A ‘micro-incher’ machine carriage drive with automatic feedback control of step-pitch, step-phase and inter-step positioning

Abstract Certain fine fabrication and positioning processes require position-control and indexing of a carriage to within sub-micron accuracy over ranges of 100 mm or more. After reviewing high precision indexing controlled by optical interferometric position-measurement and pointing out potential problem-areas (from the automatic control-engineering viewpoint) this paper describes a system which employs a piezoelectrically driven linear microstep ‘incher’ combined with a fine actuator, and opto-interferometric closed-loop control of interstep positioning and of the stepping process. This was designed for indexing a grating ruling-engine and may be appropriate for other applications

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