10 m/s² and velocity of 1000 mm/s. Position feedback is accomplished via an incremental linear encoder with a resolution of 50 nm. Typical Z stage performance includes: 25 to 200 mm travel; positional accuracy of 10 microns; and repeatability of +/- 1 micron. A separate motion control option is available based on customer specifictions.

Steinmeyer
www.steinmeyer.com

Servo2Go Expands High Performance Linear Stage Series

Greenville, DE – Servo2Go has just added a new high performance linear stage series to its broad range of positioning systems.

Manufactured by Zaber Technologies Inc., the T-LSM series devices are computer-controlled motorized linear stages with high thrust and speed capabilities and a very compact size. They are stand-alone units requiring only a standard 15V power supply. A potentiometer knob at the end of the unit permits smooth manual control; turn it fully to get maximum speed. These slides connect to the RS-232 port of any computer and can be daisy-chained with up to 254 units per chain. They can also be chained with any other T-Series products. Convenient 6-pin mini din cables on the unit allow for direct interconnection between units in close proximity. For longer distances, a standard cable extension can be used.

Series Overview:

* 25 to 200 mm travel (custom options available)

* Max. centered load 100N

* Built-in controller

* Compact design featuring high speed, high thrust and high accuracy

* Mounts in an XYZ configuration without any additional hardware

* Several units can be daisy-chained to a single serial port

More information on the T-LSM series linear stages can be viewed at – http://www.servo2go.com/product.php?ID=105215

Servo2go
www.servo2go.com

High Speed Piezomotor Rotary Stage from PI

San Francisco, CA — PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. introduces a new ultra-low profile (0.6”), direct-driven, high-speed rotary stage based on its proprietary PILine® piezomotor drive technology at this year’s SPIE Photonics West conference. The new ultra-low profile (0.6”), direct-driven, high-speed rotary stage is based on PI’s proprietary PILine® piezomotor drive technology.

The M-660 stage reaches top speeds of 720 degrees/sec. and resolution to 40 µrad (8 arcsec). Its self-locking ceramic drive holds the position steady at rest, with no energy consumption and heat generation. A directly coupled precision optical encoder provides phase lag-free, backlash-free feedback to the servo controller.

Read more

Hard-Cover, Side-Sealed Linear Stages from Aerotech

Pittsburgh, Pa. – Aerotech’s PRO Series are low cost, side seal, hard cover, ball-screw-driven linear stages available in 68 standard models with travels from 50 to 1500mm.

The PRO Series features a hard-cover design for protection from debris, while side-seals keep dirt and particulates out of the stage and protect the bearing surfaces from contamination. Aerotech’s vertical side-seal design easily deflects debris away from the stage. The tabletop can be outfitted with an optional brush assembly to remove any particles that collect on the hard cover.

Models are available with either a 5mm/rev, 20mm/rev, or25 mm/rev ball screw with a matched brushless rotary servomotor to provide maximum travel speeds up to 1400mm/sec. Specifications include ±6μm accuracy, ±1μm bidirectional repeatability, and 0.5μm resolution, depending on model, ball screw, and encoder.

These modular stages easily can be combined into custom multi-axis solutions (XY, XZ, YZ, XYZ). In addition, Aerotech’s complete line of single- and multi-axis motion controllers and drives are a perfect complement and can be included to provide a turnkey system.

The PRO Series can be outfitted with English or metric bolt-hole pattern tabletops, and a brake option is available to prevent back-driving the screw when power is removed from the servomotor. A fold-back kit is also available to effectively reduce the overall stage length for space-constrained applications.

PRO Series data sheets are available at http://www.aerotech.com/products/stages/Mechanical_bearing_ballscrew_stages.html

www.aerotech.com

Ultra Narrow Precision Linear Stage from Steinmeyer

BURLINGTON, MA — Steinmeyer, Inc. announced a new precision linear stage, the PA 30×40-SM01. This single axis system is ideal wherever there is a need for an extremely narrow positioning table. Typical uses include miniature robotics, pick and place devices, specimen handling for life sciences and scientific applications where precision positioning is required within a very narrow foot print. This compact, fully enclosed stage is only 30 mm wide and 40 mm high. Available travels range from 25 mm to 150 mm. Positioning repeatability is 1 micron, maximum speed is 50 mm/s and load capacity is 100 newton.

Included inside this precision assembly are a precision preloaded 8 mm diameter Steinmeyer ball screw, miniature size 9 linear guideway, non-contact limit switches and a choice of either stepper motor or DC servo motor with encoder. A separate motion controller is available as an option.

The Steinmeyer group is comprised of two manufacturing divisions located in Germany. August Steinmeyer GmbH & Co. KG (located in Albstadt) has been setting standards for high precision ball screws for over 40 years and prides itself on high quality, innovative designs to meet demanding customer requirements. Our Feinmess Dresden (FMD) division has been producing an extensive line of high precision positioning systems for well over 130 years.

