an introduction to precision motion control

www.zaber.com

An Introduction to Precision Motion Control Technology

Zaber Technologies

www.zaber.com

First, a little information about us

Zaber is a Vancouver-based company that was founded in 1997. Our first product was the T-LA linear actuator. It had a built-in controller, which set it apart from other actuators on the market.

The very first prototype of our T-LA actuator featured all control and drive electronics in one small, compact package.

We’ve grown since then...

We now offer over 56 series of devices and hundreds of models, which are distributed

around the world. Many of our products are designed with built-in controllers.

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Our focus continues to be on

Simplifying motion control »

Advancing our inhouse design and assembly capabilities »

Continuously improving our products based on customer feedback »and suggestions

Our research and production facilities in Vancouver, Canada!

So, what is motion control?

Motion control is a sub-field of Automation where the position and velocity of a system are controlled.

It typically includes 5 components:

Controller

Generates the motion profile

Drive

Gives current to the actuator

Actuator

Translates electrical power

to motion

Mechanics

Directs the power

Sensors

Provides feedback

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High precision positioning

Within motion control, we focus on precision motion control, specifically positioning applications. Our products integrate all 5 components of motion control.

Stepper motors for microstepping »High precision lead screws »High speed trajectory control »High resolution drive »Stiff and accurate components »Positioning sensors for feedback »

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Who uses these products?

Our typical customers are labs, universities, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and they come from industries like:

Photonics and optics »Industrial automation »

Laboratory automation »Material science »

Measurement and instrumentation »Aerospace »

Surveillance and security »And the list goes on... »

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And what for?

Common positioning applications include:

Mass spectrometers »Thin film coating »

Optical inspection systems »Camera focusing and testing »

Material property testing »Microscope automation »

Fiberoptic and laser alignment »Laser wavelength tuning »

Complex printing »Insect tracking »

Semiconductor wafer analysis »Optical beam profiling »

Sorting and automated handling »systems

And the list goes on... »

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Here’s a real application to illustrate

DigitalCameraInfo.com uses our T-LSR075A linear slides and T-RSW60 rotary stages to simulate hand shaking in testing image stabilization of digital cameras and camcorders they are reviewing.

In this set-up, our devices are used to apply shake to cameras and camcorders in a precisely controlled way, enabling them to mimic human hand shake without relying on the unpredictable nature of real humans.

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And here’s another example

WITec GmbH uses our T-LA28A-S linear actuators in their Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope alpha300 S for moving the inverted microscope’s objective in three axes.

The T-LA28A-S offers a resolution of 100 µm, which perfectly matches the demanding requirements of high-resolution microscopy.

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So, how do you pick the right one?

To select the positioning device that’s best suited to your application, consider your requirements.

Here are some common considerations:

Type of motionTravel distance

or rangeSize limitations

Resolution & accuracy

Speed

Stall detectionThrust &

accelerationCarrying capacity

Environmental protection

Vacuum compatibility

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Let’s focus on type of motion

Tilt

Tilt Devices

Push/Pull Carry

Linear Actuators

Linear Stages

Linear Rotary

Rotary Stages

Stepper Motors

Push/Pull Carry

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If you need to push or pull

Push/Pull

Linear Actuators

You’ll want to look at devices with high thrust capabilities like the LAR/BAR Series of linear actuators.

OR the T-NA Series, which includes our most compact, precise, and robust actuators.

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If you need to carry

Carry

Linear Stages

You’ll want to consider the travel length of the device, and you’ll likely be looking at stages with various travel ranges such as the (from top) A-LSQ-E linear stage, T-LSR linear slide, and the A-LST linear stage.

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If you need rotational motion

You’ll want to consider rotary devices and factors like microsteps per revolution, revolutions per minute, and maximum torque. And you’ll want to look at devices like the RSW rotation stage or the T-NM stepper motor.

Rotary

Rotary Stages Stepper Motors

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If you need tilt motion

Tilt

Tilt Devices

You’ll want to look at tilt devices like our T-OMG gimbal optic mount, which offers +/- 7 degrees of angular travel.

OR our LMG goniometer, which offers precise and accurate positioning.

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If you need multi-axis motion

You’ll want to consider X-Y, X-theta, X-Y-Z systems, or gantries, like our ASR microscope stages, G-LSQ gantries, or XYZ three-axis stages with built-in controllers.

