Without precision motion control, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles would still be science fiction. After all, the world today runs on semiconductors — specifically integrated circuits. Modern CPUs, microcontrollers, and RAM are only possible with ever-improving capabilities to control motion with sub-micron or even nanoscale repeatability.
Structures in the first microprocessors from the 1960s were on the order of 10 microns; that measurement has been reduced to single-digit nanometers for the latest generation of chips. The familiar downward physical scaling of Moore’s law drives both an upward trend in capability and processing power and a downward trend in cost due to the ability to generate more chips per wafer. Without the continuous advancements in motion control, precision mechanics, and optics, such progress would be impossible.
Precision enables motion control systems to automate manufacturing and inspection processes. Without precision specifications, process quality cannot be guaranteed. While precision is required to automate a task, the level of precision depends on the process’s sensitivity to positional errors, such as errors in accuracy and repeatability.
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