The precise measurements of angles and the curvature of objects are easily determined using two new Pitch and Roll stages from OES (Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc.) The PR100-45-01 is driven by stepper motors and the PR100-45-02 is driven by brushless servo motors with quadrature incremental optical encoders.

The pitch axis (lower stage) is a high-precision goniometer stage which features preloaded cross roller guides and a high ratio worm drive for smooth motion over a range of travel of +/- 45 degrees. It has a typical accuracy of 0.05 degrees and repeatability of +/- 0.01 degrees. This axis has end-of-travel limit switches as well.

The 100-mm diameter Roll axis (upper stage) has a 180:1 gear ratio for smooth motion and has a precise pattern of threaded holes for fixtures or tooling. This axis has an accuracy of 0.05 degrees and repeatability of +/- 0.01 degrees. The Roll axis has a Home signal for initialization. Each axis features a calibrated scale to visually display the angle. The maximum speed with stepper motors is 14 degrees/sec and 45 degrees/sec with servo motors. The knobs of the stepper motors can be replaced with optional optical encoders for position verification.

The resolution of the PR100-45-01 stepper motor driven dual-axis stage depends on the resolution of the step motor driver resolution or the optical encoder if a servo motor is used. A resolution of 0.001 degrees equivalent to 3.6 arc-sec can be achieved using a10 micro-steps per step stepper motor driver or an encoder with a resolution of 500 cycles per revolution.

The PR100-45-02 that features servo motors and optical quadrature encoders are used for precise closed-loop operation and greater speeds. The PR100-45-01 and -02 stages can be ordered plug-and-play with a fully a compatible multi-axis motion controller from OES.

For more information, visit www.oesincorp.com.