A modular two-axis compliant parallel micropositioning stage with long travel range

Micropositioning systems with the properties of long travel range, compact physical size and high accuracy are required in many precision engineering applications. This paper presents the design, fabrication and testing of a novel two-axis compliant parallel-kinematics precision positioning stage with a centimeter stroke and compact size. Different from existing work, the presented stage owns a much compact dimension which is enabled by a concept of modular design. The proposed compact design permits positioning applications inside a constrained space. The stage performances in terms of motion range, stiffness and resonant frequency are verified through finite element analysis with simulations. A prototype is fabricated by using voice coil motors and laser displacement sensors for driving and sensing, respectively. Experimental results show that the stage is capable of submicron-resolution positioning with a range over 11 mm in each axis. Moreover, the stage exhibits negligible static and dynamic crosstalks, which are better than 0.75% and -33 dB, respectively.