• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2008

We propose a new miniature air-bearing stage with a moving-magnet slotless linear motor. This stage was developed to achieve the precise positioning required for submicron-level machining and miniaturization by introducing air bearings and a linear motor sufficient for mesoscale precision machine tools. The linear motor contained two permanent magnets and was designed to generate a preload force for the vertical air bearings and a thrust force for the stage movement. The characteristics of the air bearings, which used porous pads, were analyzed with numerical methods, and a magnetic circuit model was derived for the linear motor to calculate the required preload and thrust forces. A prototype of a single-axis miniature stage with dimensions of $120\;(W)\;{\times}\;120\;(L)\;{\times}\;50\;(H)\;mm$ was designed and fabricated, and its performance was examined, including its vertical stiffness, load capacity, thrust force, and positioning resolution.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.8 s.197
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• pp.89-96
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• 2007

In this paper, a new air bearing stage with magnetic preload and a linear motor has been developed for the small precision machine systems. The new air bearing stage is unique in the sense that permanent magnets attached bottom of the iron core of table are used not only for preloading air bearings in vertical direction but also for generating thrust force by current of the coil at base. The characteristics of air bearings using porous pads were analyzed with numerical method, and the magnetic circuit model was derived for linear motor for calculating required preload force and thrust force. A prototype of single axis miniature stage with size of $120(W){\times}120(L){\times}50(H)\;mm^3$ was designed and fabricated and examined its performances, vertical stiffness, load capacity, thrust force and positioning resolution.