Aerotech’s new product innovations will be on show at Control 2022

Control 2022 could only take place virtually last year, but this year the world trade fair for quality assurance will open its doors once again, live, in Stuttgart, Germany, from 3 to 6 May.

Here, Aerotech reveals the whole range of new product innovations in measuring and testing technology its motion control experts will be presenting at the show

In addition to high-precision positioning systems and laser scanning and measuring technology for quality assurance, trade visitors will be able to see the 'small' Hexapod HEX150 as well as extensively test the extended functionalities within the Automation1 control platform.

The SMP multi-axis motion platform for surface measurement applications will also be on display. The new Aerotech subsidiary Peak Metrology will also be represented at the exhibition stand (Hall 5, Stand 5506) and will present a high-performance positioning system from the cooperation with measurement technology specialist Keyence.

For us as a supplier of high-precision positioning solutions, Control is by far the most important trade fair event in the field of quality assurance. That's why we're all the more pleased that we're not only able to meet our customers, partners and interested parties virtually, but also to finally welcome them back to our trade fair stand," emphasises Simon Smith, European Director Aerotech. "And since our solutions have always been widely used in the medical industry, we are also hoping for a synergy effect or two from the MedtecLIVE/T4M medical technology trade fair taking place at the same time."

Highest precision in the submicrometre range

The HEX150-140HL will be on show live for the first time. This is a miniature hexapod positioning system with six degrees of freedom (DOF) that enables precise translation in the X, Y and Z directions as well as rotation around each of these axes. "The HEX150-140HL offers not only significantly better minimum incremental motion, but also greater linear travel than any of its competitors - all in a compact yet rigid platform," says Simon Smith. "The combination of small size, high precision and excellent load capacity also allows for a much higher degree of flexibility. Users can rely on consistent, reliable six-DOF movement in every application."

The HEX150-140HL is ideal for space-constrained applications with multiple DOFs that require fine positioning resolution, such as alignment, assembly and interconnection of photonic components, optical inspection and alignment, optical wafer probing, aerospace and satellite sensor testing, and sample alignment in synchrotron and beamline applications.

Other important features are the high load capacity of up to 7.5 kg with the ability to resist backdriving with force up to 100 N, the large range of motion for easy integration into complex applications, and the simple control and programming with virtual pivot point adjustment.

According to Aerotech, the HEX150 is currently the most precise hexapod on the market. Fast settling times allow high throughput with Bidirectional Repeatability of less than 2 micrometers, with minimum incremental motion of less than 20 nm in XYZ and 0.2 μrad in Θx Θy Θz also allow a wide range of applications.

The ‘HexGen Hexapod’ simulation software integrated in the Automation1 control platform also enables easy programming and control of the Hexapods in any user-defined coordinate system. The user can visualise and simulate the available working space, in order to perform collision analysis with his Hexapod. In addition, you can also directly select preconfigured models from a stored library of standard designs.

Ideal platform for surface measurement applications

The production of optical components in laser material processing, biotechnology, medical technology, as well as semiconductor technology, requires highly precise surface measurements, including non-destructive quality assurance. According to manufacturer Aerotech, the SMP is the optimal multi-axis motion system for such applications. "Optical components are used everywhere, for example in medical technology for prevention, diagnostics and therapy or for laser processing of materials in additive manufacturing," says Smith.

"High-precision optics requires high-precision measurements of spherical, aspherical and cylindrical shapes, in the nanometre range. A prerequisite for this is flexible 2D and 3D contouring. The measuring device benefits from the performance of the Aerotech controllers with their advanced motion control and position synchronised output (PSO), which enables very smooth movements even at the lowest speeds.”

A generic high-speed electrical interface between motion and sensor control enables axis repeatability in the lower nanometre range by synchronising measurement and position data in real time. As a result, incremental motion at the nanometre level is extremely minimal, supporting the generation of accurate scan or point-to-point motion profiles. As shown in field tests and practical applications, the processing time for surface measurements is reduced by up to 40 percent due to the excellent positioning properties. Another unmistakable plus point is the space saving: an SMP requires up to 60 percent less floor space than Cartesian measuring systems.

One platform for all applications

Attendees of the show can also expect to see the latest release of Automation1, Aerotech’s most advanced Motion Control Platform, at stand 5506 in Hall 5. Replacing Aerotech’s legacy Control platforms (A3200, Ensemble and Soloist), Automation1’s suite of Drive-based and PC-based controllers bring new more powerful features into one common easy to learn and use architecture.

Building on the previous releases, version 2.2 brings new features to the platform including the much anticipated Machine Apps HMI Development tool. Replacing the previous CNC operator interface, this new and fully customisable tool promises to revolutionise user facing interfaces for motion systems.

Automation 1 is also now EtherCAT compatible, which brings new opportunities for interfacing to PLC based systems, and widens the options when considering the needs of high precision motion processes when embedded within a traditional lower precision machine.

Other key developments include:

• Improved interfacing to Automation1 with the addition of Labview VI’s and a Python API
• The Dynamic Controls toolbox (a popular feature in A3200) which brings together Aerotech’s Harmonic Cancellation, Command shaping and Cross-axis feedforward features, newly improved by our world leading experts
• Closed-loop Stepper motor control
• Facility wide backup and restore capability by using Aerotech’s enhanced API functionality.

"These latest enhancements mean that Automation1 is truly a complete machine control system and much more than a mere 'motion control system'," says Smith, describing the main advantage over comparable solutions.

About the show itself, he adds: "For us, as a supplier of high-precision positioning solutions, Control is by far the most important trade fair event in the quality assurance environment. That's why we're all the more pleased that we're not only able to meet our customers, partners and interested parties virtually, but also to finally welcome them back to our stand. And since our solutions have always been widely used in the medical industry, we are also hoping for a synergy effect or two from the MedtecLIVE/T4M medical technology trade fair taking place at the same time.”

Aerotech subsidiary Peak Metrology also at exhibition stand

Control is also the first trade show event in Europe where Aerotech is co-locating with its new subsidiary Peak Metrology. Headed by RJ Hardt, a long-time Aerotech engineer, Peak Metrology draws on Aerotech's extensive positioning systems expertise, but focuses exclusively on helping industrial customers with surface metrology solutions through to complete integration.

The demosystem on the Control (LF-D) shows how large format stages extend the visible area available to a VHX digital microscope from Keyence. This enables larger parts to be inspected and measured when compared to the smaller standard stage offerings. Furthermore, the resolution of the microscope is retained, and the machine as a whole is capable of taking nanoscale images over large surface areas. Additionally, added features such as motorised tilt stages, programmable image capture and autofocus routines, and fiducial based part alignment are available.

These machines are commonly used in the electronics and semiconductor markets to image and measure small features over large parts. Large circuit boards and panels as well as semiconductor wafers are ideal products to inspect with these large format positioning systems. Material science, dimensional measurement, and surface characterization of other precision manufactured components are also applications where these machines excel.

Peak Metrology offers a wide range of products for surface metrology applications, including turnkey machines. Surface analysis is often integrated directly into the production chain as a quality assurance process, for example in semiconductor production, wafer inspection or the manufacture of flat panels. Here, the quality is assessed after almost every process step, for which a fully automated in-process inspection with object feeding, measurement and subsequent further processing is usually triggered. It is essential that measuring and positioning cycles are precisely synchronised. Users benefit, among other things, from high-performance linear and rotary tables as well as controls with position-synchronous triggering of the sensor.