Position and rate gimbals use direct-drive motors for smooth, high-performance motion

• Continuous 360° rotation of azimuth and elevation including built-in slip ring• High accuracy angular position and rate capability• Direct-drive brushless servomotors result in zero backlash• Cog-free design for outstanding velocity stability• Accommodate loads up to 200 mm in diameter• Low maintenance and high reliability provide the lowest cost of ownershipJune 9, 2006 - Aerotech’s AMG LP (Low Profile) position and rate gimbal mounts provide ultra-precise angular position, rate, and acceleration for development and production testing of a wide range of systems. The AMG LP series is ideal for directing optics, lasers, antennas, and sensors at high speed to precise pointing angles. Typical applications include missile seeker test and calibration, electro-optical sensor and FLIR testing, optical testing of sensors in a vacuum, and angular testing of inertial sensors such as gyros, MEMS, and accelerometers. The finest quality motors, bearings, and encoders are integrated into precision-machined housings to ensure peak performance.Low ProfileBy incorporating our low profile direct-drive rotary stages, the LP series is capable of speeds and accelerations that are significantly higher than other competing products of this size. These gimbals have a lower profile compared to competing products within given torque ranges. This results in a smaller and more effective gimbal for many applications where beam height and chamber volume are of utmost concern. Customers with only limited azimuth travel requirements can have the slip ring removed for an even lower overall height. Keeping the optical path lower helps improve overall test accuracy. Based on the ADRS rotary stage, the AMG LP provides a high accuracy, smooth motion solution with low maintenance and high reliability.Accurate 360° Positioning and Rate GenerationDirect-drive brushless torque motors, with rare-earth magnets and high-accuracy angular transducers, are coupled directly to precision shafts for accurate and smooth 360° continuous motion. The absence of gear trains and other drive mechanisms eliminates position error contributions due to mechanical hysteresis and backlash. Directly coupled high-resolution position transducers ensure highly accurate and repeatable positioning. Typical line gimbal resolution ranges from 0.87 to 0.32 µrad with Aerotech controls. A built-in azimuth slip ring provides for continuous rotation with no cable wrap up.Superior Mechanical Design FeaturesHigh quality, low profile bearings maximize performance with respect to wobble, moment stiffness, and rotating friction. Mirror and Alternate Payload AccommodationA variety of mirror cell diameters are available for standard optic applications. We also provide custom payload attachment solutions for various device interfaces. Each gimbal mirror cell can be modified or replaced with different shaped cells to accommodate sensors or other odd shaped payloads. We understand customer payloads vary and our engineers have a variety of solutions to implement payloads with offset CGs.Direct-Drive Motors for Outstanding ControlTo maximize positioning and velocity performance, AMG LP gimbal mounts utilize Aerotech’s high torque S-series brushless, slotless servomotors. These motors have all of the advantages of a brushless direct-drive motor — no brushes to wear, no gear trains to maintain, high acceleration, and high speeds. Since it is a slotless, ironless design, there is zero cogging, meaning there is very little torque ripple. This results in smoother motion throughout travel and more precise positioning. These motors are available in different winding configurations to work with high- or low-voltage power supplies.

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