Publication:

Control Engineering

We are honored to have an Aerotech product once again included as a finalist in the Control Engineering 2019 Engineers' Choice Awards. Our XR3 is a high-performance, six-axis drive rack with field replaceable front-mounted amplifiers.

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Insights Success

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The Tribune-Review

Aerotech will take over Alpha Manor II, a 20,000-square-foot building, and add about 50 to 60 employees in research and development in RIDC Park.

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Aerotech Blog

Aerotech is proud to sponsor the Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) at the University of Pittsburgh, which recently won multiple awards at the collegiate International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC).

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Photonics

Applying nanometer technologies to mass production requires attention to tolerance, environment, and equipment capabilities.

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Engineering Specifier

At this year’s Micronora precision and microtechnology fair in Besançon, France on September 25-28, Aerotech will present innovative linear and rotary tables for demanding laser machining processes. For the first time, the IGM linear motion platform, developed to meet the highest precision requirements, will be presented to a broad specialist audience.

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Due to the continuously increasing demand for consumer electronics, electronic equipment manufacturers are pushing the throughput limits of the equipment they build. UPH (unit per hour) is being challenged every time there is a new manufacturing machine developed.

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Military Market Reports

Piezoelectric actuators are electromechanical motors that convert electrical energy into mechanical stress or displacement using the piezoelectric effect. Piezoelectric actuators are known for their precise movement control and hence, are highly used for finely adjusting mirrors, lenses, machining tools and in other equipment. Aerotech named a major participant in the field.

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The New York Times

Although they've been around since the 1950s, man-made diamonds were relegated to industrial uses. De Beers scientists at Element Six Innovation are now prepared to enter a new and lucrative market for man-made diamonds by producing synthetic jewelry stones.

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Medical Market Devices

The global 3D bioprinting market was valued at $98.6 million in 2015, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35.9% during 2016 - 2022. The growth of the global market is largely driven by increasing large demand of tissues and organs for transplantation and the innovations and advancements in technology for 3D bioprinting. A large number of people across the globe are waiting for organ or tissue transplant, due to the huge gap in demand for organs transplant and donors. This has created huge traction in the 3D printing industry for developing live tissues and organs.

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Photonics Spectra

Serial positioning architectures offer unprecedented alignment precision, but where space constraints exist, parallel-kinematic designs fit the bill.

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Renishaw

Aerotech, continuing its commitment to the art and science of motion control, looks to Renishaw for versatile, high-precision laser interferometer encoders for its medical stages.

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Industrial Lasers

As everyone who is interested in display technology is aware, the switch over from liquid-crystal display (LCD) technology to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays has begun in the handheld electronics market. However, with technology change and consumer benefit come challenges in manufacturing. As with all production processes, OLED display manufacturers are concerned with yield and production rate. Demand is surging, and the end markets that OLED displays supply are time-sensitive and high-pressure. Some of the major manufacturing challenges related to OLED display fabrication stem from the need for individual component displays to be cut out by a laser. These challenges all come down to three things: displays are getting bigger, they need to be cut very fast because they are too expensive, and most importantly, the materials used to make them are extremely sensitive to process parameters and difficult to cut with quality.

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3D Printing Industry

Researchers from Harvard University have developed a method for creating soft robots with embedded sensors capable of sensing movement, pressure, touch, and temperature.

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Design World - Linear Motion Tips

There’s increasing demand for stages, tables, gantries, and indexing tables with simplicity or turnkey operation — largely because of industry moves toward focused expertise and abstraction.

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Open PR

Aerotech named major player in the multi-axis motion control market.

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eMailWire

Aerotech named a prominent vendor in new research report focusing on the laboratory robotics market.

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Machine Design

PlanarDL was recently used in a project at Purdue University, where researchers devised a way to 3D print with energetic materials such as explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.

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Industrial Laser Solutions

General precision engineering principles dictate that care be given to many important design details to ensure success in any motion control application. For instance, best practices in machining and assembly offer the best chance to produce a high-performing system, and special attention must be paid to preserve a stable working environment. Specifically, managing and mitigating thermal effects is of paramount importance.

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MDPI Open Access Journals

A drug-eluting stent with rhombic-shaped drug reservoirs is proposed, aimed at providing long-term drug delivery and enhanced fatigue life. Unique rhombic-shaped reservoirs or channels on the stent struts can increase the total drug capacity and improve the stress distribution for longer fatigue life, without compromising other important clinical attributes.

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My News Desk

​Nano Positioning Systems Market To Become Worth $264.1M by 2025

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Automation Inside

Aerotech's QNP3 series XYZ parallel kinematic piezo positioning stages have been named the winner in the Automation Inside Readers' Choice Awards 2017 in the "Best Motion System 2017" category.

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ChemEurope

One technology uses magnetic fields to generate mechanical work. The other enhances the magnetic properties of 3D-printed materials. Combined, they could lead to efficient, economical production of magnetic actuators used in everything from sensors, robotics, and mechanical devices to power generation.

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PR Sync

Aerotech was named a major player in the global piezo actuators industry market in a recent report.

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Open PR

The growth of the motion control market has increased, due to use of high- level automatic equipment, machine tools, high-level medical equipment, sensors, and many others. In recent years, equipment industries has begun to emerge from the traditional big industries and do depth development for motion control application segments. Motion control system is core part in every automated equipment. The high flexibility and quality products can be achieved by combinations of automation and motion control products.

