Motion control is a sub-field of automation where the position and velocity of a system are controlled. This presentation will introduce you to the basic components of motion control, how it is used in different industries and applications, and what things to consider when selecting a positioning device for automating your own set-up.

1. www.zaber.com
An Introduction to Precision
Motion Control Technology
Zaber Technologies

2. www.zaber.com
First, a little information about us
Zaber is a Vancouver-based
company that was founded in
1997. Our first product was the
T-LA linear actuator. It had a
built-in controller, which set it
apart from other actuators on
the market.
The very first prototype of
our T-LA actuator featured all
control and drive electronics in
one small, compact package.

3. We’ve grown since then...
We now offer over 56 series of devices and
hundreds of models, which are distributed
around the world. Many of our products are
designed with built-in controllers.

4. www.zaber.com
Our focus continues to be on
Simplifying motion control»»
Advancing our inhouse design and assembly capabilities»»
Continuously improving our products based on customer feedback»»
and suggestions
Our research and production
facilities in Vancouver, Canada!

5. So, what is motion control?
Motion control is a sub-field of Automation where the position and
velocity of a system are controlled.
It typically includes 5 components:
Controller
Generates the
motion profile
Drive
Gives current to
the actuator
Actuator
Translates
electrical power
to motion
Mechanics
Directs the
power
Sensors
Provides
feedback

6. www.zaber.com
High precision positioning
Within motion control, we
focus on precision motion
control, specifically positioning
applications. Our products
integrate all 5 components of
motion control.
Stepper motors for microstepping»»
High precision lead screws»»
High speed trajectory control»»
High resolution drive»»
Stiff and accurate components»»
Positioning sensors for feedback»»

7. www.zaber.com
Who uses these products?
Our typical customers are labs, universities, and original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), and they come from industries like:
Photonics and optics»»
Industrial automation»»
Laboratory automation»»
Material science»»
Measurement and instrumentation»»
Aerospace»»
Surveillance and security»»
And the list goes on...»»

8. www.zaber.com
And what for?
Common positioning applications include:
Mass spectrometers»»
Thin film coating»»
Optical inspection systems»»
Camera focusing and testing»»
Material property testing»»
Microscope automation»»
Fiberoptic and laser alignment»»
Laser wavelength tuning»»
Complex printing»»
Insect tracking»»
Semiconductor wafer analysis»»
Optical beam profiling»»
Sorting and automated handling»»
systems
And the list goes on...»»

9. www.zaber.com
Here’s a real application to illustrate
DigitalCameraInfo.com uses
our T-LSR075A linear slides
and T-RSW60 rotary stages
to simulate hand shaking in
testing image stabilization of
digital cameras and camcorders
they are reviewing.
In this set-up, our devices are used to
apply shake to cameras and camcorders
in a precisely controlled way, enabling
them to mimic human hand shake
without relying on the unpredictable
nature of real humans.

10. www.zaber.com
And here’s another example
WITec GmbH uses our T-LA28A-S
linear actuators in their Scanning
Near-field Optical Microscope
alpha300 S for moving the
inverted microscope’s objective
in three axes.
The T-LA28A-S offers a resolution of
100 µm, which perfectly matches the
demanding requirements of high-
resolution microscopy.

11. www.zaber.com
So, how do you pick the right one?
To select the positioning device that’s best suited to your application,
consider your requirements.
Here are some common considerations:
Type of motion
Travel distance
or range
Size limitations
Resolution &
accuracy
Speed
Stall detection
Thrust &
acceleration
Carrying
capacity
Environmental
protection
Vacuum
compatibility

12. www.zaber.com
Let’s focus on type of motion
Tilt
Tilt Devices
Push/Pull Carry
Linear
Actuators
Linear
Stages
Linear Rotary
Rotary
Stages
Stepper
Motors
Push/Pull Carry

13. www.zaber.com
If you need to push or pull
Push/Pull
Linear Actuators
You’ll want to look at devices
with high thrust capabilities
like the LAR/BAR Series of
linear actuators.
OR the T-NA Series, which
includes our most compact,
precise, and robust actuators.

14. www.zaber.com
If you need to carry
Carry
Linear Stages
You’ll want to consider the
travel length of the device,
and you’ll likely be looking
at stages with various travel
ranges such as the (from top)
A-LSQ-E linear stage, T-LSR
linear slide, and the A-LST
linear stage.

15. www.zaber.com
If you need rotational motion
You’ll want to consider rotary devices and factors like microsteps per
revolution, revolutions per minute, and maximum torque. And you’ll want
to look at devices like the RSW rotation stage or the T-NM stepper motor.
Rotary
Rotary Stages Stepper Motors

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If you need tilt motion
Tilt
Tilt Devices
You’ll want to look at tilt
devices like our T-OMG gimbal
optic mount, which offers +/- 7
degrees of angular travel.
OR our LMG
goniometer, which
offers precise and
accurate positioning.

