At this year’s LASER World of PHOTONICS, Physik Instrumente (PI) will be presenting new products specially designed for demanding industrial applications (hall A3, stand 413): the H-815 hexapod and the B‑421 BIX miniature linear stages, which are based on inertia drives.
H-815 hexapod designed for 24/7 industrial operation. Image Credit: PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
At its stand in the Future Zone area, PI will be showcasing the following pioneering highlights: a system with a contactless magnetic guide and resolution in the picometer range and a lever hexapod for fast, high-dynamic motion.
H-815: Robust Hexapod for 24/7 Industrial Use
The new H-815 hexapod is a compact, parallel-kinematic micropositioning system with six degrees of freedom that has been developed for demanding 24/7 industrial applications. This new development is characterized by high robustness and repeatability, as well as an integrated brake and absolute encoders. It can be integrated into semiconductor, photonics, and automation industry applications via standardized interfaces.
B-421: BIX Miniature Linear Stages for Precise Positioning
The compact, high-precision miniature linear stages of the new B-421 product family have been developed for motion in the smallest of spaces. The two-phase inertia drive (BIX) with integrated linear encoders, which is based on two piezo stacks, enables friction-free and backlash-free motion with high repeatability. With travel ranges of up to thirty-three millimeters, the smallest possible step size is ten nanometers. Multi-axis configurations are also possible. These features make the B-421 BIX miniature linear stages ideal for demanding applications in semiconductor technology, microscopy, and photonics.
B-421 BIX miniature linear stage. Image Credit: PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
Future Zone
At its stand in the Future Zone area, PI will be providing exciting insights into pioneering development ideas. Here, PI will be presenting a positioning system based on magnetic levitation (MagLev) technology. The contactless operated system can be actively controlled in six degrees of freedom and offers a resolution in the picometer range. Another exhibit on show will be a lever hexapod. This latest development in hexapod technology enables fast motion with high dynamics and reduced drift, resulting in improved repeatability. This hexapod is also characterized by a long lifetime.
Physik Instrumente (PI)
PI with headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany, is the market and technology leader for high-precision positioning technology and piezo applications in the market segments of Industrial Automation, Photonics, Semiconductor, and Microscopy & Life Sciences. In close cooperation with customers from all over the world, PI's more than 1,900 specialists have been continuously pushing the boundaries of what is technically feasible for more than fifty years. Various drive technologies, internally developed sensor technology, electronics, and control technology provide the basis for this. PI’s portfolio ranges from components to subsystems to tailor-made complete solutions. More than 560 granted and pending patents underline the company’s claim to leadership in the fields of precision positioning and piezo technology. PI operates on a global scale, with nine production sites in Europe, North America, and Asia, as well as sixteen sales and service subsidiaries.
