Custom Portfolio

Five Axis Optical Metrology Station for OptiPro Systems

OptiPro Systems, a respected optical machine manufacturer, approached ABTech to supply air bearing stages for their prototype metrology station. Using the customer’s concept as the framework ABTech applied its expertise in multi-axis motion and its understanding of geometric measurement principles to propose the design, manufacture and certification of a complete motion platform.

This system incorporates six ultra-precision ABTech manufactured air bearings providing five axes of motion each with direct drive motors and high resolution encoders. 

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Custom Machined Fixture for Direct Drive Rotary Air Bearing Table

ABTech supplied an ultra-precise direct drive rotary air bearing table to an engineering company for a project at a world renowned research university. Upon seeing the quality of the design and workmanship,

ABTech was contracted to precisely machine a complex custom fixture and to accurately align the fixture to the air bearing worktable. The stainless steel fixture was required to be round to better than 10µ" and less than 20µ" in installed coning error. 

Three Axis Motion Platform

ABTech worked with a system integrator to develop this 3 axis precision motion system. This system consists of mechanical cross roller X and Z axes, and an air bearing direct drive theta axis. 

ABTech's involvement in the program goes far beyond component production. Our technical group was instrumental in the design and development of a production plan and acceptance test procedure. This resulted in an extremely high quality system and a very satisfied customer.

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Five Axis Air Bearing Motion System for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

ABTech's experience in developing ultra-precision motion systems led the engineers at the University of California's Lawrence Livermore Labs (LLNL) to contract for the design and manufacture of a target assembly station for the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

This design utilized 6 air bearings, including three motorized air bearing linear slides, two motorized air bearing rotary spindles, and an air bearing sleeve counterbalance pulley. This turnkey system included a Delta Tau motion controller, PC, operator control panel and application software.

NIF technicians use this assembly station to apply minute amounts of adhesive (with applicators the size of a single human hair) to create minature BB sized capsules of fusion fuel for targets that lasers will compress and heat to thermonuclear ignition.

This compact system stands about two feet in total height and features position accuracy to 4 millionths of an inch (that's 0.000,004")!

ABTech is proud to have been asked and to have successfully contributed to this impressive research project.

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3-D Imaging Spindles for High Speed Euro Rail

 ABTech designed three high speed spindles which were synchronized for high speed 3 dimensional image scanning and inspection of the European high speed rail system.

This application specific design incorporated individual direct drive brushless DC servo motors and encoders on ultra-precision air bearing spindles with 50 mm clear apertures, 45° fold mirrors and low inertia aluminum construction. A multi-axis motion controller, capacitance probe monitoring system and vibration isolation platform combined to achieve rotational speeds of 18,000 rpms.

This system was tested to 10 G's of vibration, stored in a freezer overnight and then run at 180° F continuously for 8 hours to simulate the most extreme conditions.

The spindles are mounted on a dedicated railroad car traveling 75 mph creating a 3-D image of the rail every 10 cm for track, switch, tunnel and bridge inspection.

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Geometry Gage for Jet Engine Assembly

A leading aerospace metrology company tapped ABTech's expertise in geometric measurements and development of motion systems to have a series of jet engine test and assembly stations designed and manufactured. These stations feature a motorized rotary air bearing for ultra-precise measurement and assembly of jet engine components.

Individual compressor blades and other parts are measured and the customer's software package maps out the ideal assembly orientation for optimal balance to reduce engine vibrations. The components are then stacked together and rotated to measure concentricity. Final measurements are taken of the entire assembly to ensure a precise match with the cowling.

• This system includes a heavy duty rotary air bearing table with direct drive DC servo motor, a fine adjustment tilt and center worktable, various sized vertical towers (6' to 9'), and dual horizontal arms to hold electronic gage heads along with the customer supplied electronics and software.

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