A pneumatic air table realized by micro-EDM

This paper presents a one-dimensional (1-D) pneumatic actuator fabricated b y combining several micromachining technologies such as microelectrodischar ge machining (micro-EDM) as well as isotropic and anisotropic wet etching. Unlike the existing pneumatic actuators, which usually convey the object by means of friction, this device employs the dynamic pressure of inclined dr iving jets in order to enhance the horizontal transportation performance. T ypical slider speeds of up to 5 cm/s can be obtained, Comparisons between d ifferent types of sliders are presented, By an appropriate patterning of th e slider bottom surface, the speed could be increased by 50%-60%. Similarly , a maximum tangential force of 20 mu N (equivalent shear stress: 2.2 mu N/ mm(2)) was obtained using this dynamic pressure concept. The latter is abou t two times larger than that of a slider with a smooth surface. [346].