Setting Up The Pneumatic Counterbalance; Figure 2-5: Counterbalance Pressure Vs. External Payload - Aerotech ANT130LZS Series Hardware Manual

Mechanical Specifications and Installation

2.3.1. Setting up the Pneumatic Counterbalance

W A R N I N G : Failure to adjust the counterbalance per the following instructions could result in
bodily injury as well as stage and payload damage.
W A R N I N G : Sudden loss of pressure to the pneumatic counterbalance will cause the
carriage to drop rapidly. This could result in bodily injury as well as stage and payload damage.
By default, the ANT130LZS pneumatic counterbalances are factory set to operate in the as-shipped
condition. For stages that are shipped unloaded, the counterbalance is set for the mass of the carriage only.
For stages that ship with payloads or other axes attached, the counterbalance is set for the mass of the
carriage plus the additional mass. Any adjustment to the mass that is carried by the counterbalance
cylinders, either adding or subtracting payload, necessitates an adjustment to the counterbalance pressure
supplied to the pneumatic cylinders.
Standard ANT130LZS stages have two counterbalance cylinders with a combined piston area of =3.96x10
2
m , and the moving mass of a standard ANT130LZS carriage assembly is 1.4 kg (3.1 lb). An estimate of the
counterbalance pressure required to support additional load is given by the following:
where
Pc = Required counterbalance pressure in MPa (maximum 0.6 MPa allowed)
mp = mass of external payload in kg.
This relationship is shown graphically in
Figure 2-5:
20
Pc = ((mp + 1.4) * 9.81) / (3.96x10
Figure 2-5.
Counterbalance Pressure vs. External Payload
Chapter 2
ANT130LZS Hardware Manual
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) / 1x10 {MPa}
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