Integrated design, fabrication, and experimental study of a parallel micro-nano positioning-vibration isolation stage

Abstract

• A novel parallel micro-nano positioning-vibration isolation stage (PVI stage) is proposed for sensitive load to realize the precision positioning and vibration isolation simultaneously in space environment. • The requirements of large-stroke positioning and passive vibration isolation could be achieved through combination of giant magnetostrictive actuator (GMA) and compliant amplification mechanism. • Some appurtenances are designed for preventing static deformation and ensuring assembly accuracy. • Theoretical simulation and experimental research are performed to verify the positioning and vibration isolation performances of the proposed stage. Positioning and vibration isolation are two important steps for sensitive payloads to realize precision observation in space environment. However, current base stages applied to sensitive payloads often focus on one function, thus limiting their engineering applications. This paper presents a novel parallel micro-nano positioning-vibration isolation stage (PVI stage), which could realize the two functions simultaneously. The advantages of the presented stage lie in the compactness and convenience, which determine its feasibility in limited volume. Through combination of giant magnetostrictive actuator (GMA) and compliant amplification mechanism, the requirements of large-stroke positioning and passive vibration isolation could be achieved. And three auxiliary unloading devices are designed to bear the sensitive payload for resisting the static deformations of compliant mechanism. The detailed scheme and corresponding dynamic model are constructed for showing the stage. Furthermore, finite element simulation is carried out to verify the desired performance. Finally, a prototype is fabricated and experimental tests are conducted to validate the capabilities of the stage. The test results prove that the proposed positioning-vibration isolation stage owns a compact structure and realizes micro-nano positioning and vibration isolation simultaneously, and thus shows a promising prospect in aerospace field.