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Point Park University

Assistant Professor Sandra Mervosh, M.S., SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is matching human resource management students with employers throughout the Pittsburgh region as part of the HR Partner Program she just launched in the Rowland School of Business.

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Publication:

Control Engineering

We are honored to have an Aerotech product once again included as a finalist in the Control Engineering 2018 Engineers' Choice Awards. Our QNP3 series XYZ piezo positioning stages combine sub-nanometer resolution, high dynamics, and excellent geometric performance in a compact three-degree-of-freedom (DoF) package.

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Advanced Materials

Research in polymer solar cells (PSCs) and thin film transistors (TFTs) is motivated both by advancing fundamental science and by significant cost reductions that derive from manufacturing by solution processes (e.g., spin coating, blade coating, printing, etc.).

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Design World

Aerotech is proud to be nominated for Design World's Leadership in Engineering Award in the Motion Control Category.

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Aerotech is proud to sponsor Advanced Light Source's Klaus Halbach award. This year’s honor was awarded to Dmitriy Voronov, “For pioneering work in the area of advanced x-ray gratings.”

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

More employers are starting to focus on the financial well-being of workers. In addition to basic employee benefits such as healthcare and life insurance, financial wellness programs sponsored by companies are helping more workers overcome personal financial challenges, reduce their debt and prepare for retirement.

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Commercial Micro Manufacturing

Aerotech´s QNP3 series XYZ piezo positioning stages combine sub-nanometer resolution, high dynamics, and excellent geometric performance in a compact three-degree-of-freedom (DoF) package. They come with a 40 mm x 40 mm clear aperture with closed-loop travels up to 100 µm x 100 µm x 10 µm (open-loop travels to 120 µm x 120 µm x 12 µm). The design is ideal for optical and scanning probe microscopy or other inspection or manufacturing applications where two-sided part access is required with three-DoF manipulation.

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Publication:

Machine Building

On March 2, 2016 Aerotech celebrated the groundbreaking for our new Aerotech Germany office in Fürth, Germany. Construction and relocation to the new building has been completed and the opening ceremony was held on May 18th, 2017.

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Digital Journal

Aerotech mentioned as Key Market Player in this report on the piezoelectric device market.

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Design Engineering

Aerotech's product feature ThermoComp minimizes stage inaccuracy due to thermal effects even over extreme temperature ranges.

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3dprintingindustry.com

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has published research into 3D printed solar cells. Using Optomec’s aerosol jet technology, the AFRL intend​s​ to develop a more efficient production process for harnessing solar power. Optomec is currently using Aerotech stages across its Aerosol Jet product lines.

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Aerospace Manufacturing and Design

Defining a motion system that fulfills technical requirements and fits a project’s budget can challenge even the most experienced motion control equipment buyers. Aerotech’s Brian Fink offers tips about the suitability of standard and custom solutions to ease this challenge early in the process.

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Publication:

SBWire

In a fairly consolidated global nano positioning systems market, the top four players (which includes Aerotech) account for almost 75% share in the market. Product development and diversification are key tools that most players have been resorting to in order to further their market share.

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Publication:

Engineering.com

In additive manufacturing, getting precise, repeatable parts requires very careful control of the print head, the nozzle and the melt-pool. In the following video, learn how manufacturers acquire the precision control they need by using advanced control systems.

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Publication:

CBS Minnesota

Engineers have developed a new 3D printing process that can mold an electronic device onto a model hand. The “bionic skin” could give robots the sense of touch or, someday, humans the ability to have technology in their skin.

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Aerotech Blog

Aerotech is pleased to announce its recent membership in the University of Pittsburgh's Modeling and Optimization Simulation Tools for Additive Manufacturing (MOST-AM) Research Consortium. The Consortium will work to develop the most industry-relevant simulation and optimization tools for additive manufacturing, transition developed tools to industry as quickly as possible, and focus R&D on topology optimization, fast process modeling, and integrated computational materials engineering.

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www.whatech.com

Aerotech is profiled in the newly released Global Linear Motors Industry 2017 Market Research Report that examines the current state of the industry with development trends and forecasts through 2021. With around 150 tables and figures, this report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.

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Aerotech Website

Aerotech’s EasyTune Advanced Autotuning Tool is the most advanced autotuning tool available in a commercial motion controller. EasyTune puts the capabilities of an experienced control engineer at your fingertips with advanced features including automatic adjustment of servo loop gains and servo filters, and automatically analyzing system stability.

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Aerotech Website

Aerotech's new Integrated Motion and Machine Control Solutions brochure includes all Aerotech controls and software, advanced diagnostic and tuning capabilities, the integrated development environment, operator interface, a review of all controller and drive technology, standard and advanced control capabilities, hexapod and piezo controls, and controller and hardware comparison charts.

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Market Research Future

Aerotech was named a key player for anticipated global motion control market growth between 2016 and 2022 in the Asia-Pacific region in a new report by Market Research Future. With expected growth over the compound annual growth rate of around 6% from 2016-2022 and a forecasted market size of USD 22 billion in 2022, the global motion control market has been evaluated as a growing market and expected to reach high growth figures in the region during forecast years.

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Technavio

Technavio's market research analysts predict that the global automation solutions market in the bottling industry will grow steadily at a CAGR of around 7% by 2020. Aerotech was named a key vendor in this report.

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Markets and Markets

Piezoelectric devices market estimated to be worth $31.33 billion USD by 2022. The driving factors for the growth of this market include increasing demand for piezoceramic devices, increased funding from government and investors, emerging energy harvesting techniques, rising demand in automotive sector, and growing popularity of miniaturization technology. Aerotech named major player in report by Markets and Markets.

