Aerotech, manufacturer of high performance motion and positioning systems, presents a new hexapod. With a 150mm diameter footprint, the HEX150 RC represents the youngest in the family of two existing sizes, respectively 500mm and 300mm in diameter. In addition to its use for testing, measurement, especially control or inspection, Aerotech intends to offer this new hexapod to the automotive, electronics, mechanics and medical equipment markets.
“The undeniable advantage of hexapods, with several axes and parallel kinematics, is that they can guarantee positioning accuracy over the six degrees of freedom. For an average max stroke of 135 mm around the center, this small movement generator is able, with its six arms, to move freely and almost completely up to 10 kg of payload. The six degrees of freedom make this multi-axis system flexible and usable for the most diverse applications related to measurement and control, ” says one within the company.
High precision in the sub-micron world
With its high strength, the new hexapod, coupled with large trajectories and high positioning speeds of 50mm / s, meets most needs. Extremely rigid drives with brushless (brushless) and toothless (0 cogging) servo motors ensure performance and long life as well as maximum precision in the sub-micron range. The servomotors are in direct coupling. According to the manufacturer, the HEX150 RC system is currently the most accurate hexapod on the market. Fast stabilization times provide high throughput with repeatability of less than 2 μm; Likewise, increments (smallest possible movements) of less than 20 nm on the XYZ axes and 0.2 μrad on Θx Θy rentz open the field to many fields of application.
Open air simulation
However, due to the complex kinematics, the development work of the control part of a hexapod is not negligible. Aerotech solves this problem with the A3200 control platform, the result of years of experience in demanding kinematic applications. The integrated, intuitive “HexGen Hexapod” simulation software makes it easy to program and control the hexapod in any user-defined coordinate system. The latter can visualize and simulate the available workspace and, thanks to its hexapod, perform collision simulations. In addition, it can also directly select preconfigured models from a library of standard designs.
In order to be able to simulate the entire work process, the AS3200 has access to a simulation interface on the open platform Coppelia Robotics V-REP. This platform makes it possible to simulate complete automation processes associating actuator robots, linear and rotary tables as well as tools in a 3D environment. Aerotech also supports image processing, clamping and vacuum support to simulate the entire automation process and minimize the risk of collision. This makes it possible to shorten the commissioning and integration phase.
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https://www.aerotech.co.uk/
