This publication sets out to fulfill two purposes: firstly, to define and clarify the terms used in specifying nano precision mechanisms (accuracy, precision, linearity etc), much needed in an area where existing international standards contain many contradictions and ambiguities; and secondly, to provide a guide to the servo control systems used in the authors? products, as well as a more general description of the core technologies involved in measuring and moving small distances. This part of the book concludes with descriptions of practical mechanisms and how their performance is measured and specified. A full glossary of terms is also included.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction: electro-active materials, capacitance micrometry, nanomechanisms
2. Accuracy, trueness and precision: the coordinate system, position measurement, positioning,
3. Servo control: static control, dynamic performance
4. Material properties: dimensional stability, mechanical properties, some typical materials,
5. Capacitance sensors: long and short-range micrometers, capacitance measurement considerations, practical capacitors, noise, using sensors
6. Piezo: some properties of piezo materials, practical actuators
7. Nanometre precision mechanisms: design philosophy, specifications and performance measurement, using nanomechanisms, true position measurement.
Glossary

Readership

Researchers, university lecturers, engineers and postgraduates in nanotechnology, control engineering, robotics and mechanics.