When you need to specify an economical, short-stroke stage for precise positioning, it can be difficult to find a small stage with the performance of larger, higher-priced units. While you can find many positioning stages from various manufacturers, satisfying your performance requirements with a smaller stage will likely involve trade-offs. Controlled Kinematics understands this dilemma and now offers a line of positioning stages that delivers high performance in a miniature size.

Akribis Systems’ AM Series of cost-effective miniature stages deliver high-performance positioning with design flexibility in mind — at a sub-$2,000 price point that's comparable to lead screw systems.

This comprehensive series offers short strokes and a modular design to satisfy most any positioning need wherever limited space is a concern. The stages feature direct drive technology, which couples loads directly to the motor, resulting in fast response and settling times plus the precision and repeatability you expect from larger units. Additional features include stackability for X-Y, X-T or X-Y-T axes, with options of up to six axes, and resolutions down to 0.2 µm, depending on the model and encoder. These stages are perfectly suited to high precision applications in metrology, MEMS manufacturing, and optics. Customers can choose from the following variants:

• Linear: AML Series stages feature a fast response and strokes up to 20 mm.
• Rotary: AMR Series stages offer strokes from 10 to 100 degrees and zero cogging.
• Vertical: AMZ Series stages exhibit bidirectional repeatability of ±0.1 µm, fast response and are available in a 65 by 65 by 52-mm size.
• Ultra-thin: AMS Series stages offer high precision and fast response in a low-profile unit.
• Custom miniature stages, including longer travel versions, are available upon request.

We’re proud to partner with Akribis Systems, a company well-known for its innovation and precision direct drive motors with a patented coil design that decreases cogging. With this varied lineup of miniature stages, Controlled Kinematics customers have greater design flexibility, and they no longer have to settle for trade-offs when they need accurate, repeatable short-stroke positioning for space-constrained motion control systems.