Linear Displacement Calibration System Integrated with a Novel Auto-Alignment Module for Optical Axes.

Area of Science:

• Precision Engineering
• Metrology
• Optical Measurement Systems

Background:

• Workpiece quality is directly impacted by linear stage precision.
• Regular calibration of machine tool linear displacement is crucial.
• Efficient and precise calibration methods are needed in precision mechanical engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an automatic linear displacement calibration system for linear stages.
• To improve the precision and efficiency of machine tool calibration.
• To address limitations of manual calibration methods.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a common path Fabry-Pérot interferometer for linear displacement measurement.
• Incorporation of an auto-alignment module for optical axes.
• Experimental verification of the developed system's performance.

Main Results:

• Cosine error reduced to 0.36 nm with auto-alignment.
• Calibration procedure completed in 75 seconds, overcoming human limitations.
• Repeatability of the measurement module was less than 0.171 μm.
• Systematic positional deviation, repeatability, and accuracy improved to 4 μm, 1 μm, and 5 μm respectively after compensation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed system enables automatic linear displacement calibration with high efficiency and precision.
• The compact system significantly improves calibration efficiency by 80%.
• This technology is highly beneficial for machine tool calibration in the precision mechanical engineering industry.