Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 100 mm
Extended-Travel Motorized Single-Axis Precision Positioning Stage with 0.5 μm Resolution for Defence and Aerospace Research
The Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 100 mm is a motorized single-axis positioning system delivering 100 mm of precise linear travel with 5 μm straight line accuracy, 5 μm repeatability and 0.5 μm resolution. Driven by a stepper motor through a precision lead screw with 2 mm single-start pitch and constrained by roller guide ways, it operates on 24 VDC and uses an incremental motor encoder to provide closed-loop position verification across the full travel range. It is designed for defence research, aerospace system integration and laboratory environments where extended travel range and sub-micron positional resolution must coexist in a single compact platform.
What is the Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 100 mm?
The Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 100 mm is a motorized linear translational stage that converts stepper motor rotation into controlled horizontal linear displacement through a 2 mm single-start precision lead screw and nut assembly. Roller guide ways constrain carriage travel to a straight, consistent path, while an incremental motor encoder tracks the nut position within the operating range. Extreme end limit switches with a 2 to 4 mm tolerance band protect the stage from overtravel at both ends. The aluminium alloy construction keeps stage weight to 2 kg while supporting load capacities up to 12 kg across the full 100 mm travel range at an operating voltage of 24 VDC.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model No. | SC-SYS-1043-A-000-001 |
| Type of Actuator | Motorized Linear Translational Stage |
| Travel Range | 100 mm |
| Degree of Freedom | 1 |
| Straight Line Accuracy | 5 μm |
| Repeatability | 5 μm |
| Resolution | 0.5 μm |
| Maximum Speed | 15 mm/sec |
| Stage Weight | 2 kg |
| Load Capacity | Up to 12 kg |
| Drive | Precision Lead Screw |
| Guide Ways | Roller Guides |
| Feedback | Motor Encoder |
| Limit Switches | Extreme End Limit Switch / Sensors |
| Motor | Stepper |
| Screw Pitch | 2 mm (Single Start) |
| Material | Aluminium Alloy |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 50°C |
0.5 μm Resolution Across 100 mm of Travel
Resolution and travel range typically trade off against each other in precision linear systems. A larger travel range introduces more opportunity for cumulative lead screw pitch error, guide way deviation and thermal drift to degrade the positional resolution achievable at any given point along the stroke. Achieving 0.5 μm resolution across the full 100 mm range of this stage requires the precision lead screw pitch to be ground and selected specifically to support that resolution at the chosen motor step and micro-step configuration, and the roller guide ways to maintain straight line travel without lateral deviation that would corrupt fine positional commands. The result is a stage that does not sacrifice resolution to gain travel range, which is the practical engineering challenge this product solves.
Limit Switch Protection Engineered for Automated Operation
At 15 mm per second maximum speed, a stage traversing 100 mm of travel covers its full stroke in under seven seconds. At that speed, any overtravel event at the end of the range without hardware protection would result in carriage impact with the mechanical hard stop, transmitting a shock load directly into the lead screw nut, guide ways and payload. The extreme end limit switches are positioned with a 2 to 4 mm tolerance band from the physical travel limits — wide enough to absorb motor deceleration overrun from maximum speed, yet tight enough to preserve the usable travel range. This hardware protection layer operates independently of the control software, ensuring the stage is protected even in fault conditions where software-level travel limits fail to trigger correctly.
Incremental Encoder Position Tracking Across the Full Travel Range
The incremental motor encoder on the 100 mm stage does more than confirm the stage has moved. It provides continuous position data — the location of the nut within the operating travel range at any point during a motion sequence — allowing external control systems to monitor displacement in real time, detect any positional deviation from the commanded trajectory and apply correction before the error accumulates. In automated scanning sequences that traverse the full 100 mm range, this encoder feedback is the mechanism that maintains positional integrity throughout the scan, not just at the start and end points. Without it, open-loop stepper operation at this travel range would allow small step errors to compound into positional offsets that exceed the 5 μm accuracy specification before the scan is complete.
24 VDC Operation for Defence System Integration
The 24 VDC operating voltage is not incidental. Defence vehicle power systems, forward operating equipment racks and laboratory test benches in DRDO and HAL facilities routinely operate from 24 VDC supply rails — the standard vehicle and defence electronics bus voltage. A stage that runs directly from this supply without requiring a separate voltage conversion stage reduces integration complexity, eliminates an additional power conversion failure point and simplifies the system-level electrical design when the stage is embedded in a larger defence test or integration rig.
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The 100 mm stage is the right choice when the application requires travel beyond what a 50 mm stage can provide — such as wider optical field scanning, antenna feed adjustment across larger mechanical tolerances, or calibration rigs where the reference must traverse a defined range. The 100 mm stage also delivers finer 0.5 μm resolution compared to the 50 mm variant's 0.1 mm resolution, making it the better choice when both extended range and higher positional resolution are simultaneously required.
At 0.5 μm, the stage can command positional increments smaller than the wavelength of visible light. This places the stage's positional capability in the range relevant for coherence-sensitive optical experiments, fine mirror and lens positioning, and detector placement where fractions of a micron determine whether a measurement is valid or corrupted by positional error.
An incremental encoder counts motion pulses to track displacement from a reference position in real time. It provides the control system with continuous position data across the full travel range, enabling verification of actual displacement against commanded position and allowing correction before positional error compounds across a long automated scan sequence.
Applications include electro-optical system assembly, antenna feed positioning during RF integration, interferometric test bench setups requiring longer optical path adjustment, and sensor calibration rigs where a reference source or target must traverse a defined range while maintaining accurate positional knowledge throughout. The 12 kg load capacity also supports heavier optical and RF components not suited to the 50 mm variant.
Defence vehicle power rails, forward equipment racks and laboratory test benches in DRDO and HAL facilities routinely run from 24 VDC supply. A stage operating directly from this voltage eliminates the need for a separate power conversion stage, reducing integration complexity and removing an additional failure point from the system electrical design.
The limit switches are positioned with a 2 to 4 mm tolerance band from the physical end of travel, cutting motor drive before the carriage reaches the hard stop. This absorbs motor deceleration overrun from maximum speed without impact, protecting the lead screw, guide ways and mounted payload from shock loading in both normal automated operation and software fault conditions.
