Motion Control in the Optics and Photonics Industry

With its solutions for industrial applications and production systems in the fields of optoelectronics, fibre optics, optical conductors and laser components, Aerotech fully meets the requirements of these market sectors.

Aerotech is focusing its attention on motion control and automation for the optical and photonic sector, including high precision solutions for fibre optic coupling. From standard mechanical positioning stages and control systems to customer-specific automation systems, Aerotech solutions support manufacturing, test, and inspection processes in the micron to nanometre range for many well-known technology companies, as well as research institutions globally.

The company offers many standard (servo and piezo) nano-positioning systems with comprehensive controls options, but where a standard solution will not work, custom specifically engineered solutions are available together with the necessary engineering design services, as well as software and algorithms for automating the alignment of glass fibres and optical devices.

The use of optical fibres is steadily increasing

In many areas, fibre optic technology has become indispensable and photonics applications are growing rapidly. Modern Photonic Integrated Circuit technology, test and measurement technology or illumination and lighting technology for medical applications are hardly conceivable today without the use of optical fibres and photonic devices. With the increasing maturity of the many applications, automated alignment and testing systems are of enormous importance.
Automated technologies significantly improve the precision of optical assemblies and at the same time reduce production costs as soon as the number of items increases. The selection and implementation of a suitable positioning system can be decisive for the automated alignment process, for example connection of optical fibres to Photonic Integrated Devices can only be automated through exact positioning and motion control. The motion control technology must allow submicron alignment adjustment in many degrees of freedom. The use of motion kinematics plays an important role to optimise the pre-adjustment of components and finally the alignment of the optical fibres. The use of precision positioning systems ensures optimisation of the optical performance even under difficult space constraints.

Total control of machine components

Aerotech develops motion control and positioning systems and associated software solutions. These are used wherever high throughput with high accuracy is required, for example in laser material processing. Controlling movement components with high precision has been a core competence for decades. Aerotech solutions and systems are used in manufacturing, research institutions or test and inspection technology, wherever something in the micron and nanometre range needs to be positioned with repeatable accuracy. The “Automation1 Precision Machine and Motion Control Platform” is an Aerotech’s platform for complete machine control system supporting many industrial components and thus offers significantly more than just motion control. As a software-based motion controller many different motor technologies are supported including linear and rotary servomotors, stepper motors, galvo-scanner, piezoelectric actuators and various other devices, all controlled directly as “just another axis”, integrating all the technologies into one control platform. The individual motion axes controllers are connected via Aerotech’s HyperWire bus, one of the most powerful communication buses in the motion control industry. The Automation1 platform supports today’s growth markets for precision machinery and motion control, and is particularly well-suited for automation systems, precision laser processing, test and inspection equipment, and other applications where process control is linked to motion. This new approach to control and drive management provides optimization potential for ever faster movements, decreased settling times, better in-position stability, and increased contour accuracy.