UTS series linear stages feature all-steel construction with preloaded linear ball bearing slides. Steel has an almost 3-times greater stiffness than aluminum, and provides the UTS stages comparable stiffness to the popular ILS series, but in a much more compact and significantly lower profile package. The homogenous steel design minimizes thermal stress and eliminates bi-metal bending effects of aluminum stages. The result is more consistent performance than other aluminum stage designs.

The stepper motor version is a cost-effective solution for less demanding applications. When used with our XPS, ESP301, or controllers with high micro-stepping capability, low-noise operation and very small incremental motions are guaranteed. Position is attained by the number of commanded steps and micro-steps. For this purpose, the stepper motor is directly attached to the lead screw with a proprietary bellow coupling with high-torsion stiffness and no gear or belt drive in between. The high output torque of the stepper motor also minimizes the risk of lost steps and provides optimum motion sensitivity with good linearity between commanded micro-steps and the actual motion of the stage.

The UTS-CC features a high-torque DC motor for the highest dynamic speed control. A reduction belt between the motor and the lead screw increases the available output torque, reduces the servo sensitivity and ensures precise incremental motion capability with all Newport motion controllers and drivers. An ultra-high resolution 20,000 cts/rev rotary encoder with index pulse provides precision homing, making the stage a recommended choice for applications requiring accurate bi-directional positioning. For tightest position control, the rotary encoder is directly mounted on the lead screw. This eliminates the majority of drive train error sources that affect other stages with indirect position read-out.

The UTS is an ESP compatible stage. When connected to a Newport controller, it is quickly recognized and its operating parameters are configured without the need for user input, facilitating the startup and usability of the UTS. This Plug and Play feature is not only transparent to the use, but it also ensures the safe operation of the stage.

For XY configurations of UTS stages, use the captive screws. The same screws can also be used for bolting UTS stages directly to custom mounting surfaces via thru-holes at the carriage. For mounting UTS stages to optical tables, please use the base plate.

Precision motion is provided by a diamond-corrected lead screw and a matched, lapped nut to enable high vertical load capacity and to ensure high position stability even at power-off. The precision nut includes anti-backlash preloading and a sophisticated decoupling system that prevents lead screw eccentricity errors from affecting stage movement.