Aerotech ACS-LP Direct-Drive Rotary Collet Stage

Design Features

• Provides automated material handling capability through integral

pneumatic ER collet chuck

• Features a clear aperture for convenient workpiece feed-through

• Supports extensive tube diameter range from 0.2 mm to 25 mm

• Minimizes working height & simplifies integration with low-profile

design

• Offers excellent velocity stability with brushless, cogless direct drive

motor & high resolution encoder

• Results in high process throughput & low total cost of ownership

Key Applications

• ACS-LP stages are ideal for applications that require precisely holding

and rotating a cylindrical workpiece, including:

• Medical device manufacturing

• Tubular material processing

• Stent, hypotube & guidewire cutting

• Sensor testing & inspection

• Laser cutting & laser micromachining

• Laser welding & joining

• Tube inspection & measurement

High Precision ER Collet

The collet chuck on the ACS 100LP accepts an ER8 series collet, while

the ACS 150LP uses an ER25 collet and the ACS 200LP uses an ER40

collet. These collets are readily available from machine tool component

suppliers in sizes that support tube diameters from 0.5 mm to 30 mm.

ER collets provide excellent run-out characteristics for applications 

requiring high-precision gripping of tubular material. The collet is

retained with a threaded retaining nut that enables quick changeover,

and is configured in a “fail-safe” normally-closed mode where full

clamping force is applied when no air pressure is present.

Compact Package

The design of the ACS LP series direct-drive rotary stage was optimized

to minimize stage height. The low profile of the stage reduces the effective

working height of the system minimizing “stack-up” related errors.

Integral Rotary Union

Air is delivered to the collet or gripper assembly through an integral rotary

union using a seal-less, frictionless design. This 100% noncontact rotary-

union design ensures a lifetime of maintenance-free operation.

The combination collet chuck and rotary union assembly also has significantly

less friction and inertia than external assemblies created from discrete parts.

This reduced inertia improves system performance by allowing higher peak

acceleration and reducing position error during laser machining operations.

Brushless Direct-Drive

The ACS LP series utilizes direct-drive brushless motor technology to maximize

positioning performance. Direct-drive technology is optimized for 24/7

production environments because there are no brushes to replace and no gear

trains or belts to maintain. Direct drive also provides quicker acceleration and

higher top speeds than gear or belt-driven mechanisms, which yields higher

total overall throughput.

The low maintenance and high throughput characteristics of the ACS LP, coupled

with the integral material handling capability, provide the lowest total cost of

ownership when compared to component-level solutions.