Air-bearing gantry system - Steinmeyer Inc.

A new precision, multiaxis air-bearing gantry system consists of an XY stage that uses air bearings plus a conventional ball-screw-driven Z table. These stages achieve 600 × 600-mm travel, 10-micron positional accuracy, ±1-micron positioning repeatability, and 1-micron straightness and flatness.  Both X and Y stages are driven by ironless, electrodynamic linear motors with maximum acceleration of 10 m/sec² and velocity of 1,000 mm/sec. An incremental linear encoder with a 50-nm resolution handles position feedback. Typical Z-stage performance includes 25 to 200‑mm travel; 10-micon positional accuracy, and ±1-micron repeatability.Steinmeyer Inc., 56 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA 01803, (781) 273-6220, www.steinmeyer.com