Heason Technology has supplied a 2m travel, high-vacuum compatible ceramic motor system to Diamond Light Source for the I12 JEEP (Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing) beamline.
Capable of positioning within a 50nm resolution over the full travel range and with speeds up to 80mm/sec, the linear motor is used in a cryo-cooled Laue monochromator, helping to deliver high-energy X-rays for a variety of scientific experiments.
The I12 beamline that is being commissioned has two in-line experimental hutches rather than a single area where samples are analysed.
The first hutch (EH1) is in the main Diamond Experimental Hall, while the second (EH2) is in a large, purpose-built external building.
The adjustable beam energy range (from 50 to 150 keV) enables a range of applications, including imaging and tomography, X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering.
The second hutch is able to accommodate exceptionally large-scale engineering and processing experiments that could involve, for instance, fully assembled structures such as complete aircraft engines undergoing detailed creep-fatigue testing during high-temperature cycling or historical artefact analysis, which preserves the complete object.
The Laue monochromator was designed and built by the I12 beamline team at Diamond.
Bending of the individual crystals increases the energy bandwidth and available flux, which is useful for imaging experiments.
For diffraction experiments, the crystals can be adjusted to use different diffraction planes, providing a narrower bandwidth and better energy resolution.
The Heason-supplied ceramic motor system provides the full translation of the crystal along the beam over a 2m travel range, positioning the stack of equipment that is used to bend the second crystal to achieve the desired characteristics.
A second pair of Heason-supplied ceramic motors also translates the crystal and bending stack orthogonally across the beam with a 200mm travel range.
One of the primary reasons for selecting ceramic motor technology for this application is the motors' inherent stability.
The long-travel-axis motor comprises two pairs of HR8 ceramic motors from Nanomotion, arranged in pairs and interacting with ceramic drive strips on either side of the beam.
The motor was installed by the Diamond beamline team with linear motion guide bearings and a tape-style optical encoder system with a 50nm resolution.
The 2m drive strips are an intrinsic part or the motor system, ensuring smooth motion and optimal performance.
For such long travel requirements, the ceramic material is bonded to a steel strip for maximum durability.
The total mass acting on the ceramic motor system is in the order of 25kg and a force of 128N was specified to move the load at the desired speeds of up to 80mm/sec.
Another specification for the ceramic motor included operation in vacuum up to 10-10 Torr.
The HR-8 ceramic motor is a compact, high-precision ceramic motor with a maximum speed capability to 250mm/sec.
It can be supplied in high-vacuum or ultra-high-vacuum versions for operation at 10-10 Torr.
Heason also supplied Nanomotion AB1a Driver Amplifiers for this application.
