Industrial Sawyer motor technology has existed for nearly three decades, traditionally being operated as open-loop positioners. Such systems can attain micron level motion resolution and open-loop repeatability of 10 m. This paper outlines a optical sensing technique for Sawyer motors which is capable of sub-micron resolution. Such a sensor can easily be integrated into a motor enabling closed-loop control and sub-micron repeatability.
Gregory A. Fries, Alfred A. Rizzi, Ralph L. Hollis