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ReportsWeb

New report by ReportsWeb studies brushless DC servomotors in the global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The report focuses on top manufacturers in the global market, with production, price, revenue, and market share for each manufacturer. Aerotech a featured manufacturer.

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Publication:

Persistence Market Research

The elevation gimbal system market will register strong growth by 2026 according to a recent report by Persistence Market Research (PMR). In the report, Aerotech was named a prominent player in the global elevation gimbal system market and offers an extensive line of gimbal products. With major applications in military and commercial use, gimbals are ideal for directing optics, lasers, antennas, and sensors at high speed to very precise pointing angles.

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Technavio

Technavio's analysts forecast the global motion control market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.84% from 2016-2020, with Aerotech noted as a prominent vendor. The report anticipates a continuous infusion of capital for automation during the forecast period in numerous industries worldwide.

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P&S Market Research

According to a new report by P&S Market Research, the 3D bioprinting global market is poised for dramatic growth from 2016-2022. Growth is being driven by increasing demand for tissues and organs for transplantation and innovations and advancements in technology for 3D bioprinting. Aerotech was named as a major player in the market, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.9% from 2016 - 2022.

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Publication:

Control Engineering

We are honored to have an Aerotech product included once again as a finalist in the Control Engineering 2017 Engineers' Choice Awards. Our HEX500-350HL six-DOF positioning system is a high-load, ultra-precision hexapod ideal for applications in x-ray diffraction, sensor testing, and high-force device manipulation. With its high-load capacity, large travels, high speeds, and sub-micrometer precision, the HEX500-350HL means you don't have to compromise on your application specifications. We hope you will agree that our new hexapod is a fitting contender in this annual competition, and that you'll give us your vote!

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Publication:

Laser Focus World

Ultra-short-pulse lasers and galvanometers support production requirements for drug-eluting polymer stents.

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As additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, becomes more commonplace, researchers and industry are seeking to mitigate the distortions and stresses inherent in fabricating these complex geometries. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering and Pittsburgh-based manufacturer Aerotech, Inc. recently received a $350,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to address these design issues by developing new, fast computational methods for additive manufacturing.

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Aerotech in Motion

Aerotech’s CADFusion software easily converts DXF and DWG drawings into AeroBasic motion programs. In version 2.05.000, we added Nmark GCL support to both the Bitmap tools and the PSO tools. We also added a Tool Catalog where you can save, edit, and organize all of your tools and use them again in different CADFusion projects. You can even import and export the tools in the Tool Catalog and share them with other CADFusion users. See the product release notes for details and a complete list of updates.

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Publication:

Piezo controller design can have a significant effect on thermal stability causing excessive error in precision motion applications. In this technical note, we briefly describe some techniques used for controlling thermal effects and compare the thermal stability of our piezo control electronics with a competitive design.

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Aerotech’s Scott Schmidt, Laser Processing & Micromachining Group Manager, presented a webcast on May 12 titled Acceleration versus Error – Balancing Performance for Cylindrical Laser Processing Applications. Anyone interested in improving their cylindrical laser processing application can reap valuable information on how to improve their process. While the discussion centered on stents, the lessons learned are applicable to all cylindrical laser processing and micromachining applications.

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Aerotech’s HEX500-350HL hexapod is ideal for applications in x-ray diffraction, sensor testing, high-force device manipulation, synchrotron sample or optics adjustment, semiconductor manufacturing and inspection, or satellite sensor testing.

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Publication:

NBC News

Aerotech motion control products are used on the front-line of biomedical research into printing living human body parts. Read more to learn about this exciting field of research.

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Many of us are familiar with stents – interventional cardiac devices used to prop (and keep) open blood vessels that had been blocked. Although stent manufacturing may appear to have stabilized a little over the past few years, a look backward (and forward a bit) shows that we’ve come a long way to arrive at what many might consider a “standard” processing system today.

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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

"For the first time ever, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and UC Santa Cruz have successfully 3D-printed supercapacitors using an ultra-lightweight graphene aerogel..."

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech’s PRO Series linear motor and ball-screw positioning stages are now available with new features and higher performance, and in two new sizes. Improved stiffness, better specifications, competitive pricing, and 137 different standard models from which to choose make the PRO-LM linear motor and PRO-SL/SLE ball-screw linear stages worth a look, don’t you think?

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech now offers an absolute encoder option for our large aperture, extreme load, ALAR direct-drive rotary stages. The absolute encoder option allows instant initialization at the time of power-up and eliminates the need for a home cycle.

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This new white paper explains the major contributors to machine positioning uncertainty in systems with laser interferometer feedback near the work point. It is meant to be an overview of the level of work point position measurement uncertainty that can be obtained in a specific machine design.

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All Automaton Motion Server products are shipped with a fully tested and verified installation of Aerotech’s A3200 motion controller operating in a 64-bit Windows® operating system. The Motion Server is ready to work right out of the box — apply power, connect the drives, and start developing. You’ll waste no more time on PC selection, operating system activation/configuration, controller installation, and managing deliveries from multiple vendors. Get started on integrating your value-added process as soon as you open the box.

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Publication:

"In micro-drilling process equipment, the most popular ways to create microvias (blind or buried vias with a diameter ≤150 µm) are mechanical drilling and laser drilling. Mechanical drilling is mainly used in larger apertures such as PCBs or IC substrates. Laser drilling is mainly used in finer apertures such as silicon wafers, ceramic substrates, and sapphire substrates."

