IntelLiDrives unveils AccuRing direct-drive rotary stages

IntelLiDrives (www.intellidrives.com) has introduced the all-new AccuRing series direct-drive rotary stages that offer superior velocity control and angular positioning with large apertures.

Its large aperture rotary stages deliver zero backlash as well as no gear vibration or gear wear. The new direct drive AccuRings are much faster than gear and worm drives. The stage’s repeatability and system accuracy are maintained over long period of time, while its higher accuracy and zero backlash enables customers to yield more consistent and accurate products.

The new rotary stages are suitable for various applications such as single and multi-axis laser testing, inertial navigation device testing, antenna testing, precision wafer inspection, high-accuracy laser machining and photonic component alignment.

Unlike traditional transmission based rotary tables with the same payload and apertures capacity that can operate to 10rpm or below, the direct drive AccuRing stages can deliver up to 300 rpm continuous rotation.

Its angular contact bearings optimize performance with respect to moment stiffness, wobble and rotating friction. It also features a precision-machined rotating shaft that further reduces wobble.

The AccuRing employs brushless modular RotoLinear motor technology to maximize positioning performance. The motor offers all the benefits of a brushless direct drive motor — no gear trains to maintain, no brushes to wear as well as high speeds and high acceleration. This effectively makes the direct drive rotary stages ideally suited for applications that require smooth scan velocity, contoured motion and precise incremental steps.

H2W linear stepper motor stages ideal for robotic applications

H2W (www.h2wtech.com) has launched a high performance linear stepper motor stages that travel at a maximum speed of 80 in/sec (two m/sec). These four and two phase linear steppers also deliver a maximum acceleration of 1G and stoke lengths of 144 in. (3.6 m), making them ideal for wire bonding, pick-and-place, parts transfer, inspection machines, semiconductor wafer handling and other robotic applications. Four of its models offer 20 lbs [89 N], 10 lbs. [45 N], six lbs. [27 N], and two lbs [nine N] of continuous force.

The new single axis linear steppers also provide low profile highflex and long life ribbon cable, bearings, motor and positioning system with optional end-of-travel limits and home position integrated into a compact package.

The company’s linear stepper motors offer precise acceleration, position and velocity control when integrated with an indexer and a microstepping drive. The four phase motors deliver one microstep equals .00002 in. (.5 microns) and one full step equals .005 in. (125 microns) of resolution, while the two phase motors provide one microstep equals .00004 in. (1 micron) and one full step equals .010 in. (250 microns).

The microstepping driver’s step and direction signal is provided to a moving four or two phase “Forcer”, which is comprised of a coil and magnet assembly, through a power cable. The ground “Platen” or track is surfaced and hard chrome plated for use with roller bearings. Linear steppers can also be personalized to meet the specification requirements of the customers. Stages can be custom drilled, sized, and tapped for convenient integration into an existing or new application. The company also offer fully tested and factory integrated microstepping indexers and drivers.

Nanopositioning Rotary Stages from Aerotech

Aerotech’s ANT95-R and ANT130-R direct-drive rotary stages are part of Aerotech’s nano Motion Technology product line. They offer unprecedented in-position stability (0.005 arc sec) and incremental motion (0.01 arc sec) using Aerotech’s unique direct-drive technology, and are suitable for demanding high-throughput manufacturing applications such as disk-drive and MEMS manufacture and test, fiber-optic device alignment, as well as for super-high-precision laboratory R&D applications.

The ANT95-R and ANT130-R rotary stages incorporate Aerotech’s unique direct-drive for extremely smooth motion, and both are available in 20°, 180°, or 360° continuous travel. Maximum speed is 200 rpm and maximum acceleration is 400 rad/s2. Axial load capacity is 2 kg for the ANT95-R and 3 kg for the ANT130-R. These rotary stages also offer an 11 mm clear aperture that can be used for product feed-through, laser beam delivery, cable clearance, or application-specific requirements. Error motion specifications are outstanding.

The ANT95-R and ANT130-R series are designed for compatibility and easy integration with Aerotech’s ANT linear stages. Together these stages provide the accuracy, stability, and performance required for current and future nanomanufacturing and inspection applications. Their low profile reduces the effective working height, minimizing “stack-up” related errors when used as part of a multi-axis system.

The ANT95-R and ANT130-R were designed to operate in a 24/7 manufacturing environment while providing laboratory-grade accuracy. Unlike other extremely precise rotary devices, they require no periodic maintenance, and our direct-drive ensures years of trouble-free operation.

The ANT95-R series data sheet is available at:
http://www.aerotech.com/products/NANO/ant95r.html

The ANT130-R series data sheet is available at:
http://www.aerotech.com/products/NANO/ant130r.html

Aerotech
www.aerotech.com

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

Nanopositioning Stage for Super-Resolution Microscopy

Auburn, Mass. – The nano1x3 ™ 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

Multi-axis Modular Assembly from Steinmeyer

BURLINGTON, MA — Steinmeyer, Inc. announced a new multi-axis modular assembly designed specifically for 3D target positioning and alignment. Typical applications include R&D and scientific uses such as synchrotrons. For example, the new system is ideal for beam positioning and sample manipulation.

