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Due to the piezo element's high resolution down to the nanometer range, active shims cover applications in classical mechanical precision engineering as well as the alignment of optical components in astronomy, semiconductor manufacturing and in materials research employing beamline instrumentation
Precision machine tools, laser processing equipment, and optical apparatus are often complex assemblies of different component types. The alignment of these components is critical for the overall precision and function of these systems. If a target dimension between two components changes, readjustment maybe unavoidable. That can be the case when a machine is put into operation after delivery and tolerances are out of spec due to initial setting processes.
Moreover, long-term creep or temperature changes can have the same effect. Optical measuring facilities, astronomical devices, wafer processing machines, chip holders, or positioning systems for heavy-precision industrial applications are frequently affected by these issues. Differences on the order of a few microns, or less, can exceed limitations.
The classical solution to fix such differences is to use shims ground exactly to the required tolerances. The fact that they must be installed - often in hard-to-reach locations - can be a time-consuming and expensive disadvantage. This type of adjustment is not...