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Scott Schmidt, Product Manager for Aerotech’s Laser Processing and Micromachining Group, recently interviewed Scott Tompkins, Senior Electrical Engineer with Innovative Laser Technologies, about the pros and cons of implementing high-speed scanners in precision laser applications. Let an expert in the field help you avoid the pitfalls and speed the commissioning of your next system.

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Publication:

Using a PC for an automation controller delivers state-of-the-art processing capabilities at competitive prices. Aerotech’s PC-based A3200 Digital Automation Platform uses TenAsys Corporation’s INtime® for Windows® to enable real-time control tasks to be executed alongside operator interface and program development functions on the same PC.

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Publication:

Aerotech’s QNP_HD piezo nanopositioning stages provide the benefits of both a stage and actuator in one compact, high-stiffness package. With a direct-metrology, capacitive sensor feedback option, high resonant frequencies and high load capacity, the QNP_HD is ideal for a wide range of high-speed and high-precision applications such as scanning probe microscopy, disc-drive testing, or semiconductor wafer articulation.

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Publication:

Control Engineering

Aerotech's Ndrive QLe Digital Panel-Mount Piezo Drive is a finalist in the Control Engineering 2016 Engineers' Choice Awards. Vote for the Ensemble QLAB by December 21st, 2015.

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

A quick survey of galvanometer scanners yields a very broad array of devices, with a significant number of price points and performance levels. How can we sift through all of the available devices to choose the right one? Furthermore, once we find the perfect choice, how can we optimize its configuration to be perfect for the application at hand?

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

On August 31st through September 3rd, Aerotech China attended CIOE 2015, the 17th China International Optoelectronic Exposition. CIOE was a very successful exposition for Aerotech China, and we look forward to participating again. Thank you to all of our visitors – we hope you enjoyed the exposition and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

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Publication:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Aerotech is proud to announce that we’ve been named a 2015 Top Workplace! We’re thrilled to have been included on the list, and are very thankful to our employees, who made this happen. More info is available at www.topworkplaces.com

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech Taiwan recently presented our motion products at the Taipei Int’l Industrial Automation Exhibition at the Taipei World Trade Centre Nangang Exhibition Hall. Aerotech Taiwan demonstrated numerous motion control products including advanced motion controllers and control algorithms, as well as a complete motion stage demonstration. Our booth was adorned with a large mockup of our “Bring Your Machine to Life” mechanical wasp, as shown in the accompanying images.

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Chemical and Engineering News

Could 3-D bioprinting one day replicate viable human organs? Find out what leaders in this fascinating field of research think the future holds for this new and exciting technology.

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Aerotech is introducing new custom direct​-​drive gantries with larger travel, higher load capacities​,​ and exceptional motion performance demanded by ​aerospace, ​government ​labs, and ​laser ​processing professionals.​ ​ ​Whether you require exceptionally long travels, extreme accuracy and repeatability, a complete control suite, a massive payload, or a fully functional motion subsystem, Aerotech can work with you to produce your ideal gantry solution.

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Medical Design Briefs

Manufacturing stents has traditionally employed two-axis systems consisting of a rotary “spindle” axis mounted on top of a direct-drive linear stage. “Free-running” the rotary axis and raster scanning the required pattern using high-dynamic galvanometers is a far more efficient method. Read more in our latest article in Medical Design Briefs.

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Publication:

Autofocus is a standard feature on Aerotech’s Automation 3200, Ensemble, and Soloist controls that greatly simplifies sensor integration and increases system performance in surface profiling and scanning applications. Autofocus is particularly useful in applications where an external analog sensor is used to maintain a constant offset from a work-point.

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Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech’s new piezo nanopositioning stages are now supported on A3200 and Ensemble controllers. New features in 5.01 include Easytune to get you started faster, improved trajectory generation, a parameter search feature in Configuration Manager, and an enhanced Axis Parameter Calculator. The 5.01 version does not support Windows XP or Windows Vista.

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Visit the new Aerotech United Kingdom website. It has never been easier to gather information about our positioning systems, control systems, and their applications.

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Publication:

Many applications, such as X·ray microscopy and Computed Tomography (CT), require positioning of samples, detectors, and optics in order to perform measurements. Microscopy applications often require imaging of the structure of matter at the sub-micrometer and even nanometer level. Good holding stability, both short-term and long-term, is required because movement of the sample, optics, or detector over the time of measurement will cause poor images. Also, the ability to make small mechanical movements on the order of nanometers is often critical for alignment and adjustment of samples or optics.

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Aerotech’s PlanarDLA-series stages offer a clear aperture, high dynamics, and exceptional geometric performance in a compact, low-profile package. These stages are essential for applications ranging from two-sided LED wafer processing where high-dynamics and micrometer-level straightness are required, to quasi-static optical metrology where high-accuracy and precise geometric performance are necessary. Regardless of the application, the PlanarDLA is designed to meet a variety of application needs with an array of configurable options.

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We have recently expanded our website to show precision motion control systems used in additive manufacturing, laboratory research, laser processing, micromachining, electronics manufacturing, and test & inspection. We invite you to peruse our Research Systems webpage to determine if our precision systems can advance your research projects.

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Publication:

Design World

Few motion technologies show more recent innovation than positioning stages. Their hardware and software are increasingly custom to fit specific output requirements, thanks in large part to tighter integration and advanced programming. No wonder that today's positioning stages can make moves with incredible accuracy, synchronize complicated axis commands, and optimize travel from coarse to fine drives in tandem, closing the loop on one common position feedback.

