The design and manufacturing process for a porous-restricted aerostatic lead screw actuator (ALSA) is presented. The ALSA provides near-frictionless motion with submicron positioning accuracy, high stiffness at low inlet air pressures (<827 kPa), and a travel length of 50 mm. Porous graphite disk inserts are held in a helical pattern in an aerostatic nut housing against a lead screw thread to create multiple simultaneous air bearing surfaces. A wave spring flexure is inserted behind each graphite disk to provide a preload and ensure full contact between the porous graphite disk surface and the lead screw flank. When the wave spring flexures and graphite disks are potted in combination with a slow-curing epoxy, this creates a self-aligning method to consistently match all graphite disk insert surfaces to the helical profile of the lead screw thread. Experimental trials were performed to evaluate the performance of the manufactured ALSA. It was found that a stable nut with a per-thread stiffness of 9.7 N/μm was achievable with a 3.5 μm air gap and an overall permeability of 5.4 × 10−15 m2. Applications requiring higher stiffness may couple two or more single-threaded nuts to achieve the desired actuator stiffness.
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February 2013
Research-Article
A Porous-Restricted Aerostatic Lead Screw Actuator for High Performance Microscale Machine Tools
Shiv G. Kapoor,
Shiv G. Kapoor
Grayce Wicall Gauthier Chair in Mechanical Science and Engineering
e-mail: sgkapoor@illinois.edu
e-mail: sgkapoor@illinois.edu
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Richard E. DeVor,
Richard E. DeVor
College of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Manufacturing
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering,
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering,
University of Illinois
,Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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Jong-Kweon Park
Jong-Kweon Park
Department of Ultra Precision
Machines and Systems,
Machines and Systems,
Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials
,Daejeon 305-343
, Korea
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James Zhu
Graduate Research Assistant
Shiv G. Kapoor
Grayce Wicall Gauthier Chair in Mechanical Science and Engineering
e-mail: sgkapoor@illinois.edu
e-mail: sgkapoor@illinois.edu
Richard E. DeVor
College of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Manufacturing
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering,
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering,
University of Illinois
,Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
Jong-Kweon Park
Department of Ultra Precision
Machines and Systems,
Machines and Systems,
Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials
,Daejeon 305-343
, Korea
Contributed by the Manufacturing Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. Manuscript received February 27, 2012; final manuscript received July 3, 2012; published online January 7, 2013. Assoc. Editor: Tony Schmitz.
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. Feb 2013, 135(1): 011002 (8 pages)
Published Online: January 7, 2013
Article history
Received:
February 27, 2012
Revision Received:
July 3, 2012
Citation
Zhu, J., Kapoor, S. G., DeVor, R. E., and Park, J. (January 7, 2013). "A Porous-Restricted Aerostatic Lead Screw Actuator for High Performance Microscale Machine Tools." ASME. J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. February 2013; 135(1): 011002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4023111
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