PI Unveils New Nanopositioning System to the Market
Hybrid Nanopositioning Z-Stage Combines Advantages of Piezoelectrics and Servo Drives.
The M-714 precision Z-stage and C-702 Hybrid Controller combine the advantages of piezo drives and servo motors.
The M-714 precision Z-stage / C-702 Hybrid Controller combine the well-known piezo drive advantages of unlimited resolution and very fast response with the long travel ranges and high holding forces of a servo-motor / ballscrew arrangement.
There are numerous applications for this system, including Metrology, Surface Inspection, Microscopy, Laser Technology, and Interferometry
According to PI, M-714 precision Z-stage / C-702 Hybrid Controller have numerous features and advantages, including:
- 2 Nanometer Linear Encoder Resolution
- Active Compensation of Stick/Slip During Startup and Settling
- Active Backlash Compensation
- Excellent Velocity Control
- Millisecond Settling to Nanometer Accuracy
- Reliable Execution of Nanometer Level Increments
- 7 mm (1/4 inch) Vertical Travel Range
- High Holding Forces with Minimum Power Consumption
- 10 kg (22 lbs) Vertical Load Capacity
- No Counterbalance Mechanism Required
The highly specialized C-702 Hybrid Controller reads the stage position from an integrated, 2 nm precision linear encoder and continuously actuates both the piezoelectric and servo motor drives in a way to provide the best possible overall performance. Due to their instantaneous, sub-millisecond response, the integrated piezo actuators provide active stick/slip compensation during startup and settling. They also improve velocity control and positioning performance when nanometer level steps need to be executed.
The C-702 Hybrid controller is equipped with a novel high-speed encoder interface and can handle encoder count rates of 100 million pulses per second. Thanks to its real-time operating system, the intricacies of the hybrid drive are completely transparent to the user. Interface to the host computer is via TCP/IP or RS-232; this interface makes it possible to operate and monitor the system over any TCP/IP-compatible network (intranet/internet).
A 100 mm hybrid translation stage is also available.
