Etel S.a.

Laurent Heiniger

Jean-Marc Vaucher

Hélène Mazerolle

Ralph Coleman

Yannick Droval

Marc Kunze

Michel Napoli

David Ingram

An active anti-vibration system includes a mounting base having an upper side onto which a motion system is mountable and a lower side, a supporting frame resting on the floor, and active bearings mounted into an active bearings compartment defined by the lower side of the mounting base and an upper side of the supporting frame. Each active bearing includes actuators for imparting counteracting forces to compensate for reactions forces generated by the motion system, when mounted onto the mounting base and operating, to avoid unwanted movements of the mounting base and dampen any residual movements. Each active bearing further includes an upper panel mounted against the lower side of the mounting base, and a lower panel mounted against the upper side of the supporting frame. The mounting base includes through-holes extending from the upper side to the lower side of the mounting base, and a first set of fixation elements mounted inside respective through-holes to secure the active bearing upper panel to the lower side of the mounting base. The active bearings include a second set of fixation elements to secure the active bearing lower panel to the upper side of the supporting frame.

Active anti-vibration system for a precision motion system

A gantry-type positioning device includes first and second cross members. Two linear guides are disposed parallel to each other on a base and support the first and second cross members such that the cross members are movable in a first direction. A Y-carriage has a functional element and is supported on the first cross member such that the Y-carriage and the functional element are movable in a second direction. A position-measuring device is disposed on the second cross member and the Y-carriage such that a position of the Y-carriage relative to the second cross member is detectable. A Z-carriage supports the functional element such that the functional element is movable relative to the Y-carriage in a third direction. A further position-measuring device is disposed on the Y-carriage and the functional element such that a position of the functional element relative to the Y-carriage is detectable.

Gantry-type positioning device

A portal-type positioning device includes two parallel linear guides provided with integrated linear drives, which support a separate X-carriage in a manner that allows movement in the X-direction, as well as a cross beam which is connected to the two X-carriages and movably supports a carriage in a Y-direction that extends perpendicular to the X-direction, with the aid of an integrated linear drive. In addition, the positioning device has a tool holder, which is guided on the Y-carriage in a Z-direction and holds a tool for machining a workpiece situated in an X-Y plane, the tool being disposed next to the cross beam at an offset in the X-direction. A force frame disposed above the tool in the Z-direction transmits a process force acting on the tool to the carriages LX, LXwithout deforming the cross beam by a torque. The process force is applied by an electromagnet which acts between the force frame and the tool holder.

Positioning device

A positioning device is adapted for positioning a tool at a setpoint position on a flat substrate in an X-Y plane, the tool exerting a process force in its axial direction perpendicularly onto the substrate. The tool includes a multicomponent force sensor to measure unwanted process-force components in the lateral direction. The setpoint position of the tool is correctable by the positioning device such that the lateral process-force components are minimized.

A positioning device in a gantry-type construction, include two parallel linear guides with integrated linear drives, each of which supports an X-carriage in a manner allowing movement in an X-direction, and having a cross bar which is joined to the two X-carriages and which, with the aid of an integrated linear drive, supports a carriage in a manner allowing movement in a Y-direction perpendicular to the X-direction. In addition, the positioning device has a toolholder which is guided on the Y-carriage in a Z-direction and bears a tool for processing a workpiece located in an X-Y plane, the tool being located next to the cross bar so as to be offset in the X-direction. A force frame, disposed above the tool in the Z-direction, transfers a process force acting on the tool, to the carriages, without deforming the cross bar by a torque.

In a positioning device in gantry type of construction, due to a special arrangement of the position-measuring devices used for the positioning, errors due to thermal expansion of the positioning device may be avoided to a great extent. In particular, attention is given to the advantageous placement of fixed point of a scale relative to a straightness track of a further scale.

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Fontainemelon, Switzerland

Laurent Heiniger