Error Analysis for a Precision X-Y Microstage With Maneuverable Kinematic Coupling Mechanism

Within modern manufacturing there is a growing need for micropositioning units with very fine resolution and high repeatability. In this paper, a new micropositioning system based on the kinematic coupling is developed and a general error budget is derived. Previously the authors presented the derivation of the unique path control of the proposed system based on a series of Homogeneous Transformation Matrices (HTM) which relate the geometry of the system and the desired control point position with the required actuator inputs (Taylor and Tu, 1994). The system control, when coupled with the error analysis provided here, fully characterize the proposed system with its benefits and limitations.