V-508 High-Precision, Low-Profile Linear Motor Stage

Please note that at the moment only a limited selelction of variants of this product family is available. If you require further information contact us via info@pi.ws.

Compact Linear Translation Stage with Linear Motor and Ultra-Low-Profile Design

The V-508 family of high-precision linear motor stages provides high speed and accuracy in a very compact, low-profile package. These closed-loop, motorized nanopositioning stages are well suited for high-dynamics 24/7 industrial automation applications, based on a concept that was designed with reliability in mind – high performance bearings, zero-friction linear motors, non-contact optical position sensors, and an FEA (finite element analysis) optimized body for stiffness and thermal stability.

Frictionless Direct Drive Linear Motors – Very High Resolution

Driven by in-house developed, frictionless, brushless 3-phase linear motors and controlled by direct-measuring linear encoders, the V-508 series linear translation stages can provide high resolution linear motion with minimum increments down to 1 nanometer, for the highest performance variants.

Direct Metrology Encoders with Sub-nm Sensitivity

There is a choice of cost-efficient incremental encoders, PIOne metrology-class interferometric encoders and absolute measuring encoders (no referencing on power up required). Since the linear position of the stage is measured directly at the moving platform against the stationary base, without contact (direct metrology), backlash, mechanical play, or deformation in the drive train as common with motor / leadscrew combinations have no influence on position accuracy.

Precision Cross Roller Guides for High Load and Smooth Motion

Equipped with precision, long-life, crossed-roller guides with anti-cage creep mechanism, the V-508 translation stages provide excellent straightness and flatness specs. Crossed-roller bearings also provide higher load capacity compared to ball bearings and very smooth motion. Together with the high-performance linear motor and sensor, they make the V-508 compact linear motion stage series an ideal solution for alignment, test, manufacturing, measuring and delay line applications.

Load Capacity / Travel Ranges

These compact linear motion stages can carry loads to 10 kg (100 N). The moving platform of the translation stage covers the whole stage base and provides travel ranges of 80 mm, 170 mm, and 250 mm. Higher load capacities and longer travel range stages, up to 1 m and more, are available in a variety of direct drive and screw-drive linear translation stages offered by PI, including air bearing linear slides and stepper motor stages.

Choice of 3-Phase Direct Drive Linear Motors

V-508 precision linear positioning stages are available with ironless linear motors and iron-core linear motors. Ironless linear motors are particularly suitable for positioning tasks with the highest demands on precision because there is no undesirable interaction (cogging) with the permanent magnets. This allows for smoother running with better constant velocity control even at very low speed and at the same time, eliminates vibration at high velocities. Due to the lack of hysteresis, the controller does not have to deal with nonlinearity and the drive force can be set freely and can be controlled precisely.

On the other hand, when the highest force and acceleration in the smallest stage design is required, iron core linear motors provide an advantage. The iron core design maximizes the magnetic forces and ensures high thermal stability of the motor with high loads. PI offers high performance motion controllers with special algorithms that reduce the cogging effects of iron-core 3-phase motors and can also reduce the peak current requirements in highly dynamic applications.

24/7 Performance Automation

These fast, motorized precision servo stages are designed to meet high duty cycle automation requirements for advanced applications, where reliable, high accuracy motion with nanometer precision and high velocity is required.

Multi-Axis Stage Combinations: XY and XYZ

2-axis and 3-axis stage combinations are feasible. XY tables can be built by stacking two single-axis stages, while a custom Z-axis with weight force compensation can be used for XYZ translation stage combinations. Another Z-axis option is the very compact V-308 vertical linear stage with user-adjustable integrated magnetic counterbalance.

Closed-Loop Motion Controllers for the Highest Performance

A selection of advanced, single-axis and multi-axis motor and automation controllers with extensive software packages are available to extract the maximum performance from these high precision linear positioning stages (see controller recommendations in the specification tables). For the highest performance requirements, we recommend our EtherCat^®-based closed-loop ACS controller families (A-8xx and G-9xx series). They allow for dynamic error compensation in one or more axes, further enhancing the performance of the compact V-508 linear motion stages. Especially when path accuracy, tight velocity regulation and motion synchronization of multiple axes are critical, as well as ultra-low position noise and the fastest step-and-settle dynamics, these ACS-based motor controllers provide superior performance. For synchronization with external events or triggering, several options including a special Laser Control Module are available. ACS is a global leader in motion control solutions and part of the PI Group.

Application Fields of V-508 Linear Translation Stages

V-508 high precision linear translation stages are employed in industry and research in fields such as measuring technology, photonics alignment, semiconductor scanning / wafer inspection, optics and sensor calibration, laser inscription and processing, micro-assembly, medical engineering and other applications where high precision motion and 24/7 reliability are required. Due to the compact size and nanometer resolution, V-508 systems also provide excellent performance as delay line stages and in other high stability nanopositioning applications.

How Do Motorized Linear Stages Work?

Linear positioning stages are sometimes also referred to as linear slides and rodless linear actuators. A single-axis motorized linear stage can move a workpiece or sample in one degree of freedom. Its moving platform is guided by a mechanical, magnetic or air bearing system against the stationary base. Motorized linear translation stages provide higher precision than manual stages and are often used to automate industrial processes. Motorized stages come in many different variations - most common drive systems consist of a rotary motor (stepper motor or servo motor) coupled to a drive screw that is connected via a nut to the moving platform. Direct drive linear translation stages replace the rotary motor / screw combination with a noncontact electromagnetic coil (forcer) and magnet track. The lack of friction eliminates wear and allows for higher velocity, acceleration and reliability. For highest precision, a position sensor (usually an optical linear encoder) is integrated in the stage base and moving platform, providing exact position information to a computer programmable motion controller.

For very high force/load applications, screw-driven stages can be advantageous, however at the cost of accuracy and speed.

Why PIMag^® Brushless Direct Drive Motors

PI develops proprietary brushless electromagnetic voice-coil and 3-phase motors for applications where a precision positioning system needs to achieve specific performance characteristics that cannot be met by a commercially available motor. Typical examples would be higher force density requirements or ultra-compact designs for space limited environments. The motors developed by PI are identified by the PIMag^® brand name and are used in linear motor stages, linear actuators and direct drive rotary tables.