The assembly utilizes the compact Steinmeyer type MT130 linear stage together with a type DT110 rotary stage to yield two to four axes of motion – XY, X-rotary, XYZ, XY-rotary, or XYZ-rotary. Each of the MT130 stages offers 50 mm stroke with standard flatness/straightness/repeatibility of +/- 1 micron. Maximum speed is 50 mm/sec. The linear stage is driven by a miniature Steinmeyer precision ball screw and includes crossed roller bearings, limit switches, dc servomotor and rotary encoder.

The DT110 rotary stage has a +/- 1 micron flatness of rotation and repeatability of +/- 0.002 degrees. Maximum speed is 200 degrees per second. Precision brackets are used, where necessary, to easily connect the various stages to achieve the final multi-axis configuration. A compact 2 to 4-axis DC-Controller is available with “plug- and play” characteristics, including LabVIEW® compatibility. Standard options include joystick control and direct reading scales for higher accuracy.

Steinmeyer
www.steinmeyer.com

Aerotech ANT130-L Series Stages

Aerotech ANT130-L series stages offer best-in-class performance in speed, accuracy, resolution, repeatability, reliability, and travel range, and are offered in two accuracy grades. With its low profile and outstanding performance, the ANT130-L is the ultimate solution for high-accuracy alignment, inspection, positioning, and measurement stations.

The ANT130-L employs a center-driven, non-cogging, noncontact linear motor and encoder as the driving element. Since the linear motor is a direct-drive device there is no backlash, windup, or “stiction” normally associated with a lead- or ball-screw drive.

The linear motor drive also offers the advantage of higher speeds and accelerations. The compact yet powerful linear motor drives the ANT130-L to a peak unloaded acceleration of 1 g and a maximum velocity of 350 mm/s. The result is a high-accuracy device with outstanding dynamic performance, with throughput that significantly outperforms comparable high-accuracy screw-driven or other stages in its class.

Outstanding step-to-step resolution is required for alignment applications. The ANT130-L meets this demand with an incremental step size of 1 nm when coupled with Aerotech drives and controls. The direct-drive linear motor allows the ANT130-L to make precise, small resolution steps, which is particularly important in alignment applications where step accuracy is critical.

Like all stages in the Aerotech product family, the ANT130-L was designed for long-term performance. Both the linear motor and linear encoder are noncontact devices to provide a long, maintenance-free life. A moving magnet-track design eliminates the need for cable management, further improving long-term reliability.

ANT130-L series stages are easily configured as XY assemblies. Options include precision orthogonality alignment to 5 arc seconds as well as vertical axis solutions.

Aerotech
www.aerotech.com

CLS Sealing System for NUTEC Stages

Deer Park, NY — The new CLS sealing system for NUTEC stages offers superior protection in applications with contaminated environments, an advancement that translates into a motion platform with greater long-term reliability, greater efficiencies and lower cost of ownership.

The CLS sealing system patented design includes a cleverly concealed linear seal under the 3-sided stainless steel top cover. This device keeps out solid debris, airborne particles and fluids. By protecting the moving parts with NUTEC Components’ exclusive seal, the motion platform maintains consistent performance over its entire life-expectancy. As a result, the end-user will increase uptime and eliminate housekeeping requirements.

The CLS system is ideal for the whole range of positioning applications from super precision performance to industrial environment type applications. Typically, it provides optimal performance for Laser Machines as well as for equipment used for Semi-Conductor Testing, Optical Scanning, Industrial Automation, and OEM and end-users where bellows, tape seals or open stages are not desirable. The additional features of NUTEC Components’ CLS sealing system offer even greater possibilities for a broad spectrum of applications:

–travel ranges from 100-1200mm
–various accuracy grades
–linear encoders to 50 nanometer resolution
–speeds up to 2m/sec
–all ground-up metric design
–high-force linear brushless servo motor drives
–ballscrew drives with in-line or fold-back brushless servo motors
–customization to meet application requirements
–load capacities up to 250kg /500lbs
–X-Y table assembly from 3 to 60 arc sec orthogonality

The CLS protection is a patented system and available only on NUTEC Components’ positioning equipment, including the linear motor and ballscrew stages from the Lineax-series, the flexdrive-series and the tracline-series. It covers the entire range from lower to highest positioning performance level and single axis, X-Y tables and multi-axis architectures.

With an international reputation as the pre-eminent manufacturer of precision positioning and motion equipment, NUTEC Components upholds a steadfast commitment to maintaining the highest engineering requisites for all products from standard modules to custom-made systems. The CLS system is the latest example of NUTEC Components dedication to finding creative, effective, efficient positioning solutions for the global marketplace.

NUTEC Components, Inc.
www.nutec1.com