Product category:
Robotics, Handling and Storage
News Release from: Aerotech | Subject: ASR1100
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 06 August 2004
Rotary stage and chuck combine to raise
precision
The ASR1100 provides a bolt-on solution for high-throughput precision machining of small diameter components.
Aerotech's ASR1100 provides a bolt-on solution for high-throughput precision machining of small diameter components Featuring a pneumatically operated collet chuck and a clear aperture for product feed-through, the stage has a direct drive brushless servomotor with an integral high resolution encoder providing smooth motion and precise positioning for exacting small diameter and precision tubular components
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 17 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The ASR1100 has been developed to meet and exceed the demands of the medical stent market but can be applied to many other high volume/high precision applications where low cost of ownership is of prime consideration.
Stents are used in angioplasty - a surgical procedure to re-open a narrowed heart artery by inflating a tiny balloon in the narrowed segments.
A stent is a laser machined tubular device, made from exotic alloy such a titanium or 316 stainless steel with typical dimensions of 2mm diameter and 15mm length, with wall thickness between 30 to 600um.
The machined structure of a stent includes a complicated geometry of precision spiral and helical patterns allowing it to be collapsed to a much smaller diameter and placed over a balloon which is inserted into the damaged artery by means of a catheter.
When the balloon is in position it is inflated; in turn expanding and locking the stent in place.
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On removal of the balloon, the stent remains to form a permanent support for the newly widened artery allowing blood to flow correctly.
The precision and quality required for these components are obviously of the highest order and this factor combined with the drive to reduce costs and improve production rates has resulted in a very demanding application area.
In manufacturing applications, the ASR1100 has increased production throughput by a factor of four to six times over gear and belt driven mechanisms with the added benefit of improved, more consistent quality and reduced scrap rates.
These successes have contributed to a fast return on investment for the production equipment.
Whilst designed for stent manufacture, the ASR1100 stage can also be applied to a wide variety of production system applications where small diameter components require precision machined features such as micro hole drilling, scribing, cutting and micro-welding.
Applications would include components for microwave and antennae systems, fuel injectors, ink jet nozzles and other small diameter, tubular manipulation applications requiring a combination of high volume, precision and meticulous quality.
The ASR 1100's integral pneumatic chuck uses a maintenance free, frictionless rotary union and is configured in a fail safe mode where full clamping force is applied when no air pressure is present.
Fitted with an industry standard ER16 collet which supports stock with outside diameter between 0.5 and 10mm, it includes a clear aperture for automated product feed-through and a threaded retaining cap, enabling quick changeover to different tube or bar diameters.
The combination of a low friction/low inertia shaft assembly and Aerotech's direct drive brushless servomotor provides high stiffness and peak acceleration performance to 35,000rad/s2 with maximum speed up to 2000rev/min; this significantly increases production throughput performance over gear or belt driven mechanisms.
The integral 2048 cycles/rev encoder provides an angular repeatability of +/-14.6urad (+/-3arc-sec) and a calibrated angular accuracy of +/-72urad (+/-15arc-sec).
Axial and radial runout specifications are 2.5 and 5.0um, respectively.
The stainless-steel collet chuck is finished in Teflon impregnated nickel plate and the stage body is aluminium with electroless nickel plating.
The compact design has a footprint of approximately 115mm width and 255mm in length with an overall height of just 95mm.
The integral design of the ASR1100 includes all mechanical, pneumatic and electrical interfacing and is an effective "bolt-on" solution for laser and other micro-machining applications.
At 5kg, the robust assembly is significantly lighter than other manufacturer's solutions offering the advantage of reduced load and inertia for multi axis systems with an overall increase in performance. Request a free brochure from Aerotech ...
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