Contactless positioning of thin flexible substrates: Demonstrator design and validation of opposed air film actuators

In the industry motion systems with electric motors are used for transporting and positioning thin flexible substrates at high throughput rates. A possible alternative actuation solution could be to apply contactless air film actuators which make use of air bearing principles. The air film actuators use a thin film of air to levitate and propel...

Actuator System for the Flowerbed

In the electronics industry there is a trend towards the handling of larger and thinner sheets of silicon, for the production of wafers and solar cells. The flowerbed is a contact-less handler for these fragile substrates based on air bearing technology. By levitating the substrate on a film of pressurized air, mechanical contact is avoided and...

Air-based contactless positioning of thin substrates: Exploring the outlet restriction variation concept

A new concept in the field of air-based contactless positioning has been explored. The concept is based on the variation of the outlet restriction of an actuator, which controls a net air flow starting from the inlet. The object to be positioned ‘floats’ on a thin air film with a thickness in the order of tens of micrometres. Since the film...