Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG

For the first time in Europe Physik Instrumente presented positioning systems with air bearing technology at the LASER World of Photonics conference. 

Nanopositioning specialist PI (Physik Instrumente), a leader and solution provider in motion control and positioning components and systems, releases its latest product line catalog on Air Bearing stages. The new brochure on US-designed and manufactured precision positioning equipment was introduced at this year’s “LASER World of PHOTONICS” – one of the world’s leading international trade shows and conferences for the laser and photonics industry – in Munich, Germany.  

Physik Instrumente recently introduced a new miniaturized, piezo-driven linear positioner - the Q-521. Joining PI’s existing Q-Motion linear and rotary positioning solutions product line, the ultra-compact Q-521 is only 21mm wide, and comes with travel ranges of 12mm, 22mm, and 32mm.

PI (Physik Instrumente) introduces the new PIglide HS planar XY air bearing stage, designed specifically to maximize throughput while providing the ultimate level of precision. This stage is ideal for wafer inspection and scribing applications, as well as other ultra-precision motion applications, such as flat panel inspection.

The requirements on drive technology are subject to change. The use of mobile applications is increasing; medical and measuring devices or camera systems are getting smaller and smaller and their performance characteristics are improving continuously. Compact drive systems with a resolution and repeatability in the micro or nanometer range are therefore required both in the products themselves and when they are being manufactured. Piezo ultrasonic drives are a good alternative to classic stepper motors or motor-spindle combinations. As practical OEM solution, it is possible to integrate them easily into a variety of different applications. Typical areas of application include automation tasks in precision mechanics as well as motorization of mobile measuring devices and also for adjustment in optomechanics or microscopy.

Small motion often has a great effect. Just a light shaking of the hand results in blurred, "fuzzy" photographs; unwanted motion due to guiding errors, machining processes etc. can interfere with precision machines during production to such an extent that the result becomes unusable. The constantly increasing requirements on quality and performance of the product make it necessary to avoid these types of problems. The simulation of motion and its compensation are therefore important tools. For this reason, dynamic Hexapods play an important role in positioning systems.

Precision motion control systems leader PI recently released a new series of actuators based on PIMag non-contacting voice-coil linear motor technology to ensure greater dynamics and positioning accuracy. With low wear and high lifetime, different travels and force capabilities are available, in addition to custom engineered solutions.

Piezo actuators convert electrical energy directly into mechanical energy and allow for motions with a resolution in the sub-nanometer range. They achieve travel up to approximately one millimeter and high dynamics with frequencies up to several thousand Hertz. There are no frictional parts to limit resolution, also no mechanical wear, as motion is based on crystalline solid state effects. Therefore, piezo actuators are the ideal drive solution for many precision applications in industry, life sciences, microscopy, medical engineering and research, and have meanwhile even proven themselves in space.

Physik Instrumente has developed a new PiezoMike linear actuator with integrated incremental encoder for the closed-loop adjustment of mechanical and optomechanical components.

PI provides the PIHera family of compact X, XY and Z flexure-guided piezo nanopositioning stages, offering record travel ranges to 1.8 millimeters.

The Q-545 stage series from PI miCos combines high force, a compact design and precise positioning for 13 mm and 26 mm travel ranges. The linear positioning stages’ drive principle is based on the compact, piezoelectric inertia drives.

The Q-614 rotation positioning systems from PI miCos are small and feature high position resolution.

PI has introduced their new air bearing stage and system capabilities at this year's Photonics West conference, to complement their comprehensive range of piezo nano positioning stages and hexapod micro positioning systems.

Lasers are versatile tools, working with essentially the same principle: Tip/tilt mirrors ensure correct guidance of the laser beam. This makes them important components, however, they have to be positioned accurately, in order to achieve the desired result. Manual setting is mostly still the state of the art, but not always possible. This is where piezo-based linear drives can provide a solution - space-saving and low-cost microdrives work with a positioning accuracy down to the nanometer range and, when installed in a mirror mount, replace the manually actuated micrometer screws.

Physik Instrumente recently introduced a new series of miniaturized, piezo-motor-driven linear positioners at the 2013 LASER World of PHOTONICS conference -- the world’s largest trade show for lasers and photonics related products -- in in Munich, Germany. PI’s new LPS-24 positioners are less than one inch wide and provide 15 mm travel range with closed-loop sensor resolution up to 2 nanometers.

Piezo motion specialist Physik Instrumente has added a new member to its PiezoMove family of motion-amplified, flexure-guided piezo linear actuators. The new P-604 model was designed with emphasis on cost, size and travel range.

Physik Instrumente offers a large variety of piezo-driven precision positioners for high resolution microscope applications. Piezo-driven fast nanofocus devices not only provide nanometer precise focus control but they are also used in in 3-D imaging and Z-stack image acquisition due to their rapid, millisecond-range settling speed. Several devices are available to match different objective sizes and weights. Travel ranges from 50 µm to 2 mm are available.

The new PI miCos MCS XY precision linear stage was designed for industrial surface metrology / microscopy applications and combines robustness and high accuracy. This two-axis positioning system can handle loads to 45 lbs and still provide resolution as high as 5 nanometers and repeatability of 0.2 µm thanks to its novel PIOne interferometric linear encoder. 1 nm resolution is feasible with reduced maximum speed.

The C-884, 4-axis digital servo controller was designed to control motorized linear translation stages and rotary positioners with very high accuracy and repeatability. The high-speed encoder interface allows the use of the latest direct-metrology linear and angular scales with resolutions down to the nanometre and microrad realm and below.

The new C-884 motion controller from PI permits a vector movement of positioning systems with DC motors in four axes. The four motor axes are addressed synchronously, start simultaneously and reach the target position at the same time. Commands are given to the controller over a USB or TCP/IP inter-face, the encoder bandwidth is 50 MHz.