Baldor Electric Company

Other

Bahram Berj Kafai

Glenn Sterling Trammell

John Andrew Heilig

A positioner for positioning an object with sub-micron resolution is disclosed. The positioner includes a first stage having a first stage housing and adapted to provide dual-axis motion for coarse positioning of the object, and a second stage secured substantially within the first stage housing and adapted to provide dual-axis motion for fine positioning of the object. The second stage comprises a second stage housing on which the object may be removably secured. The first stage is preferably a stepper motor or servo motor and the second stage is a piezoelectric actuator. The first stage housing preferably includes air bearings positioned on a surface thereof.

Multi-axes, sub-micron positioner

A lead screw piezo nut positioning device includes coupling and driven members and a piezo nut positioner assembly. The coupling member is secured to an external machine part and received about a lead screw such that the lead screw does not directly drivingly engage and cause movement of the coupling member nor of the external machine part. The driven member is threadably coupled about the lead screw for undergoing coarse movement along the lead screw in response to its rotation. The piezo nut positioner assembly is disposed between the coupling and driven members and received over the lead screw such that the assembly is not directly drivingly engaged nor moved by the lead screw. The assembly is electrically activatable to undergo axial expansion along the lead screw and extends between and interconnects the coupling and driven members such that the position of the external machine part secured to the coupling member can be coarsely adjusted relative to the lead screw via the assembly and coupling member and finely adjusted relative to the lead screw via the coupling member after the rotation of the lead screw and thus the coarse movement of the driven member have ceased. The axial expansion of the piezo nut positioner assembly is proportional to the frequency of an electrical voltage applied to the assembly.

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Granada Hills, CA, United States of America

Bahram Berj Kafai