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Questions To Ask Yourself Before Purchasing A Flexure Stage For Your Nanopositioner

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If you are a company that uses nanopositioners in order to do research or perform some sort of manufacturing, there is a good chance that you want the process to be as efficient as possible. One way to do this is to upgrade your current nanopositioner stage to that of a flexure stage. A flexure stage is a stage that supports the nanopositioner but also has an additional flexure built-in so that anyone who is using the nanopositioner has a greater level of control over the motion that the stage experiences. However, equipping all of your nanopositioners with flexure stages represents a significant financial investment. You will want to make sure that they are truly going to be the best option for your company. Here are some questions that you should ask yourself before making a final decision.

1. Do you need small, repeated motions?

The first thing that you need to ask yourself is if you need small, repeated motions. If, when you are using the nanopositioner, you need to move the stage in the exact same path each time, then you will absolutely need get a flexure stage. Stages that merely have motion control are going to have too much friction for those small, repeated motions to actually be possible. This means that you will have some variation from action to action. Getting a flexure stage will allow you to reduce this variance and increase your overall accuracy. If you do not need small, repeated motions, then you can go with either a traditional stage or a flexure stage.

2. Do you have a budget for maintenance?

If you do not have a budget for regular maintenance for your stages, then you will want to go with a flexure stage due to the fact that they don't require as much maintenance since they are not being worn down by friction. If you do have a substantial maintenance budget but a smaller equipment budget, then you might want to go with regular, motion controlled stages since they will be less money up front but cost more to maintain.

3. Do you have a high load capacity?

Finally, if you have a high load capacity, you should go with a flexure stage since it has a higher stiffness and therefore an ability to carry heavier loads. If you don't ever have any particularly heavy loads, then you can probably go with a cheaper option.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in nanopositioner stages.


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