Mechanical hardware for accurate machine control High-precision
linear motion is key to achieving optimum machine control By
Clint Hayes Precise electronic motion controllers are certainly
important in today’s advanced manufacturing equipment. As a
matter of fact, it is hard to imagine processes that require
motion control of any kind without them. But just as the
performance of a super athlete depends on a combination of
brains and physical ability, so do high-precision linear motion
systems. Without mechanical systems capable of taking full
advantage of the instructions supplied by the motion controller,
many of the processes we depend on today, from high-precision
metal-cutting to advanced automated laboratory equipment, would
not be possible. This article looks at how mechanical linear
motion systems can affect precision motion and what machine
designers and manufacturing engineers should know to get the
most performance out of their machines. The drive for increased
precision is like the classic “chicken