Auburn, MA – PI USA, a premium provider of in-house designed and manufactured air bearings for precision movement, metrology and automation provides the PIglide A-123 household of wide-body, excessive accuracy linear levels. The low-profile precision positioning levels are geared up with preloaded air bearings, built-in linear encoders, and make the most of cogging-free, direct-drive linear motors. The mixture of those noncontact elements produces a movement platform that operates with out friction, delivering distinctive efficiency, high quality, and longevity.
Picture Credit score: PI USA
Because of the high-force linear motor, the linear translation stage can attain peak velocity in mere milliseconds, whereas the high-capacity air bearings can assist payloads of as much as 60kg (130lbs). The A-123 collection encompasses a laterally opposed bearing design, with actively preloaded air bearings that enable for mounting in any orientation. The A-123 wide-body linear translation stage household is out there with journey ranges from 50mm to 750mm, can obtain 30m/s² acceleration, and attain a most velocity of 1000mm/s. Levels can be found with non-obligatory absolute encoders with 1nm sensor decision and might obtain bidirectional repeatability of 0.1µm and calibrated place accuracy of 0.3µm.
Movement Controllers
ACS-based movement controller with EtherCat connectivity and a complete suite of easy-to-use software program packages assist prospects to shortly combine the levels into their software surroundings.
On-Board Extremely-Quick Scan and Align Algorithms
The ACS-based movement and alignment controller that powers the stage options embedded ultra-fast scan and alignment routines, together with serpentine and round scans, in addition to a quick hill-climb gradient search. Embedded alignment routines present increased efficiency, since communication with an exterior host laptop is just not required. The superior photonics alignment system can deal with quasi-gaussian profiles, top-hat profiles, and different typical optical energy distributions.
Air bearing levels are utilized in precision engineering, take a look at and manufacturing purposes in fields resembling metrology, photonics, and precision scanning in semiconductor or flat panel show manufacturing, the place extraordinarily exact and correct motion is required.
How Do Air Bearing Levels Work?
Air bearing levels make the most of a cushion of air as a substitute of conventional, contacting curler or ball bearings, eliminating friction, and permitting for easy, managed motion with distinctive guiding accuracy.
Benefits of Air Bearing Levels over Mechanical Bearings Levels
There are a number of benefits to utilizing air bearing levels:
- Zero put on and upkeep: Air bearings require no upkeep, as there aren’t any mechanical elements to wear down or lubricate. This makes them cleanroom suitable and a really dependable and cost-effective resolution for high-throughput 24/7 purposes.
- Excessive precision and accuracy: Air bearings haven’t any bodily contact with the floor they’re floating on, which suggests there isn’t a friction, stiction, or put on. This permits for terribly exact and correct motion, with positioning resolutions all the way down to the nanometer realm.
- Clean and vibration free movement: As a result of there isn’t a bodily contact, air bearing levels aren’t topic to the identical vibrations and disturbances that have an effect on conventional mechanical levels. This ends in smoother movement with higher velocity regulation.
- Excessive pace and acceleration: Air bearings can assist very excessive speeds and accelerations over just about limitless working instances, making them ultimate for purposes that require quick and exact motion, resembling semiconductor wafer processing and floor profiling.
General, air bearing levels supply a variety of advantages that make them ultimate for purposes that require extraordinarily exact and correct motion.
Working with You
PI’s in-house engineered options have enabled prospects all over the world to extend their productiveness and technological benefit for five many years. With a big foundation of confirmed movement applied sciences and methodologies, PI is within the place to shortly modify current designs or present a completely personalized OEM resolution to suit the precise necessities of your software, together with quick photonics alignment engines, multi-axis automation sub-systems, nanopositioning levels for semiconductor manufacturing, microscope scanning levels, and piezo transducers / sensors.
About PI
PI is a privately held, international main firm that designs and manufactures world-class precision movement and automation sub-systems together with air bearings, hexapod micro-positioning robots, and piezo drives at places in North America, Europe, and Asia. The corporate was based 5 many years in the past and right this moment employs greater than 1,500 folks worldwide. PI’s prospects are leaders in high-tech industries and analysis labs, in market segments resembling photonics, life-sciences, semiconductors, industrial automation and aerospace.
