This white paper will explain what positioning system metrology is, why it is important, how to conduct metrology and how to make use of the results. Metrology is conducted to ensure that a designer’s positioning system meets a set of required specifications once it is mechanically built. The following material will be geared towards precision motorized positioners under closed loop control.

At some point automation hardware inevitably becomes obsolete. It’s hard to know exactly when to retrofit or redesign, but there are indications that cannot be ignored. Quite simply, when the system’s tolerances and throughput can no longer meet market demand, it is time to upgrade.

The selection of the most suitable granite-based linear motion platform for a given application depends on a host of factors and variables. It is crucial to recognize that each and every application has its own unique set of requirements that must be understood and prioritized in order to pursue an effective solution in terms of a motion platform.

Manufacturers of optical devices know the importance of mature industrialized processes built around the cost savings of automation. These processes have made manufacturing optical devices economical in a number of speed and bandwidth-sensitive markets such as data communications, telecommunications, and commercial sensing. The technology that goes into these devices is constantly evolving to meet the future needs of these markets, and this forces product manufacturing practices to follow suit.

Choosing the optimal automation equipment for a given process requires a thorough understanding of the process parameters and the effects of positioning errors on the results. Recent advances in laser direct-write applications provide an excellent example of selecting the optimal positioning equipment based on process parameters.

In modern motion control systems, the primary figure of merit is often the global accuracy that may be achieved on the workpiece surface. However, when configuring the motion control architecture for more advanced features, such as Infinite Field of View (IFOV), characterizing each element of the systemic errors can be very challenging. This white paper details how to characterize the constituent error elements and suggests a means of predicting overall system errors for IFOV-enabled motion control platforms.

The following discussion will focus on the fundamental consideration that can be taken to increase a machine designer's chances of successfully meeting tolerance goals.

Photonic device manufacturers are rushing to develop new alignment techniques and hardware to keep up with spatial tolerance requirements between optical components. These spatial tolerances can be controlled during automated alignment processes by implementing the optimal positioning system architecture.

Servo motor drives can be measured in many ways. When it comes to performance, few tests are more meaningful to system performance than in-position stability. In-position tests show how well the drive can hold a motor or stage in a target position without drift or jitter.

Aerotech近期推出新款機櫃式驅動器XR3，其搭配Aerotech領先業界的A3200軟體控制器。XR3包含全新設計的驅動器：XSP3，一款脈衝寬度調變(PWM)驅動器與XSL3，一款線性驅動器。

Maximizing measurement throughput is paramount in scientific and industrial applications alike, which is certainly the case with beamline and synchrotron facilities. Beamline and synchrotron facilities allot time to users with the understanding that users will collect all of their data in a given period. A hindrance to this was the slow data collection process implemented at many of these facilities, and this meant allocating more time to each user. What if the data collection process was faster? What if samples and chemical reactions could be measured on the fly while the data collection was instantaneously triggered in the background? Aerotech developed a tool for these cases, and it collects more data with more throughput on even the most complicated sample manipulation platforms.

Part-Speed Position Synchronized Output (PSO) is a new tracking mode for Aerotech’s PSO advanced controller feature. Part-Speed PSO commands high-speed, low latency output pulses based on the commanded vector velocity.

Part-Speed Position Synchronized Output (Part-Speed PSO) 是一種全新的雷射觸發控制技術，相對於已經於雷射產業應用多年的位置同步輸出技術，Part-Speed PSO 可以基於向量速度進行超低延遲時間, 高即時性, 高速度的位置同步輸出．

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. In this Application Note, Aerotech used our Enhanced Throughput Module (ETM) to reduce move and settle time and maximize throughput on a machine without changing the mechanical structure or the machine base design.

由於消費性電子的巨大需求，電子設備製造商的重要任務，是持續提升機台的產能極限。每次新的開發專案，新的製程設備的UPH總會是設備商最大的關注之一。於本文中，Aerotech使用產能擴充模組(ETM)來實際上降低位移整定時間，在不改變機台結構，不改變底座設計的前提下，提升機台的產能。

The A3200 motion controller has the powerful ability to program custom functional relationships and complex kinematic transformations directly into the motion engine. This capability is explored through an example of tracking a spherical surface with a Z axis while commanding only X and Y motion.

Traditionally Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) applications use servo-hydraulic solutions – actuators and controls. Lately interest has been noted in using electric actuators and servo controllers to provide characterizations not possible with servo-hydraulic solutions, in addition to the “green” factor that electric solutions provide. This white paper reviews technologies used to produce motion and exert forces on a test specimen using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and related testing applications.

The selection of the most suitable granite-based linear motion platform for a given application depends on a host of factors and variables. It is crucial to recognize that each and every application has its own unique set of requirements that must be understood and prioritized in order to pursue an effective solution in terms of a motion platform. Many motion systems suppliers appreciate this, and consequently offer a variety of motion platform options for their clients.

In industrial processes, laser pulses are traditionally triggered temporally. However, time domain spacing produces inherent laser processing challenges when motion systems depart from continuous velocity operation. Aerotech’s Position Synchronized Output (PSO) feature alleviates these problems by enabling the user to control laser pulses in the spatial domain.

