Positioning device

A positioning device, comprising:

• a base;
• a movable body that is supported so as to be allowed to reciprocate in a predetermined axial direction with respect to the base;
• a ball screw that is engaged with the movable body, and that reciprocates the movable body;
• a drive motor that is engaged with a first end of the ball screw, and that transmits rotative power to rotate the ball screw;
• first support means that is fixed to a first fixed position of the base, and that supports a portion of the ball screw, the portion being near the first end of the ball screw, at a first reference position that is located at a predetermined distance from the first fixed position in the axial direction such that the portion of the ball screw is rotatable and immovable in the axial direction;
• second support means that is fixed to a second fixed position of the base, and that supports a second end of the ball screw such that the second end is rotatable and movable in the axial direction;
• distance detection means that is located at a given distance from an end face of the second end in an axial direction of the ball screw, that is fixed to the second support means at a second reference position that is located at a predetermined distance from the second fixed position in the axial direction, and that is able to detect a distance to the end face;
• temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of the base, a temperature of the first support means, and a temperature of the second support means;
• and
• control means for controlling the drive motor, wherein
• the control means stores
• a base reference length that is a length of a portion of the base from the first fixed position to the second fixed position at a reference temperature,
• a first support means reference length that is a length of a portion of the first support means from the first fixed position to the first reference position at the reference temperature,
• a second support means reference length that is a length of a portion of the second support means from the second fixed position to the second reference position at the reference temperature, and
• a ball screw reference length that is a length of a portion of the ball screw from the first reference position to the end face of the ball screw at the reference temperature, and
• the control means obtains a ball screw actual length that is an actual length of the portion of the ball screw from the first reference position to the end face of the ball screw on the basis of
• an amount of linear expansion of the base reference length, which is obtained through computation based on the base reference length and the detected temperature of the base that is detected by the temperature detection means,
• an amount of linear expansion of the first support means reference length, which is obtained through computation based on the first support means reference length and the detected temperature of the first support means that is detected by the temperature detection means,
• an amount of linear expansion of the second support means reference length, which is obtained through computation based on the second support means reference length and the detected temperature of the second support means that is detected by the temperature detection means, and
• the detected distance that is detected by the distance detection means, and
• the control means compensates a control amount of the drive motor based on the ball screw actual length and the ball screw reference length.