Design and implementation of a non-contact X-Y table with high temperature superconductors

The use of high temperature superconductors (HTS) in the levitation system has received considerable attentions since it was discovered in 1987. One of the unique characters of HTS is its flux trapping capability, which enables a stable levitation/suspension over a permanent magnet. In this paper, a non-contact X-Y table that uses HTS bulks and its flux trapping property is proposed. This X-Y table is composed of a mover with three superconductors and a stator with electromagnets and permanent magnets. Due to the special properties of the superconductor bulks, such as the Meissner effect and the flux pinning effect, there is no mechanical contact or wear between the mover and the stator during the positioning process. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of proposed non-contact X-Y table.