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Publication:

MICROmanufacturing

Emerging nanotechnologies have enabled advancements such as higher-resolution optical imaging and growing data-storage demands. Most of these technologies call for the nanoscale positioning of parts or samples. A nanopositioning system requires high-quality components, and all elements of the positioning system and its environment must be thoroughly examined to guarantee nanoscale-positioning performance.

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Publication:

A large number of cylindrical laser processing applications program the laser writing campaign as if the two axes (one linear and one rotary) are both, in fact, linear in nature. In other words, the cylindrical pattern is “unrolled” to make the shape a more typical flat workpiece.

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Industrial Laser Solutions

Synthetic diamond materials maker Element Six has recently upgraded the controls for three of their laser cutting machines. The machines were initially equipped with third-party controllers running under the DOS operating system and were due for an upgrade to the latest control technologies.

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Publication:

Photonics

Nanopositioning, or moving objects with atomic-scale precision, is a key enabling technology in areas such as semiconductor processing, microscopy and nano imaging, hard-drive and electronics manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing. In this webinar you will learn how a system-level approach is required to achieve true nanometer-level performance, as well as the basic design parameters for nanometer-level positioning performance including bearing, feedback, drive electronics, and controls algorithms.

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech has long supported EtherNet/IP™ with the Ensemble® and Soloist® controller lines. This application note goes over the ins and outs of programming the controller with the RSLogix 500 platform using the EEM instruction. The nuances of sending 32-bit words with a 16-bit SLC processor are discussed in detail in this new guide.

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Publication:

3D CAD World

Robotic systems being used today, for the most part, lack modular flexibility and other elements that allow easy integration, which often prevent an integrator from bringing them to market quickly. These deficiencies also prevent them from being able to tackle non-serial jobs in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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Publication:

Manufacturing Engineering

3D printing is driving innovation in many areas, from engineering and manufacturing to art and education. The technology is also being broadly applied in medicine—from printing prosthetic limbs to making patient-specific models of body parts that surgeons use as guides during reconstructive surgery. The next frontier in medical printing is bioprinting—using living cells to print replacement tissues and organs.

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Publication:

Industrial Laser Solutions

Laser micro-sintering is becoming a common method of manufacture for a variety of precision devices and components. A robust motion control paradigm is critical to effectively and quickly produce the products of interest, which often require micron-level system accuracy.

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Publication:

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Aerotech Director of Manufacturing discusses the gap in American manufacturing.

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Publication:

Commericial Micro Manufacturing International Magazine

With the introduction of its new range of S-waveplates, the laser technology solutions specialist Workshop of Photonics (Altechna R&D) has successfully accomplished the first commercially available laser optical device to be manufactured solely by a femtosecond laser. The specialised super-structured waveplate converts the normally linear polarised laser light into radial or azimuthal polarisation and enables users in research or industry to achieve faster processing speeds, improved quality and higher definition with tailored polarisation beams.

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Publication:

Aerotech’s long history of supplying ultra-precise positioning systems in high-technology fields such as semiconductor manufacturing has enabled ongoing development and improvement of key motion technologies. By building upon these technologies, Aerotech has developed the PlanarHDX, the most advanced commercially available planar air-bearing platform on the market. Designed using an FEA-optimized silicon carbide structure and optimized air-bearing compensation techniques, the PlanarHDX provides the highest possible dynamic performance while maintaining unparalleled geometric characteristics and positioning accuracy.

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Publication:

High precision motion control applications such as laser micromachining, 2-photon polymerization, glass panel and film patterning, and additive manufacturing now seek to take advantage of the improved precision offered with many high-speed galvanometers. In the past, either very small fields of view had to be used to allow advanced optical configurations with these scanners, or exotic and error-inducing routines such as step-and-scan strategies would be needed to allow processing of larger work pieces. Now an advanced drawing post-processor, along with motion controller enhancements, allows simple interleaving of servo and scanner motion over large fields of view and virtually any pattern type, without the need for time-consuming optimization.

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech’s Laboratory and Research Motion Product Guide illustrates our R&D-quality linear and angular positioning stages, designed and ready-to-order for use on your optical table. The brochure includes micron- and nanometer-level performance positioners in X, XY, Z, lift, theta, and goniometric versions, along with motion controllers. Also included is Aerotech’s new QNP-series of piezo nanopositioning stages for sub-nanometer-level performance.

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

Introducing Aerotech Global Technical Support, previously known as our Customer Service Department. In addition to established offices in the US, United Kingdom, and Germany, we have expanded support offices in Japan, Taiwan, China, and Thailand.

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Publication:

Aerotech In Motion

The nominal truth of any business’ bottom line is to make money and turn a profit. But as self-described “social ecologist” and management consultant Peter Drucker said, “The purpose of a business is to CREATE customers.” In the manufacturing world this translates into being innovative in product and technology development, with exceptional technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities. And not just being an early adopter of technology, but to truly be a pioneer in the field.

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There are many factors that affect the ability of a linear stage to position precisely in 3D space. Accuracy and repeatability errors were described in a previous installment of our Motion Basics series. This installment will focus on five other errors – straightness, flatness, roll, pitch, and yaw.

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Aerotech In Motion

Stent and other cylindrical laser processing applications depend on rotary speed and precision for maximum throughput and quality of the finished product. Aerotech has just increased the rotary speed of our cylindrical laser processing platforms from 33% to 100%, all while maintaining our legendary precision.

