System for simultaneously measuring 6DOF geometric motion errors using a polarization maintaining fiber-coupled...

Area of Science:

• Metrology and Measurement Science
• Optical Engineering
• Precision Engineering

Background:

• Accurate measurement of six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) geometric motion errors is critical for advanced manufacturing and scientific research.
• Existing methods often struggle with simultaneous measurement of all 6DOF, leading to complex and less efficient processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for simultaneous measurement of 6DOF geometric motion errors.
• To develop and validate a corresponding measurement instrument.
• To achieve unprecedented accuracy and efficiency in motion error quantification.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a polarization-maintaining fiber-coupled dual-frequency laser as the measurement datum.
• Employed heterodyne interferometry for positioning error measurement.
• Integrated fiber collimation measurement for the remaining five geometric motion errors.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated simultaneous measurement of 6DOF geometric motion errors for the first time.
• Achieved high accuracy and stability in positioning error measurements (31.1 nm stability, 0.5 μm accuracy).
• Reported excellent performance for straightness, pitch, yaw, and roll error measurements, with resolutions down to 40 nm and accuracies up to 0.35 arcseconds.

Conclusions:

• The developed instrument and method effectively measure 6DOF geometric motion errors simultaneously.
• The results confirm the high stability, accuracy, and resolution of the proposed technique.
• This advancement offers significant potential for improving precision in various scientific and industrial fields.