Steinmeyer
www.steinmeyer.com

Motorized Rotary Stage

Greenville, DE - Servo2Go has just added a new high performance rotary stage to its broad range of positioning systems.

Manufactured by Zaber Technologies Inc., the new T-RS60 rotary stage provides precise, continuous 360° rotation in a compact package. The robust bearing design allows the stage to handle up to 45 kg (99 lb) of load. A precision worm gear provides a 120:1 ratio allowing a stage resolution of 0.00023°. The built-in controller makes set-up a snap: just connect the stage to a computer and it is ready to use.

Zaber’s T-RS60 Series of precision motorized rotary stages are stepper motor driven, worm gear rotary stages capable of a full 360° rotation. Each rotary stage has an integrated microstepping stepper motor controller, offering high resolution daisy-chainable operation.

Servo2Go
www.servo2go.com

Nanopositioning Stage for Super-Resolution Microscopy

Auburn, Mass. – The nano1×3 ™ series X-Y and X-Y-Z nanopositioning stages from PI (Physik Instrumente) are multi-axis stages for super-resolution microscopy applications, providing highly accurate motion with closed-loop control for sub-nanometer precision over travel ranges of 200µm in X-Y and X-Y-Z planes.

The stages feature a piezo controller and comes with three, 24-bit digital interfaces (USB, TCP/IP, and RS-232) and a wide-band analog interface for compatibility with all control signals. With 24-bit DAC converters, commanded resolution is improved by two orders of magnitude over the still widely used 16-bit converters. The controller is also compatible with all major image acquisition packages and comes with a wide variety of software drivers and programming examples.

For highly stable, closed-loop operation, piezoresistive sensors are applied directly to the moving structure of the stage and precisely measure the displacement of the platform. The very high sensitivity of these sensors provides optimum position stability and responsiveness as well as sub-nanometer resolution. The proprietary servo circuit significantly improves the motion linearity compared to conventional piezoresistive sensor controllers.

For more information, email info@pi-usa.us.

www.pi-usa.us

Custom Vehicle Maker Opts for Linear Glides for Tricky Design

by Laura Carrabine, Senior Editor

Special Vehicles Co. (SPEVCO) serves the specialty vehicle industry. Many of its vehicles are seen at high profile events such as the Speed Channel stage at NASCAR races, the Dunkin’ Donuts sampling stations, or at mobile medical facilities for FEMA.

Rollon’s Compact Rail allows for rail misalignment in both out-of-parallel and out-of-plane conditions.

SPEVCO was recently asked to re-tool Speed TV’s vehicle for NASCAR race week broadcasts. The new design featured a 24-ft box truck that houses a large 20-ft LED screen for broadcast at the events. One of the major issues within the design was that mechanical equipment needed to raise and hold the LED screen. Designers found, however, that there was no space available for the on-site production room. The room is needed for the video production team who control the content displayed on the LED screen.

SPEVCO needed a linear bearing system that provided large tolerances.

According to Luigi Utili, Director of the Engineering Department at SPEVCO, the company has developed expertise in developing PODs, custom-built slide out sections of trucks that add extra square footage to any design. “In this case we designed a 12-ft long POD that slid out three feet, creating an additional 36-sq ft for the video production technicians. Typically we would develop a custom hydraulic system to facilitate the sliding out of the POD but this is a major expense and any opportunity to reduce costs is a major plus for the customer.”

He considered using a linear bearing system to allow for POD sliding. “One option was the Telescopic rail from Rollon Corporation because it is a linear bearing that acts like a heavy duty drawer slide. It would be able to meet the weight requirements of 500-lb,” he added.

Utili continued, “However, the mobile nature of this application meant that parts often shift when the truck is transported from location to location. We needed a linear bearing system that provided quite large tolerances of at least plus or minus 1-1/2-in.”

SERVCO opted for Rollon’s Compact Rail because the system absorbs rotational positioning errors,misalignments between lateral planes, and longitudinal parallelism errors while maintaining the system’s original preload setting.

SPEVCO’s PODs add extra footage to designs.

Rollon placed the raceways on the inside of Compact Rail products to protect them from damage and contaminants while enabling the rail and slider to be mounted into small, compact areas.

Built-in, spring-loaded wipers in the heads and the lateral seals on the sides of the slider ensure they are suitable for harsh, gritty environments. The “Lubed for Life” wipers continually deposit a thin film of oil on the races. Individual sliders can carry up to 3,300 lb.

Speed TVs’s vehicle for NASCAR race week houses a giant 20-ft LED screen.

Utili adds, “The covered raceways were also critical because this is an outdoor application and the vehicles are often parked in muddy fields. Reliability is important because if the POD fails to open, the Speed TV technicians cannot access the control room for the LED screen – rendering the vehicle useless. Since installation, SEPVCO has been commissioned to produce a second vehicle.”

SPEVCO
www.spevco.com

Rollon Corporation
www.rolloncorp.com

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