April 30, 2004 Irvine, CA -- The new MFA series of motorized miniature translation stages from Newport Corp. deliver high-resolution linear motion in a compact and economic package. These products deliver 25-mm travel range, 100-nm minimum incremental motion, and a repeatability of 300 nm (unidirectional), in a 20x45x140-mm package. Tapped screw holes are arranged for ease of mounting and to permit simple assembly of multi-axis motion systems from these modular stages.
MFA translation stages are designed to meet the needs of a broad range of OEM and laboratory applications. Typical examples include laser diode research, fiber-optic alignment, biomedical research and instrumentation, and various types of inspection systems.
These new stages feature all-steel construction, which yields the twin benefits of stiffness and high load capacity. Also, dual linear ball bearings ensure smooth and accurate linear travel with minimal pitch and yaw errors. High-resolution (100-nm) precision motion is achieved thanks to the used of a DC motor/rotary encoder driver integrated within the stage. A stepper motor version is also available as a lower-cost alternative for less demanding applications. The DC version can be controlled by several of Newport's motion controllers, including the XPS controller, which operates as a Web/Ethernet networked control platform. The stepper motor version is compatible with the NewStep controller.