Asymmetric XY Monolithic Stages

15 Jul 2020

Over many years, ALIO Industries has been providing precision positioning solutions for applications that do not require identical travel lengths on both the X and the Y axes. Early in 2020, the company announced another innovative nanometer-level precision positioning solution, its new Asymmetric-Series XY stages.

Stacked stages will always compromise performance. An XY stack comprised of a single axis crossed roller stage results in poor static and especially poor dynamic performance related to tuning challenges. In these stacked configurations, the lack of lower axis torsional stiffness and the bending moments of the upper axis greatly limit the dynamic responsiveness of the stage. All ALIO standard XY solutions therefore use Monolithic architectures which use three cleanly integrated and extremely rigid stage plates.

ALIO’s Asymmetric stages provide a solution with identical performance, lower moving mass, and a smaller static and dynamic footprint compared to their square-body designed, Monolithic-Series counterparts. They also offer a lower working height than traditional XY stacks and without the tuning limitations of stacked assemblies. They provide customers with the exact X and Y travel ranges needed for their applications without the cost of excess travel that is not required and will never be used.

Before ALIO introduced its Asymmetric XY stages, when confronted with the need to work with applications that required the accommodation of X and Y axis travel that were not the same, the company would sometimes limit travel on the upper axis of its Monolithic XY stages. This would save on the overall moving footprint, but the square body of the stage would still be larger and heavier than it would need to be based on the required travel for the application.

The recently introduced Asymmetric stages fit well within the overall stable of ALIO’s nanometer-level motion control solutions, and removes some limitations that manufacturers have had to put up with when they require different X and Y axes travel.

Three standard versions with asymmetric body designs / travel lengths are now available with customized versions offered for OEM Programs.

For more information contact ALIO here