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If you have limited space

From top to bottom: T-LSM miniature motorized linear stage, T-NA micro linear actuators, and LSA micro motorized linear stages.

Many of our products are designed to be compact, making them suitable for applications with limited space. Here are just a few of our most compact products:

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Do you need high precision?

Resolution is the smallest increment that a motion control device can be instructed to move. Resolution can vary based on the lead screw pitch of linear stages.

Microstep Resolution by Series2.8

2.1

1.4

0.7

0LSA T-LSM T-LSR A-LSQ A-LST

D-pitch

B-pitch

A-pitch

For example, devices with A-pitch (fine) lead screws, like the LSA, will offer the highest precision.

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Do you need consistent motion?

Repeatability is the deviation in actual position when a device is repeatedly instructed to move to a target position from the same

direction.50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Measured final position [µm]

Num

ber

of tr

ials

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8

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Do you need to be accurate?

Accuracy is the measure of how close the actual position will be compared to the requested position over the entire travel range.

Target Position [µm]

Pos

ition

Err

or (µm

)

4

3

2

1

0

-1

-2

-3

-4

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

T-LSMxxxA Typical Accuracy over 4 mm

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If you need to move something fast

Our A-LSQ linear stages offer speed up to 1000 mm/s, up to 20 kg load capacity, as well as various travel ranges from 75 - 600 mm.

Here are some of our products that offer high speed travel: Our A-BLQ-E linear stages offer up

to 2.0 m/s speed, up to 20 kg load capacity, and travel ranges from 70 - 2095 mm.

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High thrust and carrying capacity?

Our G-LSQ gantries offer up to 100 N thrust, depending on choice of lead screw.

You’ll want to consider heavy duty devices with high peak thrust, suitable for applications like industrial manufacturing, for example.

Our A-LST-C stages with dust covers offer up to 560 N thrust and 100 kg load capacity.

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If you need stall detection

You may experience stalling when you operate above rated speed or thrust. Some devices offer rotary encoders that provide closed-loop position feedback with slip/stall detection and automatic recovery.

Our A-BLQ-E closed-loop linear stage features a built-in rotary encoder for stall detection.

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So you’ve chosen a suitable device

Now what? You’ll probably want to set up the device and get it to do something. Our devices with built-in controllers simplify set-up and

daisy-chaining. The benefits include reduced cost, shorter set-up time, and less cable clutter.

Built-in controller and daisy-chaining makes setting up easier and faster.

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Setting up is easy as 1-2-3

Step 1: Connect your controller to the RS-232

port of your computer with a T-DSUB9 adaptor.

Step 2: Connect your device to a power supply.

Most of our devices require only a standard 15 V power supply, and multiple daisy-chained devices can run off

a single power supply.

Step 3: Instruct your device to do something with our

open-source Zaber Console software.

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More about controlling devices

Our main software, Zaber Console, is a free open-source application that lets you send commands to your Zaber devices, adjust their settings, and create simple scripts.

It’s free and open-source!

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Other software options to consider

We offer a LabVIEW driver that includes subVIs and type definitions for controlling Zaber devices with LabVIEW using the Binary command protocol.

AND a LabVIEW driver that includes high-level and low-level subVIs for controlling Zaber devices with LabVIEW using the ASCII command protocol.

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If you want manual control

We offer a programmable joystick, the T-JOY3, that can be used to manually direct a controller.

The T-JOY3 is easy to use, programmable, and capable of controlling up to 3 axes. They are ideal for microscopy, XY, or XYZ stage applications.

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Other manual control options

All of our devices with built-in controllers feature a knob at the end of the unit for manual control.

Press and hold the knob to switch between velocity and displacement modes. In velocity mode, turning the knob will move the stage at various discrete speeds. In displacement mode, turning the knob will move the stage for a fixed distance per knob detent. Pressing the knob during any operation will stop the stage.

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We’re here to support you

All our standard products are backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your device(s) for any reason, you

can return them within 30 days of the purchase date for a refund.

You’re also welcome to email contact@zaber.com or call 1-888-276-8033 to speak with an applications engineer if you have any questions

or need assistance with your application.

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Questions? Interested in more?

Visit www.zaber.com to learn more about our products and/or services.

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