Methods and systems for determination of warpage in a workpiece supported by a non-contact support platform, including a surface with a plurality of pressure ports and a plurality of fluid evacuation ports on the surface, a supply system with a pressure supply connected to the plurality of pressure ports on the surface and configured to supply pressure at a substantially constant level and cause a fluid to flow out of the plurality of pressure ports, so as to support a workpiece by fluid-bearing formed under the workpiece, and at least one flowmeter, coupled to a controller and configured to measure the flowrate at the surface, wherein the workpiece is determined to be warped when the measured flowrate is outside a predefined flowrate range.

A support structure includes: a support frame as a shaft support member for supporting two shafts; a bush provided on each of the two shafts in a slidable manner; a cover support member connected to the multiple bushes and configured to support the cover; a first connection member for connecting one end of each of the two shafts to the support frame in a manner that the relative position between the shaft and the support frame will not change; and a second connection member for connecting the other end of each of the two shafts to the support frame in a manner that the relative position between the shaft and the support frame can change.

An active aerostatic bearing comprises a first plate and a force actuator. The first plate has a central recess area including an orifice forming an inlet restrictor for pressurized air from a central nozzle. The pressurized air forms an air gap between a guiding surface and the first plate. The force actuator is configured to act to deform the first plate so as to change a shape of the air gap, wherein the actuator is configured to cause a conical deformation of the first plate.

An alignment system for a workpiece printing machine comprises a stencil support and a workpiece support, and a planarity control mechanism having at least two actuators arranged to effect relative rotation of the stencil support and workpiece support about both the horizontal axes.

A linear motion mechanism includes: a shaft; a base member having a through hole through which the shaft can be inserted; a static pressure bearing provided between the shaft disposed in the through hole and the base member to slidably support the shaft relative to the base member by introducing a pressurized fluid to the shaft; and an annular member provided between the static pressure bearing and the base member to elastically support the static pressure bearing.

A rheometer has rotary rheometer and a linear DM(T)A analysis unit. A measuring shaft of the rotary rheometer carries a measuring part that faces a measuring part carried on an adjusting rod of the linear analysis unit. The sample under test is placed in a measuring gap between the measuring parts. The DM(T)A analysis unit has a linear motor, in particular magnetically operated, with a stator and a slider, and a magnetically-operated gravitational compensation unit, by way of which it is possible to compensate for the weight force of the adjusting rod, the measuring part on the adjusting rod, the slider, and any optional the components fastened to the slider.

The invention provides a machine tool capable of expanding the slidable range of the moving unit without making the oil feeding system complicated. A machine tool in which a moving unit slides against a supporting unit with a sliding surface of the supporting unit facing a sliding surface of the moving unit, comprises a first oil groove formed on an unexposed portion of the sliding surface of the supporting unit; a second oil groove formed on an unexposed portion of the sliding surface of the moving unit; and an oil inlet formed on one of the first oil groove and the second oil groove. Lubricant fed through the oil inlet is supplied to the other of the first oil groove and the second oil groove.

In a moving body guiding device which supplies lubricating oil between a guiding surface of a supporting body and a sliding surface of the moving body and guides a moving body, a lubricating oil pocket having a periphery enclosed by a land portion is provided on the sliding surface of the moving body, a closed loop oil groove is formed along the inside of the land portion, a front portion and a rear portion inside the lubricating oil pocket communicate with one another by means of a lubricating oil pocket return passage at least partially opening in the oil groove, and lubricating oil that has accumulated in the rear portion, in a movement direction, concomitant with movement of the moving body, flows to the front portion in the movement direction.

An object stage bearing system can include an object stage, a hollow shaft coupled to the object stage, and an in-vacuum gas bearing assembly coupled to the hollow shaft and the object stage. The in-vacuum gas bearing assembly can include a gas bearing, a scavenging groove, and a vacuum groove. The gas bearing is disposed along an inner wall of the in-vacuum gas bearing assembly and along an external wall of the hollow shaft. The scavenging groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the scavenging groove is isolated from the gas bearing. The vacuum groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the vacuum groove is isolated from the scavenging groove and the gas bearing.

Provided is a rotor system including: a rotating shaft structure including a shaft and a thrust disc formed in a radial direction of the shaft; at least one journal air bearing including a journal bearing support which is made of a rigid body to support a load applied to the shaft by air, a journal spring which encloses an outer surrounding surface of the journal bearing support to provide a elastic support force to the journal bearing support, and a journal damper which encloses the outer surrounding surface of the journal bearing support to dissipate energy from vibration applied to the journal bearing support; and at least one thrust air bearing including a thrust bearing support which is made of a rigid body to support a load applied to the thrust disc by air, a thrust spring which is positioned on one surface of the thrust bearing support to provide a elastic support force to the thrust bearing support, and a thrust damper which is positioned on one surface of the thrust bearing support to dissipate energy from vibration applied to the thrust bearing support.