ABSTRACT
Precision positioning systems have historically been a key part of successful industrial societies. The need to make something requires the ability to move something with a very high level of accuracy. This has not changed in the Information Age, but instead has become even more important as global competition forces manufacturers to hold ever tighter specifications, with increased throughput and reduced costs. Automation is the equalizer that allows manufacturers in countries with high labor rates to compete globally with developing countries. The definition of a precision machine continues to evolve as technology advances. The components used to build machines become more precise, and so the machines themselves improve. As loosely defined here, precision machines are those that repeatably and reliably position to within a tolerance zone smaller than is possible in commonly available machines. Designing machines to best use the available components and manufacturing techniques requires specialized skills beyond those of general machine designers. It is interesting to note that many of the fundamental rules for designing precision machines have not changed for hundreds of years. Evans [9] tracks the evolution of precision machines and provides a historical context to the present state-of-the-art.
