Posted to News on 20th Feb 2008, 21:20
Low-cost positioning stages achieve high performance
Aerotech's new low-cost ATS115 and ATS165 positioning stages feature linear motion guide bearings, precision ball screws and durable hard cover/side-seal protection for high-performance, medium-precision positioning applications. The servo motor-driven stages have nominal widths of 115 or 165mm, a choice of travel range from 50-600 mm and a low-profile height of just 60mm. They are suitable for long and trouble-free use in medium-duty manufacturing production and research automation where applications where up to 45kg direct loading, 300mm/s speed and bidirectional repeatability above +/-1.0um per-axis is required.
The ATS115 is Aerotech's smallest side-sealed, hard cover positioning stage and is based upon a tried and tested protection system designed for hostile application areas such as laser welding and ultrasonic machining. Unlike traditional bellows or sliding top-seal designs, the one-piece hard cover and vertical side-seal arrangement completely protects and naturally deflects debris away from the internal stage mechanics. With much improved protection, working life is extended, downtime and maintenance schedules are drastically reduced and production time maximised. The design can include optional brush cleaning strips, fitted to the moving carriage, to help remove machining waste and prevent debris from accumulating on the hard cover.
Motor options
As standard, ATS115 and ATS165 linear stages are fitted with Aerotech's BMS series cog-free, brushless motors with 2500-line rotary encoders for 0.5um resolution with excellent smoothness and acceleration performance. Motor mounting is made through a NEMA 23 flange and alternative motors from Aerotech or third-party suppliers include stepper motors or brushed servo motors to allow the widest choice of price and performance alternatives. A side motor mounting option is also available to reduce overall stage length for restricted space applications.
The wider ATS165 shares a similar protection, bearing and drive design with the increased width allowing a heavier payload and offset loading capability over the ATS115. Common interfacing dimensions allow both ranges to be assembled for optimal X-Y and X-Y-Z mounting configuration. A mounting bracket is available to support vertical orientation where a brake option can be provided to prevent back-driving. A complete selection of mounting configurations is available both with and without precision orthogonality alignment. Both stage designs are available in a wide choice of travel ranges covering 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500 and 600mm. An optional table top is available with a useful array of holes for mounting customer fixtures or with mounting holes to suit a choice of Aerotech rotary stages. As with all Aerotech mechanical stages, the ATS115 and ATS165 can be supplied complete with accuracy and repeatability performance plots.
ATS115 and ATS165 stages are typically supplied as part of complete "ready-to-run" systems configured to the customer's requirements with Aerotech motion controllers and servo amplifiers. A wide choice of motion controllers available includes: the A3200 Automation Platform,– a PC-based, software-only motion and machine control system with deterministic Firewire™ networking; the Soloist™ standalone single-axis intelligent drive; or the Ensemble™ range of intelligent drives with deterministic Ethernet for tightly synchronised multi-axis motion and I/O control. Aerotech systems are supplied complete with interconnecting cables, motor parameter set-up data, performance documents and assembly information to speed commissioning and help integrators with their own system documentation.