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In the automation world, there are terms that people use interchangeably, but in fact mean very different things. For example, ‘accuracy’ and ‘repeatability’ – two of the most important specifications when you’re selecting a rotary or linear stage. In this Motion Control Basics video, we explain the difference between accuracy and repeatability, and show you how it relates to linear stage travel.

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Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech is a finalist for the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s 2014 Tech 50 Awards, which honor the most successful and innovative technology companies in the region.

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Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech’s completely updated brochure Advanced Motion Systems for Aerospace, Defense, and National Security presents components and systems for the aerospace and defense industries including laser processing, additive manufacturing, large component test and inspection, electro-optic test, rotary and linear sensor test, vacuum, pointing and tracking, inertial test motion simulators, advanced controls, and standard products.

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Aerotech Aerospace and Defense Applications Manager, Tom Markel, describes and demonstrates our direct-drive and gear-drive gimbals, the Ensemble LAB multi-axis motion controller, and the QNP-L series linear piezo nanopositioners.

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Aerotech In Motion

For stent-cutting applications, modern stent profiles demand the absolute highest rates of speed and acceleration in order to make the micron-level cuts required in a stent pattern.

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Machine Design

Here, we give you five simple steps to avoid common errors when evaluating motion-control requirements. This list doesn’t cover every possible scenario or error, but it’s a starting point.

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Aerotech In Motion

Building the best motion system for your needs can be a real challenge. But there are a few key things to consider when designing a system that will ensure you have the best motion system for your application.

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Aerotech In Motion

The highly repeatable and thermally stable feedback sensors used on Aerotech’s Nmark AGV-HPO scanner systems can be calibrated down to single-digit, micron-level accuracy over the field of view. With the extremely low thermal gain drift performance of the position transducers, complex, high-density laser machining applications that take long periods of time to complete will maintain consistent micron-level feature placement accuracy over the lifetime of the process.

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Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech was one of several local manufacturing companies commended by President Obama this month during a visit to the Pittsburgh area! The President and Vice President toured the CCAC (Community College of Allegheny County) Mechatronics Lab to promote initiatives that include $500 million in US job training and $100 million in apprenticeship program funding.

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Aerotech In Motion

Aerotech’s CADFusion makes programming in AeroBasic™ or G Code as simple as clicking the button on your mouse. Turn your CAD drawings into code with Aerotech’s DXF-to-Motion-Command conversion tool in as little as a half hour – no coding required.

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Aerotech In Motion

If you calibrate angle encoders, sensors, indexing tables, polygons, or optical prisms, the μARC angle and rotary calibration system will help you make more precise products than your competition, increase your throughput by calibrating your devices faster, and give you the competitive edge in measuring and improving your product’s performance.

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As part of continued expansion in the global precision motion and automation systems arena, Aerotech Inc. - the Pittsburgh-USA headquartered high-technology mechatronic motion products designer and manufacturer - has relocated its UK subsidiary to a new and larger facility in Ramsdell near Tadley. With additional office and operational logistics space as well as considerably more room for customer demonstration, training and conferencing, the well-equipped 500 m2 building will allow Aerotech Ltd to build upon and enhance its position as a premier motion system supplier to the UK and Europe.

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Aerotech In Motion

As a key supplier to major automation programs for end-users, system integrators and OEMs, we have expanded and upgraded the Aerotech factory in Pittsburgh to meet the needs of our customers worldwide.

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Aerotech In Motion

A mechanical system can often be highly repeatable, but not necessarily accurate. Fortunately, its repeatability – the ability to reliably return to a given position – gives us a means to improve the accuracy.

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Control Design

Integrated Industrial Technologies Lists Pros and Cons to Using PCs With Windows OS for a Machine Motion Controller

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livescience

The U.S. Department of Defense backs “body on a chip” 3D bioprinting with $24 million to improve drug, disease and other biological testing.

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The Scientist

3D printing holds promise as a solution to the scarcity of transplantable human organs, but much work still needs to be done.

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Machine Design

Bicommerce LLC (Rapid City, SD) has developed Flexible Robotic Environment (FRE) software that designs modular robots and also acts as a motion platform. One machine built with the software is a modular direct-write six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robot with linear and rotary motion components from Aerotech.

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Manufacturing Engineering

Lasers are superior for marking medical tools and devices because the marks they make are flat, which is crucial: Any crevice, no matter how small, can provide a home for germs to congregate and reproduce. So an impending new rule expected from Washington may help companies that sell laser marking systems to medical device manufacturers fatten up their bottom line.

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Smithsonian.com

An overview of the additive manufacturing phenomenon, with some actual applications discussed, as well as the past, present and possible future of the technology. Note the Aerotech stage in photo #2.

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Mikroniek

Optec’s multi-wavelength ultrafast laser micromachining workstation features novel turret optics design using Aerotech micropositioning and motion controls.

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American Society for Precision Engineering

The American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) 2013 Spring Topical Meeting will feature a tutorial on Control of Precision Systems presented by Aerotech's Stephen J. Ludwick and David L. Trumper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The tutorial will present key principles for the design and implementation of control systems for precision machines, as well as the interaction of these controllers with system hardware.

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Pittsburgh Business Times

It is an honor to announce that Aerotech has been chosen as the Manufacturer of the Year by the Pittsburgh Business Times for the second consecutive year. The Manufacturer of the Year award has been presented by the Pittsburgh Business Times for the last nine years to select Western Pennsylvania manufacturing companies. The Award is given to companies that demonstrate all-around exceptional performance over an extended period of time.

