Direct-drive servo stage suits industrial applications

Paul Boughton
Aerotech's PRO-LM range of direct-drive, brushless linear servo motor-driven stages now includes a new 280mm wide version that is available in eight travel options from 300mm to 1.5m, for high-throughput and heavy-load precision positioning applications in harsh industrial environments. The side-sealed/hard-top and fully protected stages feature heavy-duty linear motion guide bearings, sub-micron encoder feedback and optional cable management, and they are now available in nominal widths of 165, 225 and 280mm, which may be freely mixed to optimise application load and travel requirements.
 
The new competitively priced PRO280LM is based on the successful side-sealed design that Aerotech has developed over several generations of linear motor and ball screw-driven stages. The aluminium hard top cover, finished in a protective, scratch-resistant hard coat, is a much preferred alternative to soft fabric or plastic bellows stage covers, especially for applications such as laser machining. The vertical tensioned side straps fully seal the internal stage components from machining or process debris. A wide selection of optional tabletops with steel inserts allow XY, XZ or YZ configurations with other PRO series stages with orthogonality certified to 5arc-sec. Tabletop plates are also available for Aerotech ADRS, ADRT and AGR series rotary stages or to suit customer workpiece mounting in metric and inch hole patterns. Cable management is available for single-axis or customer-specified XY, XYZ and XYZ+rotary stage configurations.
 
Aerotech says its new PRO280LM has a positioning resolution of 250nm from a choice of 0.1micron line driver or amplified sine output encoders. Other impressive specifications include  accuracy to +/-3microns for the 1.5m travel version (+/-2microns for the 300mm travel stage) with speeds to 2m/s and acceleration to 3 'g.' With complementary high specifications for stage flatness, pitch, yaw and roll, and with a maximum horizontal and side load capability to 150kg, the PRO280LM is well suited to heavy-duty industrial applications where manufacturing quality and fast production throughput are of primary importance.
 
For more information, visit www.aerotech.com

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