In the rapidly growing realm of silicon photonics, precision alignment of optical components is a crucial part of the fabrication process. If a fiber-optic component is misaligned, this misalignment can prevent the device from functioning properly. Signal strength can be reduced by multiple dBs with just a single micron of misalignment, so having equipment capable of quickly and consistently performing high-precision alignments is critical for manufacturers of fiber optics and silicon photonics devices. Linear alignments are typically the most crucial in these processes, but angular alignment precision can also be very important.

There are many variations of line following applications within the packaging industry including labeling, cut-to-length, fly cutting, lane diversion, rotary knife, and many others. All of these line following applications have the same machine functions at their core. Commonly there is an independent moving line with feedback for measuring line speed. This feedback signal is input to the motion controller through an auxiliary encoder input. The motion controller then uses this auxiliary encoder input as the commanded speed, while it controls another axis called either a “slave” or “follower” axis to move at the same speed as the line. The relationship between line speed and follower speed could be a one-to-one ratio or some other function.

有許多產線包裝應用，包含貼標機，定尺寸切割，飛剪，追剪，分條，刀具旋轉等許多商業應用。這些產線應用都有相同機器功能程式。這些機台中有一個很大的共通點，也就是他們通常地會有一個獨立移動線量測線速度做回饋。這個回授訊號輸入透過輔助編碼器輸入到運動控制器。然後運動控制器使用輔助編碼器輸入如控制命令，當它控制其他次軸或追隨軸移動到相同的速度。線速度與追隨速度可以為一比一比例 或 “其他功能或比例”。

Noncontact displacement sensors are used in measurement applications where surfaces or processes do not allow contact and demand high precision. Technologies such as capacitive, confocal, eddy-current, and laser triangulation sensors have proven themselves in applications that incorporate motion systems.

EasyTune® is the most advanced autotuning tool available in a commercial motion controller. EasyTune was extensively tested and refined on different motion systems to reduce settling in order to enhanced your machine’s throughput. It allows non-control system users to complete system tuning quickly and easily.

Aerotech’s Galvo Calibration File Converter (GCFC) application can be used to merge measurement data during the calibration process.

This application note will outline the procedures required to create new calibration tables and how to merge calibration tables for Nmark SSaM.

The ROTATION command in the Automation 3200 (A3200) implements a rotation matrix operation. The function can be used to transform coordinates on mechanical actuators that include rotary motion. Multiple ROTATION commands can be configured to work with systems that have more than one rotary axis. A five‐axis system consisting of two rotary axes and three linear axes is an example of such a system. This application note will discuss the process of setting‐up the ROTATION command for this type of application.

Many lasers are limited to firing pulses based on an internal clock source and cannot be asynchronously triggered from an external signal such as from Aerotech’s Position Synchronized Output (PSO) feature. Aerotech has added the ability to synchronize the start of the PSO output pulse with the laser clock signal.

Aerotech, a specialist in high-performance motion-centric machine control, now provides a comprehensive service for machine builders that spans from initial concept through end of life.

Aerotech's unique Enhanced Tracking Control (ETC) feature improves move-and-settle times in point-to-point positioning and reduces tracking errors during contoured motion.

Aerotech 獨一無二動態軌跡強化控制 (Enhanced Tracking Control) 功能，可提升點對點定位裡位移整定時間，與與降低輪廓運動過程中之追隨誤差。

An automation platform can play a significant role in reducing risks associated with many of the development issues confronted in machine design. Furthermore, an automation solution that improves engineering efficiencies provides an opportunity to increase the value of the finished product as compromises are not made.

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.

The internal model principle is a 30-years-young idea that serves as the basis for a myriad of modern motion control approaches. One such algorithm — harmonic cancellation — is indispensable to industry for eliminating tracking errors.

Programming with RSLogix 5000

Programming with RSLogix 500

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. While this technique might ease the motion control programming burden, often the resulting pattern cycle time suffers due to the many directional changes the rotary axis (in particular) must undergo during laser processing. Alternatively, “free-running” the rotary axis in a constant direction and raster-scanning the required pattern using high-dynamic galvanometers is a better and far more time-efficient means of writing the same pattern to the cylindrical workpiece.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance differences of motor and feedback technologies on minimum incremental motion (achievable mechanical step size), short-term stability, and long-term stability.

The following discussion will focus on how to implement advanced motion control technology to improve the performance of laser micro-drilling machines.

The following discussion will focus on how to implement advanced motion control technology to improve the performance of mechanical micro-drilling machines.

Precision mechanical equipment, integrated advanced controls, and laser control features and software come together to advance the state-of-the-art in drum writing.

Traditionally linear stages are used with encoders to position to precise points in a motion profile. These encoders are used for both positioning and, in the case of brushless servomotors, for motor commutation as well. However, in certain applications like material press-bonding, position is not as important as force. When binding two materials together, if a position is the target, the force applied while bonding can vary significantly. Part thickness, amount of epoxy, and stage backlash can combine to produce more or less force applied than is necessary for a complete and successful bonding process. If a force can be used in place of "position" at the servo-loop level, we can be assured of the same amount of force being applied cycle after cycle, regardless of part tolerances, to create a more uniform and successful bonding result.

The purpose of this discussion is to explain the major contributors to machine positioning uncertainty in systems with laser interferometer feedback near the work point. We will use an example to quantify these uncertainties in a real implementation of a laser-feedback-driven machine.