17. www.zaber.com
If you need multi-axis motion
You’ll want to consider X-Y, X-theta, X-Y-Z systems, or gantries,
like our ASR microscope stages, G-LSQ gantries, or XYZ
three-axis stages with built-in controllers.

18. www.zaber.com
If you have limited space
From top to bottom: T-LSM
miniature motorized linear stage,
T-NA micro linear actuators, and
LSA micro motorized linear stages.
Many of our products are
designed to be compact,
making them suitable for
applications with limited space.
Here are just a few of our most
compact products:

19. www.zaber.com
Do you need high precision?
Resolution is the smallest increment that
a motion control device can be instructed
to move. Resolution can vary based on
the lead screw pitch of linear stages.
Microstep Resolution by Series
2.8
2.1
1.4
0.7
0
LSA T-LSM T-LSR A-LSQ A-LST
D-pitch
B-pitch
A-pitch
For example, devices
with A-pitch (fine) lead
screws, like the LSA,
will offer the highest
precision.

20. www.zaber.com
Do you need consistent motion?
Repeatability is the deviation in actual position when a device is
repeatedly instructed to move to a target position from the same
direction.
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Measured final position [µm]
Numberoftrials
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8

21. www.zaber.com
Do you need to be accurate?
Accuracy is the measure of how close the actual position will be
compared to the requested position over the entire travel range.
Target Position [µm]
PositionError(µm)
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000
T-LSMxxxA Typical Accuracy over 4 mm

22. www.zaber.com
If you need to move something fast
Our A-LSQ linear stages offer
speed up to 1000 mm/s, up to 20
kg load capacity, as well as various
travel ranges from 75 - 600 mm.
Here are some of our products that
offer high speed travel: Our A-BLQ-E linear stages offer up
to 2.0 m/s speed, up to 20 kg load
capacity, and travel ranges from 70
- 2095 mm.

23. www.zaber.com
High thrust and carrying capacity?
Our G-LSQ gantries offer up
to 100 N thrust, depending on
choice of lead screw.
You’ll want to consider heavy duty devices with high peak thrust,
suitable for applications like industrial manufacturing, for example.
Our A-LST-C stages with dust covers
offer up to 560 N thrust and 100 kg
load capacity.

24. www.zaber.com
If you need stall detection
You may experience stalling when you operate above rated speed or
thrust. Some devices offer rotary encoders that provide closed-loop
position feedback with slip/stall detection and automatic recovery.
Our A-BLQ-E closed-loop
linear stage features a built-
in rotary encoder for stall
detection.

25. www.zaber.com
So you’ve chosen a suitable device
Now what? You’ll probably want to set up the device and get it to do
something. Our devices with built-in controllers simplify set-up and
daisy-chaining. The benefits include reduced cost, shorter set-up time,
and less cable clutter.
Built-in controller and daisy-
chaining makes setting up
easier and faster.

26. www.zaber.com
Setting up is easy as 1-2-3
Step 1: Connect your
controller to the RS-232
port of your computer with a
T-DSUB9 adaptor.
Step 2: Connect your
device to a power supply.
Most of our devices require
only a standard 15 V power
supply, and multiple daisy-
chained devices can run off
a single power supply.
Step 3: Instruct your device
to do something with our
open-source Zaber Console
software.

27. www.zaber.com
More about controlling devices
Our main software, Zaber
Console, is a free open-
source application that lets
you send commands to
your Zaber devices, adjust
their settings, and create
simple scripts.
It’s free and open-source!

28. www.zaber.com
Other software options to consider
We offer a LabVIEW driver that includes
subVIs and type definitions for controlling
Zaber devices with LabVIEW using the
Binary command protocol.
AND a LabVIEW driver that includes high-
level and low-level subVIs for controlling
Zaber devices with LabVIEW using the
ASCII command protocol.

29. www.zaber.com
If you want manual control
We offer a programmable
joystick, the T-JOY3, that
can be used to manually
direct a controller.
The T-JOY3 is easy to use, programmable,
and capable of controlling up to 3 axes.
They are ideal for microscopy, XY, or XYZ
stage applications.

30. www.zaber.com
Other manual control options
All of our devices with built-in
controllers feature a knob at
the end of the unit for manual
control.
Press and hold the knob to switch between
velocity and displacement modes. In velocity
mode, turning the knob will move the stage
at various discrete speeds. In displacement
mode, turning the knob will move the stage for
a fixed distance per knob detent. Pressing the
knob during any operation will stop the stage.

31. www.zaber.com
We’re here to support you
All our standard products are backed by a 30-day satisfaction
guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your device(s) for any reason, you
can return them within 30 days of the purchase date for a refund.
You’re also welcome to email contact@zaber.com or call 1-888-276-
8033 to speak with an applications engineer if you have any questions
or need assistance with your application.

32. www.zaber.com
Questions? Interested in more?
Visit www.zaber.com to learn more about our products and/or services.
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