Introducing the PIglide HS Planar XY Air Bearing Stage
PI's HS Series solution delivers maximum throughput, precise positioning, and extreme straightness / flatness, all without sacrificing system stiffness.
Auburn, MA June 18, 2015
Nanopositioning specialist PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P., a leader and solution provider in motion control and positioning components and systems, introduces the new PIglide HS planar XY air bearing stage, designed specifically to maximize throughput while providing the ultimate level of precision. This stage is ideal for wafer inspection and scribing applications, as well as other ultra-precision motion applications, such as flat panel inspection.
Why Use Planar Air Bearings in Precision Positioning Equipment?
Air bearing positioners float on air to provide completely frictionless motion, resulting in negligible hysteresis or reversal error, excellent velocity stability, and zero-wear of mechanical components. Due to the surface averaging effect, straightness and flatness are significantly better than with conventional mechanical bearings. Planar stages further improve the performance because all motion on the XY axes is defined by the precisely ground granite surface. Unlike stacks of individual single-axis stages, with a planar stage, no bending moments are introduced when the load on the Y stage moves off-center.
Watch Video Animation:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2B12U6NtQw?rel=0
Special Preloading Improves Stage Performance
The PIglide HS uses magnetically preloaded air-bearings on the Y axes, and a vacuum preloaded X-Y puck that floats on the reference surface. The cross-beam mounts to the Y axis via a highly engineered flexural coupling that provides yaw-compliance without sacrificing system stiffness.
H-Bridge Design with Active Yaw Control
The gantry axis is a dual air-bearing H-bridge design that incorporates dual linear motors and dual linear encoders. This improves turnaround performance while providing the added benefit of orthogonality/yaw/straightness control. Ironless linear motors provide smooth motion and no cogging or attractive forces.
Both incremental and absolute encoder options are available. The PIglide HS incorporates three high-accuracy linear encoders, one for the bridge axis and two for the gantry axis. Each encoder is mounted so that the scale centerline is as close to the working plane as possible to reduce Abbe errors.
More Information, Specifications and Datasheet:
http://www.pi-usa.us/products/Air_Bearing_Stages/index.php?onl_prweb#XY_Planar
Advanced Control Algorithms
The PIglide HS is coupled with industry-leading digital controls that offer superior servo update rates (up to 5 kHz), advanced control algorithms to improve dynamic performance and error compensation, and a wide suite of software development tools.
Applications of the HS Planar
Metrology, wafer inspection and scribing applications, ultra-precision motion applications, such as flat panel inspection.
Features & Advantages
* Active yaw and straightness compensation provides superior straightness of motion
* Travels up to 500mm x 1000mm
* Advanced servo algorithms for optimum stability, move and settle, and scanning performance
* Absolute linear encoders available
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. l 16 Albert Street l Auburn, MA 01501 l http://www.pi-usa.us l info(at)pi-usa(dot)us
Featured Product
FLIR Si1-LD - Industrial Acoustic Imaging Camera for Compressed Air Leak Detection
The FLIR Si1-LD is an easy-to-use acoustic imaging camera for locating and quantifying pressurized leaks in compressed air systems. This lightweight, one-handed camera is designed to help maintenance, manufacturing, and engineering professionals identify air leaks faster than with traditional methods. Built with a carefully constructed array of MEMS microphones for high sensitivity, the Si1-LD produces a precise acoustic image that visually displays ultrasonic information, even in loud, industrial environments. The acoustic image is overlaid in real time on a digital image, allowing you to accurately pinpoint the source of the sound, with onboard analytics which quantify the losses being incurred. The Si1-LD features a plugin that enables you to import acoustic images to FLIR Thermal Studio suite for offline editing, analysis, and advanced report creation. Field analysis and reporting can also be done using the FLIR Acoustic Camera Viewer cloud service. Transferring of images can be managed via memory stick or USB data cable. Through a regular maintenance routine, the FLIR Si1-LD can help facilities reduce their environmental impact and save money on utility bills.
