Precision Linear Motor & Ball Screw Stages with 1-Micron Accuracy
MIRK Systems engineers ultra-precision positioning stages in both Direct-Drive Ironless Linear Motor and High-Precision Ground Ball Screw Driven Motor architectures. Delivering true 1-micron positioning accuracy and sub-micron repeatability (±0.5 µm) with optical linear encoder feedback for semiconductor inspection, laser micromachining, optical alignment, and bio-manipulation.
Linear Motor & Ball Screw Driven Stage Architectures
Whether your application demands ultra-high dynamics with zero cogging or extreme axial thrust with high static stiffness, MIRK Systems delivers calibrated 1-micron solutions.
MIRK Stage-LM™ Linear Motor
Direct-Drive Ironless Core with Non-Contact Optical Scale
Equipped with a zero-cogging ironless core 3-phase linear motor directly coupled to the carriage. Delivers instantaneous dynamic acceleration, zero mechanical backlash, and ultra-smooth velocity regulation for laser scanning and optical metrology.
- Drive: Direct-Drive Ironless 3-Phase Linear Motor
- Positioning Accuracy: 1.0 µm (Calibrated)
- Max Velocity: Up to 2,000 mm/s (5G Accel)
- Encoder: 0.1 µm (100 nm) / 10 nm Optical Scale
- Travel Ranges: 100 mm to 500 mm
MIRK Stage-BS™ Ball Screw Driven
Ground C3 Ball Screw + High-Resolution Brushless Servo
Engineered with precision-ground C3 preloaded ball screws and preloaded crossed-roller linear guides. Delivers immense axial thrust, superior holding stiffness, and heavy payload capacity up to 60 kg with zero back-drive under load.
- Drive: Ground C3 Ball Screw + Servo / Stepper
- Payload Capacity: Up to 60 kg (High Thrust)
- Bi-directional Repeatability: ±0.5 µm
- Straightness / Flatness: < 2 µm over full stroke
- Vertical Z-Axis Non-Backdrive Safety Brake
MIRK Gantry-XYZ™ Multi-Axis
High-Speed Linear Motor XY + Rigid Ball Screw Z-Axis
Custom-stacked XYZ micro-positioning assemblies pairing ultra-fast Linear Motor XY scanning axes with high-rigidity Ball Screw driven Z-elevators. Pre-aligned with orthogonality < 10 arc-seconds for automated probing & dispensing.
- Hybrid Architecture: Linear Motor XY + Ball Screw Z
- Orthogonality Alignment: < 10 arc-seconds
- Multi-Axis Controller with EtherCAT / CANopen
- Python, LabVIEW, C++ & MATLAB SDKs
- Turnkey Granite Baseline & Vibration Isolators
Linear Motor vs. Ball Screw Driven Motor
Select the optimal drive mechanism based on your payload, scanning speed, settling time, and dynamic requirements.
| Key Engineering Metric |
Direct-Drive Linear Motor (Stage-LM™)
Ironless 3-Phase Non-Contact Drive
|
Ball Screw Driven Motor (Stage-BS™)
Ground C3 Ballscrew + Servo Motor
|
|---|---|---|
| Primary Drive Mechanism | Electromagnetic direct force; no mechanical transmission. | Rotary servo/stepper coupled to preloaded C3 ground ballscrew. |
| Max Velocity & Acceleration | Up to 2,000 mm/s • Acceleration up to 5G (50 m/s²) | Up to 300 mm/s • Acceleration up to 1G (10 m/s²) |
| Backlash & Friction | Zero mechanical backlash • Zero cogging force | Preloaded zero-backlash nut with minimal mechanical friction |
| Payload & Axial Thrust | Ideal for payloads up to 20 kg (high dynamics) | High continuous thrust • Payloads up to 60+ kg |
| Holding Stiffness & Z-Axis Safety | Active closed-loop servo holding (magnetic) | Extreme static mechanical stiffness • Non-backdriving safe |
| Positioning Accuracy | 1.0 µm (Direct optical linear scale feedback) | 1.0 µm (Laser calibrated pitch error comp) |
| Wear & Maintenance | Non-contact drive; zero mechanical wear over billions of cycles | Long-life recirculating ballscrew with low-friction synthetic grease |
| Best Suited Applications | High-speed wafer scanning, laser micromachining, fast step-and-settle. | Heavy optical setups, micro-dispensing, vertical Z-stages, micro-tooling. |
Linear Motor vs. Ball Screw Step & Settle Simulator
Toggle between Direct-Drive Linear Motor and Ball Screw drive modes to compare dynamic response, settling time, and optical closed-loop positioning.
Complete Stage Metrology Specifications
Calibrated using dual-frequency laser interferometers with full ISO 230-2 metrology certificates.
| Parameter | MIRK Stage-LM™ (Linear Motor) | MIRK Stage-BS™ (Ball Screw Driven) | MIRK Gantry-XYZ™ (Hybrid Assembly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive Mechanism | Ironless 3-Phase Linear Motor | Ground C3 Preloaded Ballscrew + Servo | Linear Motor XY + Ball Screw Z |
| Travel Ranges | 100, 200, 300, 500 mm | 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 mm | 300x300x100 mm to 600x600x200 mm |
| Positioning Accuracy | 1.0 µm (over 200 mm stroke) | 1.0 µm to 2.0 µm (Calibrated) | 1.5 µm volumetric |
| Bi-Directional Repeatability | ±0.5 µm | ±0.5 µm | ±0.8 µm |
| Maximum Speed | 2,000 mm/s | 300 mm/s | 1,500 mm/s (XY) / 100 mm/s (Z) |
| Encoder Resolution | 0.1 µm (100 nm) / 10 nm optical | 0.1 µm optical linear / rotary servo | 0.1 µm synchronized scale |
| Angular Deviation (Pitch / Yaw) | < 15 µrad | < 12 µrad (Crossed-roller) | < 20 µrad |
| Max Payload Capacity | 20 kg | 60 kg (High Thrust) | 35 kg |
Engineered for High-Precision Research & Industry
Semiconductor & Wafer Probing
Ultra-stable sub-micron step-and-settle motion for silicon die inspection, automated probe stations, and MEMS testing.
Laser Micro-Processing
High-speed linear motor trajectory tracing with < 0.04% velocity ripple for clean femtosecond and picosecond laser micro-machining.
Bio-MEMS & Micro-Manipulation
Smooth 1-micron stepping for cell sorting, micro-injection, confocal microscope tile-scanning, and bio-printing positioning.
Photonics & Fiber Alignment
Multi-axis XYZ sub-micron automated coupling algorithms for optical waveguide alignment and laser diode packaging.
Request a Precision Stage Technical Proposal
We provide formal academic quotes, dimensional CAD models, laser interferometer test certs, and university PO invoices within 24 hours.