Introduction
Aerotech’s Nanotranslation Crossed-Roller (ANT-LX) stages are the best in class in combining speed, accuracy, resolution, repeatability, reliability, and size. As an evolution of the popular ANT stage family, ANT-LX linear stages exhibit enhanced motion performance over Aerotech’s first generation ANT series. Product improvements such as 5 g acceleration, 500 mm/s velocity, enhanced load capacity, and standardized, universal base mounting patterns allow the use of this flexible stage family in an even wider range of configurations than its predecessors.

Noncontact Direct-Drive
All of the original ANT series’ direct-drive advantages have been preserved in the LX family. Only noncontact direct-drive technology offers the robust, accurate, and high-speed positioning necessary for mass production of precision devices. ANT-LX stages utilize advanced direct-drive technology pioneered by Aerotech to achieve the highest level of positioning performance. This direct-drive technology is high-performance, non-cogging, noncontact, high-speed, high-resolution, and high-accuracy, and the use of crossed-roller bearing elements allows even higher precision, smaller incremental moves to be accomplished reliably and repeatably. This unique drive and bearing combination, packaged in an extremely small-profile footprint, offers tangible advantages in many applications such as fiber alignment, optical delay element actuation, and scanning processing demanding smooth motion.

Flexible System Design
The ANT-LX family has universal mounting and tabletop patterns that allow for easy system integration. Two, three, or more axes can be easily combined for flexible system designs and multi-axis configurations. Both 25 mm and 50 mm travel versions are available and can be integrated without the need for interface plates, preserving low profile system designs.

System Characteristics
Outstanding accuracy, position repeatability, and in-position stability require high system resolution. The ANT-LX stage’s industry-leading 2.5 nm or better closed-loop resolution provides this high level of performance. Advanced, real-time axis calibration systems allow the highest level of system accuracy. High-speed, 40 MHz electronic circuitry enables extremely fast positioning, over 500 mm per second, even at 2.5 nanometer resolution. Excellent in-position stability, assisted by high-quality, no-creep linear bearings, enables virtually maintenance-free operation over the life of the product. Aerotech’s direct-drive technology has no hysteresis or backlash, enabling accurate and repeatable nanometer-scale motion.