Why Flexure Guides Are So Versatile
Flexure guides are an important part of nanopositioning. They can carry out positioning tasks up to several millimeters. The flexure joint moves based on the deformation of a solid to avoid static, rolling, and friction. There are several characteristics flexure guides have that make them suitable for various tasks.
The Importance of Nanopositioners
Nanopositioners are essential because objects sometimes need to be placed with precision that could not be done through other instruments or with the human hand. A nanopositioner can often need to work under a range of conditions and will also need to be reliable without the need for constant maintenance.
Stiffness
Flexure guides have a lot of stiffness. This is important because the flexure guide will only be able to deflect a certain amount. Stiffness is different from strength in that it relates to how a component is able to resist deformation.
Resistance to Vibrations and Shock
A flexure guide is very resistant to vibrations and shock. This allows for the nanopositioner to be able to work under conditions that nanopositioners using other systems would not be able to work under.
Load Capacity
A flexure guide has a very high load capacity due to its use of materials. It is able to have a high load capacity while also operating at a high speed.
Maintenance Requirements
When using the flexure design, your nanopositioner will need much less maintenance. Flexures are subjected to a lot of wear. They do not need lubricants to protect them from wear and tear. This helps reduce costs and also minimizes the risk that something will go wrong with the nanopositioner.
Accuracy During Demanding Tasks
Multilink flexure guiding systems eliminate cosine errors and create flatness and straightness for the nanopositioner. This allows for high accuracy during the most demanding tasks. They can be run bidirectionally for higher throughput.
Vacuum Compatibility
Flexure guides are vacuum-compatible. This is because they have a very low rate of out-gassing. Out-gassing is the phenomenon in which gases escape from an object in a vacuum, which causes some materials to fail. A flexure guide is also capable of working at wide temperature ranges.
Utility as a Lever
Flexures can be used as levers. The actuator is integrated in a flexure joint. You cannot use a simple lever and will instead need to use complex geometries. This will allow you to position objects at a nanoscale regardless of the conditions you are working under.
Contact a company like nPoint to learn more.