Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 150 mm
Heavy-Payload Extended-Travel Motorized Precision Positioning Stage with 20 kg Load Capacity and 0.5 μm Resolution
The Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 150 mm is a motorized single-axis positioning system delivering 150 mm of precise linear travel with 5 μm straight line accuracy, 5 μm repeatability and 0.5 μm resolution across a 20 kg load capacity and a maximum traversal speed of 25 mm/sec. Driven by a stepper motor through a 2 mm single-start precision lead screw with roller guide ways and encoder position feedback, it is the highest-capacity and longest-travel variant in System Controls’ linear stage range, designed for heavy-payload optical assembly, extended-range antenna positioning and long-stroke precision calibration in defence research and aerospace system integration environments where travel range, load capacity and positional accuracy must all be maximised simultaneously.
What is the Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 150 mm?
The Horizontal Linear Translation Stage 150 mm is a motorized linear translational stage built around a 2 mm single-start precision lead screw and nut assembly driven by a stepper motor, with roller guide ways constraining carriage travel to a straight, accurate path across the full 150 mm stroke. Encoder feedback provides closed-loop position verification, and extreme end limit switches protect the stage and payload at both ends of the travel range. The aluminium alloy construction balances structural rigidity with compact form factor, supporting loads up to 20 kg across the complete travel range. Drive torque is calculated to include payload acceleration, lead screw friction and a Factor of Safety of 1.5 to ensure reliable, consistent performance at rated load and maximum speed.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model No. | SC-SYS-1044-A-000-001 |
| Type of Actuator | Motorized Linear Translational Stage |
| Travel Range | 150 mm |
| Degree of Freedom | 1 |
| Straight Line Accuracy | 5 μm |
| Repeatability | 5 μm |
| Resolution | 0.5 μm |
| Maximum Speed | 25 mm/sec |
| Load Capacity | Up to 20 kg |
| Drive | Precision Lead Screw |
| Guide Ways | Roller Guides |
| Feedback | Encoder |
| Limit Switches | Extreme End Limit Switch / Sensors |
| Motor | Stepper |
| Screw Pitch | 2 mm (Single Start) |
| Material | Aluminium Alloy |
20 kg Load Capacity Without Resolution Compromise
Carrying heavier payloads on a precision lead screw stage is not simply a matter of scaling up the motor. Heavier loads increase the friction torque between the lead screw nut and the screw under load, increase the inertial demand on the motor during acceleration, and introduce greater deflection forces on the guide ways that can compromise straight line accuracy if the guide system is not dimensioned to handle the additional lateral loading. The 150 mm stage is designed from the drive torque upward to accommodate 20 kg payloads — with the lead screw, nut, motor and guide system all selected and dimensioned as a matched system for this load class, not retrofitted from a lower-capacity design. The result is a stage that maintains its 5 μm accuracy and 0.5 μm resolution at full rated load, not just at light payload conditions.
25 mm/sec Traversal Speed Across 150 mm of Precision Travel
At 25 mm/sec the 150 mm stage completes its full stroke in six seconds. For automated scanning sequences, calibration rigs and integration tasks that must step through positions across the full travel range repeatedly, this throughput directly translates to reduced test cycle times. Positioning accuracy on this stage is a settled-position specification, meaning the 5 μm accuracy figure applies after motion completes and the carriage has stabilised, not during transit. The speed and accuracy specifications are therefore not in conflict — the stage moves fast between positions and settles to 5 μm accuracy at each commanded point, which is the operating profile most defence integration and research applications actually require.
1.5 Factor of Safety Engineered Into the Drive System
The drive torque specification of this stage accounts for three components: the torque required to accelerate the 20 kg rated load from rest, the friction torque generated by the lead screw nut under full load, and a Factor of Safety of 1.5 applied to the combined total. This means the motor and drive train are selected to handle one and a half times the worst-case operating torque demand, not the nominal operating torque. In practical terms, this engineering margin ensures the stage does not approach its torque limit under the combination of maximum speed, maximum load and worst-case friction conditions that occur simultaneously in real operating environments, while test conditions during development typically present these factors independently.
Extended Stroke Precision Maintained by Lead Screw and Encoder Together
Maintaining 5 μm straight line accuracy across 150 mm of travel is a more demanding problem than maintaining it across 50 mm or 100 mm, because cumulative pitch error in the lead screw and any guide way deviation accumulate over the longer stroke. The 150 mm stage addresses this through the combination of a precision-ground lead screw with minimised cumulative pitch error over the full stroke length, roller guide ways that maintain carriage alignment without increasing friction under the higher contact forces generated by 20 kg payloads, and encoder feedback that provides position data across the full range rather than only at the end points. These three elements work together as a system — no single one of them alone would be sufficient to maintain the accuracy specification at this travel range and load class.
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The 150 mm stage is the right choice when the application demands more travel range, higher payload capacity and faster speed than the 100 mm variant provides. If your task involves optical or RF components exceeding 12 kg, scanning ranges beyond 100 mm, or test cycle times that benefit from the 25 mm/sec maximum speed, the 150 mm stage covers these requirements while maintaining the same 5 μm accuracy and 0.5 μm resolution.
It means the drive system is engineered to handle 1.5 times the maximum calculated operating torque before reaching its design limit. This margin accounts for the combined worst-case conditions of maximum payload, maximum speed and maximum friction occurring simultaneously, ensuring the stage operates reliably within its working range rather than at the edge of its performance envelope.
Applications include large aperture electro-optical system assembly, RF antenna feed positioning for large radar systems, long-range interferometric test setups, and automated calibration rigs where heavier reference instruments must be scanned across extended measurement ranges at repeatable precision in DRDO, ISRO and HAL integration facilities.
It does not. Accuracy and repeatability are settled-position specifications, measured after the carriage has completed motion and stabilised at the commanded position. The 25 mm/sec speed applies during traversal between positions. The stage moves quickly between points and settles to 5 μm accuracy at each one, which is the operating profile automated integration and scanning sequences require.
The lead screw is ground to tight pitch tolerances to minimise cumulative pitch error across the extended stroke, which is the primary mechanism through which screw-driven stages lose accuracy at longer travel ranges. Combined with roller guide ways maintaining carriage alignment and encoder feedback monitoring actual displacement, the stage holds its 5 μm accuracy specification across the full 150 mm range.
Yes. The combination of 150 mm travel, 20 kg load capacity and 0.5 μm resolution makes this stage suited for large format EO system alignment where assemblies are heavier, positioning ranges are wider and positional accuracy requirements are stringent. Encoder feedback confirms alignment accuracy across the full traversal range.
