Development of a Miniature Vertical Milling Machine for Automation Used in a Microfactory

In this paper, a compact-sized milling machine is proposed for using in the miniaturized manufacturing system, the Microfactory. The miniature milling machine was designed to achieve high positioning accuracy within the working volume 35x35x33 mm3, by utilizing air bearings for linear movement guides and spindle. The configuration of the 3-axis milling machine was determined to be vertical machine considering automation for the factory line usage, and the vertical air bearing stage was designed to carry the high speed air bearing spindle in the middle of the guide for maximum stiffness. We describe the design aspects of this machine and some experimental results.