At Griffin Motion, our goal since opening our doors has been to be the best resource for our customers and their business goals when it comes to precision motion needs. Providing true value and partnership in creating customized products for our customers is why we’re in the industry, and we’re of the belief that we can take a stock linear stage and tailor it to any customer’s unique specifications. Our capabilities include being able to design, prototype, and deliver a uniquely tailored product quickly, and it’s this, along with our proprietary assembly techniques and cutting-edge standards for engineering, manufacturing, and testing that set our company apart. We want our customers to have their precise specifications met, and that’s why we want to cover a common issue: travel specifications for linear stages.
When determining the appropriate travel for your linear stage, three travel specifications are important: nominal, limit-to-limit, and hardstop-to-hardstop, so let’s explain those.
Nominal Travel
This refers to the travel of a stage model according to the specifications set. Our HDS-150-BS-A-H-S-E-00 specifies 150 mm of travel. That means this linear stage with no modifications made will provide exactly 150 mm of travel while meeting all stated accuracy and error specifications.
Limit-to-Limit Travel
Limit-to-limit travel refers to the distance between limit switches, which can be electromechanical, optical, or magnetic. These are typically used to facilitate fault conditions like disabling motor power. They can also be used to reference or home an axis if incremental encoders are used. The installation for limit switches often happens outside of the nominal travel before the stage’s carriage would impact the hardstops.
Hardstop-to-Hardstop Travel
This is the most travel a stage carriage can move. Hardstops can be pads, springs, fluid shocks, or rubber bumpers. Their purpose is to reduce the amount of kinetic energy of motion upon impact if fault conditions like limit switch failure or programming errors occur. Considering these factors, the travel will change, as with limit-to-limit travel.
While paying attention to travel specifications may seem obvious, failure to adhere by these specifications precisely can lead to issues with product performance that could be especially inconvenient or challenging. Contact Griffin Motion for more information on travel specifications for linear stages, and view our stock linear stage products, all of which can be customized to your exact needs