March 31, 2014 - Aerotech introduces Planar mechanical bearing, ball-screw-driven XY stages that combine two axes of motion in a compact package, making it suitable for applications ranging from surface metrology to general high-precision automation. The Planar comes standard with a precision-ground and preloaded ball screw that's engineered to drive directly through the centers of friction and stiffness, resulting in superior geometric performance and accuracy. High-precision linear motion guide bearings provide excellent straightness and flatness with optimal support of the moving carriage over the entire XY travel. The Planar structural elements have been optimized for the highest possible planar performance.
Planar is available with low-thermal expansion (3.3 ppm/ÀöC) precision glass scales on both axes for high-accuracy and repeatable positioning over long periods of time. The linear encoder, available with amplified sine (1 Vpp) or 0.1 µm TTL digital outputs, is mounted near the centers of action, again providing an optimized stage design for high-accuracy positioning. The Planar comes with a 24 VDC bipolar stepper motor.
Aerotech can also provide brushless and brush DC motors with high-resolution rotary encoders preconfigured for use with Aerotech controls. A wide selection of state-of-the-art motion controllers is available, along with a suite of software and drive electronics, to provide cost and performance options to meet the needs of any application.