“If this company was run by accountants, they would’ve said our old design was fine, but since it’s run by engineers, we decided to improve it, and that’s why we were able to launch our latest machine earlier this year.”

Fraser Shaw designed his first laser-cutting machine almost 15 years ago, using what was regarded at the time as state-of-the-art components. Leadscrews and servo controls gave his first incarnation a resolution of 12µm. By 1997, Fraser had formed Tannlin Ltd with his business partner, and a second-generation machine soon followed.

At the start of 2004, the company launched its third laser cutter, which eclipsed its forerunners in terms of accuracy, speed and repeatability. Incredibly, this latest machine – the T3 - is 120 times more accurate than Fraser’s inaugural system. A critical factor in this extraordinary improvement was the introduction of THK’s RDM system, which combines linear-guide technology and high-performance servomotors.

As well as improving motion control, the ready-to-fit module also knocked six months off the T3’s development time, as Fraser reveals. “The ability of THK to deliver a stable, completely off-the-shelf platform took a lot of work off our hands,” he says. “It reduced the development stage by half and helped us get the resolution down to 0.1µm - and that’s with an acceleration of 4g and speeds of around 4m per second. It’s phenomenal.”

Fraser explains Tannlin uses THK’s all-in-one system to position steering and focusing optics that redirect the T3’s laser beam onto high-precision stencils. The laser-cut stencils are subsequently used by the electronics industry to apply solder paste to create joints between electronic components and circuit boards.

The pre-assembled RDM system relies on THK’s low-profile, extra-wide linear guide technology and a unique linear servomotor to provide extraordinary levels of acceleration and pinpoint accuracy. Similarly important is THK’s acclaimed Caged Ball technology, which ensures the linear guide’s balls are equally spaced and retain the system’s lubricating grease between them. With each row of balls angled at 450 to the guide rail, the linear guide provides a number of advantages over conventional motion guides, including equal capacity in all four directions, greater precision and virtually zero variations in rolling resistance.

The convenience and performance offered by THK’s all-in-one system significantly reduces specification and installation times, which can have a dramatic effect on development, as Fraser explains. “If a similar off-the-shelf product had been available earlier, we’d have made more progress, sooner.”

Fraser also reveals that the T3 relies on THK’s SHS guides, which also feature a caged-ball configuration. “The SHS guides can take a lot of side load,” he says, “which is perfect for supporting the T3’s design and minimising deflection and unwanted movement. Our aim was to realise stability without mass, and the SHS guides were an important part of this.”

The T3 laser cutter is rounded off by two miniature RSR guides, which operate pneumatically to apply and retract the system’s optical units – essentially acting as an on/off switch. Fraser says THK’s input and involvement has been invaluable.

“THK’s advice and support on bearing selection is brilliant – they’re completely unequivocal. We brought them in to get guidance on rails, and they were able to provide us with an off-the-shelf module that solved a lot of problems. We owe a lot to THK.”