Aerotech will be present at Productronica 2023 in Munich from 14 – 17.11.:
Booth B2.340
Basingstoke, U. K., September 7, 2023 – Aerotech will again be showcasing
its extensive electronics and semiconductor manufacturing expertise at
Productronica 2023. At booth 340 in hall B2, the PRO series linear motor
stages can be seen live together with the latest release 2.5 of the
proprietary motion control platform Automation1. And once again Aerotech
presents itself as a system supplier for high-precision positioning tasks in
the nano-meter range, from components to complete systems.
Whether manufacturing displays, LEDs, discrete components or micro and nano
production, Aerotech’s electronics and semiconductor manufacturing customer
base is broad and diverse. With its broad product range specialising in
nanometre positioning, Aerotech has carved out a solid niche for itself in
the field of high-precision motion technology over the past 50 years. Just
earlier this year, the American specialist in precision positioning systems
doubled the size of its clean room to serve this customer base.
Simon Smith, European Director at Aerotech: “A large proportion of our
customers come from industries with high cleanliness requirements for
processes. To keep the amount of airborne particles, particulates, or germs
as low as possible, sensitive products are manufactured exclusively in
cleanrooms.”
In the interest of its customers from the semiconductor and microelectronics
industries, Aerotech also ensures constant conditions in the manufacture of
its positioning systems and solutions and avoids any contamination.
Integration is becoming increasingly important
Over the years, industrial solutions are becoming smarter and more complex,
so that a single company can no longer master all the implementation steps.
As a result, the know-how of the supplier is becoming increasingly
important. “In recent years, we have worked closely with customers from the
electronics industry and have also moved further and further into the area
of process automation,” emphasises Simon Smith. “Especially in the
semiconductor and electronics sector, many manufacturers have neither the
personnel nor the vertical range of manufacture to develop mechanics and
control systems in parallel. As a manufacturer of automation systems, we
support electronics manufacturers in optimally automating their process with
the precision motion components we produce.” In the automation process,
Aerotech provides in-depth integration consulting, resulting in either the
delivery of individual components, a seamlessly integrated subsystem, or
even a complete automation solution. Application training, courses and
various other services round off the service portfolio.
Live demo linear motor stages
In the electronics industry, Aerotech is known for its high-precision motion
solutions for critical applications, including manufacturing systems for
micro and nano production, including system peripherals such as galvo
scanners and control platforms. As a demo system, linear motor stages of the
Aerotech PRO series will be shown in action at the exhibition stand. Trade
visitors will be able to see for themselves the latest release 2.5 of the
motion control platform: the PRO linear tables are controlled with
Automation1. “Using the demo system, we can demonstrate our extensive
know-how in the design of these linear tables, including cable management,”
emphasises Simon Smith. The robust linear stages travel at high speeds with
excellent speed regulation and nano-precise positioning performance and are
optionally available with direct drive by a linear motor or with ball screw.
New Automation1 version
“At the same time, we will focus on the latest version of our control
software “Automation1 – Precision Motion Control Platform”, we have
installed it as a demo system for Productronica visitors”, adds Simon Smith.
Automation1 is also much more than a mere “motion control software”, it also
takes over the complete machine control with all components. It has its own
software-based motion controller, which makes it easy to control different
positioning systems as well as connected components.
The current version 2.5 of the powerful, versatile and user-friendly
platform, which is unparalleled on the market, can be seen on the stand.
Thus, the motion control experts for precision motion control and automation
solutions demonstrate once again that a lot is still possible in
Automation1. For example, the galvo and gantry support has been further
improved and various new functions have been added, which again noticeably
increase the performance and user-friendliness of the platform. In support
of this, Simon adds “With additional functions and the improved,
user-friendly interface, we are once again demonstrating our competence as a
leading supplier of precision motion control and automation solutions.”
This makes it even easier to calibrate galvo scanners and change galvo power
correction files without having to specially reset the controller. The
gantry and encoder functions have also been expanded. The platform now
offers a new wizard for homing Gantrys and allows users to output quadrature
or clock and direction signals from a specific encoder port. Gantry setup
has been greatly simplified with a dedicated checklist module in the sidebar
that includes specific steps for configuring a Gantry. In addition, Aerotech
developers have optimised the gantry configuration within the device
catalogue.
