My ultimate goal is to have a measuring microscope which is capable of ~0.5 micron accuracy over a 50x50mm x-y range.
I currently have a McBain/Pacific Precision Labs Z-scope with 8"x8 stage (uses crossed roller bearings) which is partially setup, to test the basic accuracy of the stages. The X stage is decent in a raw uncorrected error of ~2-3um in 125mm, which looks pretty linear and could probably have corrections applied. Unfortunately I found the Y axis is not so linear and has a lot of Abbe error (7-11um per 125mm on the left side and 21um on the right (the side far away from the encoder).
It occurs to me that I might do better with a much shorter travel and proper stage instead of the PPL stage. Maybe even something that does not have a stacked stage.
Anybody have suggestions for good (maybe even reasonably priced?) stages (manufacturer? type of mechanics?) which I might use in place of the poor accuracy one?
Anybody make an off the shelf measuring microscope which will get me better than 0.5um in a 50mm range?
One other possibility: I have the frame of a complete SIP MU-214. It seems that this may have been built for this kind of accuracy, but I don't have a way to check the guide-ways. If I added encoders to this, what kind of performance could I expect? Has anyone retrofitted one?
Thanks!
I currently have a McBain/Pacific Precision Labs Z-scope with 8"x8 stage (uses crossed roller bearings) which is partially setup, to test the basic accuracy of the stages. The X stage is decent in a raw uncorrected error of ~2-3um in 125mm, which looks pretty linear and could probably have corrections applied. Unfortunately I found the Y axis is not so linear and has a lot of Abbe error (7-11um per 125mm on the left side and 21um on the right (the side far away from the encoder).
It occurs to me that I might do better with a much shorter travel and proper stage instead of the PPL stage. Maybe even something that does not have a stacked stage.
Anybody have suggestions for good (maybe even reasonably priced?) stages (manufacturer? type of mechanics?) which I might use in place of the poor accuracy one?
Anybody make an off the shelf measuring microscope which will get me better than 0.5um in a 50mm range?
One other possibility: I have the frame of a complete SIP MU-214. It seems that this may have been built for this kind of accuracy, but I don't have a way to check the guide-ways. If I added encoders to this, what kind of performance could I expect? Has anyone retrofitted one?
Thanks!