Motorized Linear Stage

[FuzzehPanda]

I'm trying to put together a motorized stage of sorts to anneal very small wires. The motorized stages I've seen so far are for high-precision optics/other high accuracy fields while my project does not need such accuracy, just a slow moving stage. The stage itself also needs to be able to withstand temperatures of about 300C (not the motor). Any idea of what stage/motor I should use in doing this? The optic-quality motorized stages are upwards of $2000, and I've looked into a linear actuator as a solution, but I'm not sure they move slow enough for my needs.

Ideas for inexpensive linear stages with at least 50mm travel? The table on the stage does not need to be large at all, with little carrying capacity.

Thanks.

 

[MikeHalloran]

The important questions are:
- How slow, exactly, do you want it to move?
- How much trajectory error can you tolerate?
- Can it move stepwise? If so, how big a step can you tolerate?
- If it must move continuously, how much velocity error can you tolerate? E.g. speed ripple, or what's called 'flutter and wow' in tape recorders.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[FuzzehPanda]

It needs to move <1mm/sec, trajectory error doesn't really matter I think. It just needs to move and work. It can move step wise, the biggest step would be 1mm steps. A velocity error shouldn't matter too much either, as long as it is constant and repeatable.

 

[amorrison]

Maybe

http://www.firgelliauto.com/default.php

Or search

http://groups.google.ca/group/comp.robotics.misc/topics?lnk=sg&hl=en

Consider a model airplane servo with an electronic position controller- install a tangent drive wire for your short distance linear force or

"hack' an old disk drive for the head control mechanism.

 

[prohammy]

Fuzz,

Probably the cheapest way to do this is to do it yourself....

Take a look at these guys (I know they are european, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem), they will supply both the slides or individual compoents

http://www.ondrives.com/main.asp?category=Linear+Motion+Products

If you do decide to go it yourself, there is a previous post on this site I did about the design side issues of buuilding linear stages that I did that I could dig out for you


Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK

 

[prohammy]

And here it is

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=176641

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK