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US 7,524,152 B2Granted
Three-axis micro- and meso-scale machining apparatus
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees if the University of Illinois
InventorsAndrew Honegger, Richard E. DeVor, Shiv G. Kapoor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus. Embodiments of the apparatus include a spindle having a tool for machining a workpiece, a z-axis movement platform for supporting the spindle and translating the spindle along a z-axis, a mount for supporting the workpiece, and a suspended x-y axes movement platform for supporting the mount and translating the mount along both x- and y-axes.
Claims41
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a movement platform for supporting said spindle and translating said spindle along a z-axis;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- an x-y axes movement platform for supporting said mount and translating said mount along both x- and y- axes;
- wherein said x-y axes movement platform includes an x-axis actuator for translating said mount along the x-axis, and a y-axis actuator for translating said mount along the y-axis;
- wherein the y-axis actuator is stacked over the x-axis actuator;
- and
- wherein the x-axis actuator comprises a pair of stationary motor stators and a pair of moving motor coils for moving within the motor stators along the x-direction.
5 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a z-axis movement platform for supporting said spindle and translating said spindle along a z-axis;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- an x-y axes movement platform for supporting said mount and translating said mount along both x- and y- axes;
- wherein said z-axis movement platform comprises a pair of stationary motor stators and a pair of moving motor coils for moving within the motor stators along the z-direction.
2 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a z-axis movement platform for supporting said spindle and translating said spindle along a z-axis;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- an x-y axes movement platform for supporting said mount and translating said mount along both x- and y- axes;
- wherein said spindle is kinematically coupled to said z-axis movement platform;
- and
- wherein said z-axis movement platform comprises a mount base movable in the z-direction, said spindle being magnetically coupled to the mount base.
4 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a movement platform for supporting said spindle and translating said spindle along a z-axis;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- an x-y axes movement platform for supporting said mount and translating said mount along both x- and y- axes;
- further comprising:
- a holder for the workpiece, said holder being kinematically coupled to said mount;
- wherein said holder is magnetically coupled to said mount.
4 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a movement platform for supporting said spindle and translating said spindle along a z-axis;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- a movement platform for supporting said mount and translating said mount along x- and y- axes;
- a counterbalance for balancing movement in the y-direction, said counterbalance comprising a constant-force spring.
2 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a z-axis movement platform for supporting said spindle and translating said spindle along a z-axis;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- an x-y axes movement platform for supporting said mount and translating said mount along x- and y- axes;
- a guard substantially surrounding said z-axis movement platform and comprising an opening for passage of said spindle;
- another guard substantially surrounding said x-y axes movement platform and comprising an opening for passage of said mount.
3 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- means for machining a workpiece;
- means for mounting the workpiece;
- z-axis means for translating one of said means for machining and said means for mounting along a z-axis;
- x-axis means for translating one of said means for machining and said means for mounting along an x-axis;
- y-axis means for translating one of said means for machining and said means for mounting along a y-axis;
- wherein said y-axis means is stacked over at least one of said x-axis means and said z-axis means;
- further comprising:
- means for force sensing, said means for force sensing being preloaded by said means for mounting.
5 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- means for machining a workpiece;
- means for mounting the workpiece;
- z-axis means for translating one of said means for machining and said means for mounting along a z-axis;
- x-axis means for translating one of said means for machining and said means for mounting along an x-axis;
- y-axis means for translating one of said means for machining and said means for mounting along a y-axis;
- wherein said y-axis means is stacked over at least one of said x-axis means and said z-axis means;
- further comprising:
- constant force means for counterbalancing force in the y-direction.
5 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- a horizontal axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a horizontal axis;
- a vertical axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a vertical axis;
- a spindle axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a spindle axis;
- at least one of said horizontal axis actuator, said vertical axis actuator, and said spindle axis actuator comprising a pair of actuators symmetrically disposed with respect to the horizontal axis, the vertical axis, and the spindle axis, respectively;
- wherein at least one of said horizontal axis actuator, said vertical axis actuator, and said spindle axis actuator comprises a stationary piece and a moving piece, wherein the moving piece is raised to a center of mass moving along the respective axis.
4 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- a horizontal axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a horizontal axis;
- a vertical axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a vertical axis;
- a spindle axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a spindle axis;
- said vertical axis actuator comprising a moving piece and a stationary piece, wherein the moving piece of said vertical axis actuator is fixed to and movable with one of said horizontal axis actuator and said spindle actuator, and wherein the stationary piece remains stationary.
3 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a platform for supporting said spindle;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece;
- a horizontal axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a horizontal axis;
- a vertical axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a vertical axis;
- a spindle axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said mount along a spindle axis;
- a constant-force spring counterbalance for supporting a vertical stage translated by said vertical axis actuator.
4 more elements
A three-axis micro- or meso-scale machining apparatus comprising:
- a spindle including a tool for machining a workpiece;
- a platform for supporting said spindle;
- a mount for supporting the workpiece, said mount comprising a platform;
- a horizontal axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said platform along a horizontal axis;
- a vertical axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said platform along a vertical axis;
- a spindle axis actuator for translating one of said spindle and said platform along a spindle axis;
- a force sensor preloaded by said platform.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.