ABL15000 pages

ABL1500 Series
Linear Stages

Air Bearing, Linear Motor Stage
Designed for high-performance scanning and
inspection

ABL1500 Series

Active air preload on all air-bearing surfaces
Linear encoder feedback provides
sub-nanometer resolution
High stiffness for heavy loads and excellent
geometrical performance
Travel up to 500 mm

Leading-edge manufacturing, particularly in the
semiconductor and data storage industries, demands
positioning tolerances beyond the capability of
conventional ball-screw and mechanical-bearing
positioning systems. The ABL1500, 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 ABL1500 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.
Proprietary manufacturing techniques result in a stage with
unsurpassed geometrical characteristics. The air bearing has
an inherent averaging effect that maximizes performance.
The thin film will fill small surface voids and allow for
other irregularities. This characteristic yields superior pitch,
roll, yaw, straightness and flatness specifications.

unsurpassed smoothness of motion. Capable of generating
high force and velocity, the BLMC represents the ultimate
combination of power and performance.

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
that are expected of Aerotech equipment. Because there is
no mechanical contact between moving elements, the
ABL1500 experiences no wear or reduction in performance
over time. Service life is virtually unlimited and since 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.

Linear Motor Drive
The driving force behind this stage is Aerotech’s BLMC
series brushless linear servomotor. Aerotech’s long history
and experience as a motor manufacturer is reflected in this
design. The BLMC utilizes an ironless forcer, which means
there is zero cogging and no attractive forces, resulting in

www.aerotech.com

WORLD HEADQUARTERS: Aerotech, Inc., United States • Phone: +1-412-963-7470 • Email: sales@aerotech.com
Aerotech, Ltd., United Kingdom • Phone: +44-118-9409400 • Email: sales@aerotech.co.uk
Aerotech GmbH, Germany • Phone: +49-911-9679370 • Email: sales@aerotechgmbh.de
Aerotech KK, Japan • Phone: +81-47-489-1741 • Email: sales@aerotechkk.co.jp
Aerotech China • Phone: +852-3793-3488 • Email: saleschina@aerotech.com

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