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Photonics Spectra

The SPIE Prism Awards for Photonics were developed to recognize innovative scientific products, processes, software, devices, materials, systems, instruments, and technologies that are newly available on the open market. The Industrial Laser category highlights new laser sources, advanced technologies, components and laser system designs that can benefit the development, commercialization, and fielding of new laser platforms. Aerotech’s Nmark CLS galvo controller paired with our AGV scanner has secured one of the three finalist positions in the Industrial Laser category for 2013.

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NASA Tech Briefs

Machine design and deployment requires integration of various technologies such as controls, mechanics, vision, lasers, data acquisition, and software, to mention only a few. These mechatronic solutions usually target a specific purpose such as part manufacturing, marking, packaging, etc. Often the controller is a key focus in the design because it must connect and coordinate all of the processes on the machine. Using separate programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and motion controllers necessitates integration, which is costly and time-consuming. Using a single controller for the machine eliminates the need for integration and shortens design and deployment time and cost.

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Motion System Design

Correctly positioning a dispensing head while coordinating material flow is a daunting task. Sophisticated motion-controller programming — including realtime kinematics and position synchronized output — is rising to the challenge to reduce development time and improve consistency.

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Industrial Laser Solutions

An innovative automation development, Aerotech's Nmark series, synchronizes both galvo scanner and servo motion to integrate both motion platforms and seamlessly allows the user to control both the servo and scanner axes in one environment. This marriage of servo and galvo axes allows both to move simultaneously and in a coordinated fashion. Because the A3200 motion controller "knows" the location of both the galvo and servo at any point in time, it can easily partition the commanded motion profile to issue long-haul moves to the servo and short, faster moves to the galvo. This allows the galvo's effective FoV to be the entire range of servo stage travel, yielding essentially an infinite field of view (IFoV).

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Electro Optics

Precision micromachining applications demand high speed and superior accuracy. Increasingly, there is also a need to process 3D geometries, requiring multiple-axis systems and synchronization between the galvo axis and linear axis. In this month's edition of Electro Optics Magazine, Greg Blackman interviews Aerotech's Advanced Automation Division Manager, Ron Rekowski, about the challenges faced by laser and scanner system manufacturers supplying components for precision micromachining tasks.

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Drives & Controls Magazine

There are two basic architectures for supervisory and control automation: distributed and centralized. Historically, design patterns have migrated between these two architectures and will continue to do so in the future. But will one win out?

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MICROmanufacturing

Key motion requirements for mechanical and laser micromachining systems include high dynamic contour accuracy, repeatability, speed and a flexible, advanced motion controller. Accurate and fast micromachining depends on carefully integrating mechanical, electrical, control and software elements. This article discusses the common micromachining motion system components and how they are combined to create a successful micromachining system.

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Motion System Design

Periodic disturbances are commonplace in precision motion control applications; any oscillatory or rotational motion generates some periodic error in both the active and ancillary motion axes. Harmonic cancellation algorithms, when properly applied, give control system engineers an additional tool that is both effective and easily analyzed with common frequency domain techniques — to eliminate tracking errors in precision motion systems. They apply when either the servo command or disturbance is largely periodic — for example, in machine tools, data storage systems, and sensor testing.

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Drives & Controls

Prescott Instruments, the Tewkesbury-UK based specialist test instrument designer and manufacturer, recently introduced a new multi-function rheometer for rubber and elastomer materials testing that uses direct-drive brushless servomotor technology for a sinusoidal motion technique that offers greater flexibility and a wider range of test conditions. The new rheometer uses a single-axis frameless and brushless torque motor with a peak rating of around 20 Nm in combination with a high-resolution optical encoder together with Aerotech's Soloist™ HPe integrated servo drive and motion controller.

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Quality Magazine

Knowing the precise position at the moment of sensor triggering has powerful implications in a number of test and inspection applications. From defect detection and repair to surface mapping and profiling, the field of applications requiring a tight relationship between sensor output and location in 2- or 3-dimensional space is large and growing. Aerotech's Position Synchronized Output uses innovative circuitry to deliver the actual encoder-based positional information in real time.

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Design News

Aerotech's new small-footprint AGS1500 gantry was designed for precise contouring accuracy in 2D space. The AGS1500 incorporates a variety of innovations in mechanical design as well as advanced control techniques that reduce angular errors, significantly improve contouring accuracy, and increase gantry speed and throughput.

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MICROmanufacturing

Aerotech looked at the (stent manufacturing) platform a few years ago and found that a fundamental limitation on increasing processing speeds was the stiffness of the system. As a result, Aerotech incorporated into its VascuLathe laser motion machine an integrated linear-rotary design capable of providing throughput two to five times greater than component systems, while still providing micron-level dynamic tolerances.

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The Engineer

The University of Southampton's ORC (Optoelectronics Research Centre) uses an Aerotech ABL9000 series air-bearing stage and A3200 motion controller for groundbreaking research into direct UV laser writing of integrated optical circuits on specialized glass substrates and on its own patented 'flat' optical cable.

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Design News

As solar cell production gains momentum, manufacturers are focused on higher efficiency, sustainable quality, and incorporating more automation. Gain insight into how solar cell manufacturers are leveraging the latest precision motion control technologies, robotics, networked automation inspection stations, and automation solutions to make more units at a lower cost.

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AUTOMATIKA: Journal for Control, Measurement, Electronics, Computing and Communications

This paper describes the design and implementation of a remote control system for a weld inspection system used on nuclear reactor vessels. The system is based on the Automation 3200 that features a client-server TCP/IP software architecture that allows the operator to perform the entire inspection procedure remotely over a network.

