Design, analysis and test of a hyperbolic magnetic field voice coil actuator for magnetic levitation fine positioning stage

Abstract

The multi-degree-of-freedom high-precision positioning system (MHPS) is one of the key technologies in many advanced industrial applications. In this paper, a novel hyperbolic magnetic field voice coil actuator using a rhombus magnet array (HMF-VCA) for MHPS is proposed. Benefiting from the especially designed rhombus magnet array, the proposed HMF-VCA has the advantage of excellent force uniformity, which makes it suitable for multi-degree-of-freedom high-precision positioning applications. First, the basic structure and operation principles of the HMF-VCA are presented. Second, the six-degree-of-freedom force and torque characteristic of the HMF-VCA is studied by three-dimensional finite element analysis (3-D FEA). Third, the influence of structural parameters on force density and force uniformity is investigated, which is conducive to the design and optimization of the HMF-VCA. Finally, a prototype is constructed, and the comparison between the HMF-VCA and conventional VCAs proves the advantage of the proposed topology.