Description

Design Features

Wide base for large offset loads
Powerful dual linear motor drive
Designed for high-performance scanning and inspection
Active air preload on all air-bearing surfaces
Linear encoder feedback provides sub-nanometer resolution
High stiffness for heavy loads and excellent geometric performance
Four models with travels from 200 mm to 500 mm

The ABL1500WB is a wide-base version of the ABL1500 series air-bearing stage. The wider base makes the ABL1500WB ideally suited for applications with large offset loads, and it is ideal as the lower axis in XY stage systems with large travel. The ABL1500WB incorporates dual linear motors, effectively doubling the force output of a standard ABL1500 stage.

Leading-edge industries, particularly in the semiconductor and high-performance test and measurement fields, demand positioning tolerances beyond the capability of conventional ball-screw and mechanical-bearing positioning systems. The ABL1500WB, with its fully active preload, exceptionally high stiffness, and excellent geometric characteristics was designed specifically to meet those demands.

Air-Bearing Design for High Dynamic Performance

The ABL1500WB incorporates an air-on-air preload on both the vertical and horizontal surfaces. The opposing thin-film pressure maintains the bearing nominal gap tolerance. This design, in addition to the large air-bearing surface that distributes the load over a large surface area, results in a stage with outstanding stiffness that is ideal for heavy or offset loading.

Aerotech’s proprietary manufacturing techniques result in a stage with unsurpassed geometric characteristics, which maximize performance by yielding superior pitch, roll, yaw, straightness and flatness specifications.

Linear Motor Drive

The driving force behind this stage is Aerotech’s BLMC series brushless linear servomotor. The BLMC utilizes an ironless forcer, which means there is zero cogging and no attractive forces, resulting in unsurpassed smoothness of motion.

Zero Maintenance

Our totally noncontact air bearing, noncontact linear motor drive and noncontact feedback device ensure years of maintenance-free operation at the high performance levels expected of Aerotech equipment. Because there is no mechanical contact between moving elements, the ABL1500WB experiences no wear or reduction in performance over time. Service life is virtually unlimited and because there is no lubrication – only clean, dry gas– air bearings are ideal for cleanroom and medical applications.

Cable Management

We carefully optimize the cable bend radius to ensure years of trouble-free operation. In the unlikely event of failure, Aerotech’s modular design makes cable replacement quick and easy with minimal downtime.

We include all customer-required cables, air hoses, etc. in our CMS bundle to facilitate integration into the final system. Both ends are fully connectorized for simple integration into the customer’s machine.

Specifications

Mechanical Specifications

Model			ABL1500WB-200	ABL1500WB-300	ABL1500WB-400	ABL1500WB-500
Travel			200 mm	300 mm	400 mm	500 mm
Accuracy⁽¹⁾	E1	Calibrated	±0.5 µm	±0.5 µm	±0.6 µm	±0.6 µm
	E1	Standard	±8.0 µm	±12.0 µm	±16.0 µm	±20.0 µm
	E3	Calibrated	±0.4 µm	±0.4 µm	±0.5 µm	±0.5 µm
	E3	Standard	±5.0 µm	±5.0 µm	±5.0 µm	±5.0 µm
Repeatability (Bidirectional)⁽¹⁾	E1		±0.2 µm		±0.3 µm
Repeatability (Bidirectional)⁽¹⁾	E3		±0.1 µm	±0.15 µm	±0.2 µm
Straightness⁽¹⁾			±0.5 µm	±0.75 µm	±1.5 µm	±2.0 µm
Flatness⁽¹⁾			±0.5 µm	±0.75 µm	±1.5 µm	±2.0 µm
Pitch			±2 arc sec	±3 arc sec	±4 arc sec	±5 arc sec
Roll			±2 arc sec	±3 arc sec	±4 arc sec	±5 arc sec
Yaw			±2 arc sec	±3 arc sec	±4 arc sec	±5 arc sec
Maximum Speed			2 m/s
Maximum Acceleration			2 g (No Load)
Maximum Force (Continuous)			187.2 N
Load Capacity⁽²⁾		Horizontal	60 kg
Load Capacity⁽²⁾		Side	25 kg
Operating Pressure			80 psi ±5 psig
Air Consumption			32-40 SLPM @ 552 kPa (1.13-1.4 SCFM @ 5.52 bar)
Moving Mass (No Load)			11.5 kg
Stage Mass			39.8 kg	45.0 kg	50.3 kg	55.5 kg
Material			Aluminum
MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure)			30,000 Hours

Certified with each stage.
Axis orientation for on-axis loading is listed.
Specifications are for single-axis systems measured 25 mm above the tabletop. Performance of multi-axis systems is payload and workpoint dependent. Consult factory for multi-axis or non-standard applications.
To protect air bearing against under-pressure, an in-line pressure switch tied to the motion controller/amplifier ESTOP input is recommended.
Air supply must be clean, dry to 0°F dew point and filtered to 0.25 μm or better; recommend nitrogen at 99.9% purity.
For XY configurations, the maximum upper axis travel is 500 mm.

Electrical Specifications

Drive System	Brushless Linear Servomotor
Feedback	Noncontact Linear Encoder (see signal period options on Order Information page)
Maximum Bus Voltage	up to 80 VDC
Limit Switches	5 V, Normally Closed
Home Switch	Near Center

Recommended Controller

Multi-Axis	A3200	Ndrive MP/Ndrive CP/Ndrive HLe/Npaq MXR
Multi-Axis	Ensemble	Ensemble MP/Ensemble CP/Ensemble HLe/Epaq
Single Axis	Soloist	Soloist MP/Soloist CP/Soloist HLe

ABL1500WB

Ordering Information

ABL1500WB Air-Bearing Direct-Drive Linear Stage

Travel (Required)

Option	Description
-200	200 mm travel
-300	300 mm travel
-400	400 mm travel
-500	500 mm travel

Feedback (Required)

Option	Description
-E1	Incremental linear encoder, 1 Vpp amplified sine output
-E2	Incremental linear encoder, 0.1 µm TTL line driver output
-E3	High-accuracy incremental linear encoder, 1 Vpp amplified sine output

Cable Management (Required)

Option	Description
-CMS1	Single axis cable management system
-CMS2	Cable management system for XY assembly
-CMS3	Cable management system for XYZ axis

Metrology (Required)

Option	Description
-PL1	Metrology, uncalibrated with performance plots
-PL2	Metrology, calibrated (HALAR) with performance plots

Integration (Required)

Aerotech offers both standard and custom integration services to help you get your system fully operational as quickly as possible. The following standard integration options are available for this system. Please consult Aerotech if you are unsure what level of integration is required, or if you desire custom integration support with your system.

Option	Description
-TAS	Integration - Test as system Testing, integration, and documentation of a group of components as a complete system that will be used together (ex: drive, controller, and stage). This includes parameter file generation, system tuning, and documentation of the system configuration.
-TAC	Integration - Test as components Testing and integration of individual items as discrete components that ship together. This is typically used for spare parts, replacement parts, or items that will not be used together. These components may or may not be part of a larger system.

Accessories (to be ordered as a separate line item)

Option	Description
ALIGN-NPA	Non-precision XY assembly
ALIGN-PA10	XY assembly; 10 arc sec orthogonality. Alignment to within 7 microns orthogonality for short travel stages.
ALIGN-PA5	XY assembly; 5 arc sec orthogonality. Alignment to within 3 microns orthogonality for short travel stages.
ABF	Air-bearing filtration kit