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Design News

Given the high costs of new machine tools, many manufactures are seeking to re-control their existing machinery. These re-control projects allow manufacturers to realize some significant cost savings, while modernizing the control system, which is typically the backbone of the machine tool itself. The re-control also eliminates costly obsolescence issues with older electronics. Some of these new control systems come with advanced features that allow manufacturers to compensate for minor mechanical imperfections, as well as mechanical wear that has accumulated over years of use. And quite often this can eliminate the need to do a complete mechanical rebuild.

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Today's Medical Developments

Due to its unique capabilities, laser processing has become the predominant method of cutting, ablating, and welding materials for stent manufacturing. Compared to other cutting methods, laser processing produces very smooth edges that substantially reduce the finishing process. Another laser processing benefit is the ability to make intricate design cuts with extreme precision and accuracy. These factors allow the system to be more cost-effective to deliver improved throughput.

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Design News

Flexibility, connectivity and the need for speed are the main goals for packaging OEMs. The ability to handle different size packages, bottles and even different product lines means the machines need to be flexible. The need for speed is making manufacturers look for ways to decrease changeover times and drives automation to fully utilize product recipes to adjust automatically to new product requirements.

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Machine Design

Surprise! There’s no guarantee a stage can make moves on the order of its resolution specs.

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Production Machining

A steady increase in practical industrial applications has secured a place for linear motors. Here's an overview of the various types of linear motors and what differentiates them from their rotary counterparts.

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Design World

Air bearing stages are noted for their smooth, frictionless motion. A few tips and techniques will ensure you benefit from their advantages.

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Vision Systems Design

FireWire camera, telecentric lens, custom lighting arrangement, and servo system checks automotive-connector integrity.

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Motion System Design

Mechatronics, with its multidisciplinary engineering approach integrating electrical, control, software, and mechanical elements, is well matched to the design of complex micropositioning devices.

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Today's Medical Developments

Advances in electronics and battery technology have led to an increase in the number and sophistication of electronic devices that are implanted in the human body for treating an ever-growing number of afflictions. This technology has been used successfully for many years in pacemakers, defibrillators and other cardio- rhythm management devices.

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Photonics Spectra

A high-speed scanner is being used to create a digital database of more than 500,000 glass photonegatives.

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Design News

To meet the demands of high-precision applications, engineers are turning more and more to mechatronics solutions, says Robert Novotnak, manager of Aerotech’s Advanced Automation Division. His firm supplies complete motion systems for machines ranging from a 5-axis laser cutting station to a high-performance stent cutter for the medical field. In an interview with Design News, Robert Novotnak discusses some of the essential building blocks of mechatronics.

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Photonics Spectra

Femtosecond lasers enable microfabrication with resolution beyond the diffraction limit.

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Design News

Precision motion control applications often require triggering an external device based on the actual position of the axis in motion. For many applications, traditional methods of triggering compromise part quality and cycle time. An axis-based trigger in the controller can significantly improve part quality, reduce cycle time, and eliminate other processing problems.

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Motion System Design

A discussion of software-based compensation used to reduce cogging in slotted linear motors.

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Laser Focus World

Precision motion-control systems have found widespread use in a number of broad markets. Each application requires certain critical motion performance specifications that define the motion technology or technologies best suited for the job. In many cases, one technology becomes an obvious choice. In other applications, two or more competing technologies may deserve consideration. The choice between direct-drive and gear-driven gimbals presents just such a comparison based on the application.

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Design News

While still dominant in the semiconductor industry, air bearings are now tackling positioning challenges in applications ranging from food processing to medical.

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Industrial Laser Solutions

Laser machining comprises a variety of processes, including laser drilling, cutting, marking, scribing, welding, and micromachining. While a great deal of industry experience exists with these processes, many challenges remain in performing them quickly, efficiently, and with the highest process quality.

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Proceedings of the 2004 Advanced Laser Applications Conference & Exposition

Metalase Technologies and Aerotech are currently developing advanced techniques for laser micro-drilling materials with a thickness of 1mm or greater. There are two key enabling technologies: (i) a laser with short pulse duration, high peak power, and small wavelength, and (ii) a multi-axis motion system capable of high precision, high speed, and advanced blended motion paths. Metalase is working with Aerotech as the supplier of the high precision multi-axis motion system. This paper will describe a system designed for drilling precision apertures in thicker materials and discuss an application example for direct-injection diesel fuel injector nozzles.

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Industrial Laser Solutions

High performance motion maximizes fuel injector nozzle machining.

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Photonics Spectra

No longer an exotic manufacturing application, laser welding is now a common production tool for processing pacemakers, defibrillators and other implantable medical devices. Applying the weld to the seams of these devices requires precise firing control to maintain a consistent overlap in the laser welding pulses.

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Assembly

There are pros and cons to in-house projects.

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Assembly

Many manufacturing processes for flat panel displays (FPDs) require precision motion control for feature generation and inspection. Aerostatic bearings are an excellent choice for many of these processes, because they allow precise, repeatable motion; are clean-room compatible; and are maintenance-free.

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Photonics Spectra

Virtual pivot-point motion analysis and active-alignment power scanning help end users explore their positioning equipment needs and prove out alignment capabilities before buying a system.

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Design News

A discussion of Aerotech's ANT series direct-drive stages.

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Medical Design News

High-performance laser machining centers benefit from advances in motion control and positioning technology.

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