User Manual
A311D0002 Rev 2.0
11-Nov-2021
Page 15 of 26
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
16 Albert Street, Auburn, MA 01501
Tel: 508-832-3456 Fax: 508-832-0506
Email: air@pi-usa.us
6.4. Air & Vacuum Supply
Air Requirements
The A-311 stage requires clean, oil-free, and dry compressed air to operate properly. See Section 10.1 Basic
Specifications for detailed air supply requirements.
It is recommended that a pressure switch is installed to monitor air supply pressure and to remove power from
the stage motor if supply pressure drops below 40 psig to prevent damage to the air bearing surfaces.
The air inlet fitting to the A-311 stage accepts flexible polyurethane pneumatic tubing, 6mm OD. Note that the air
fitting combines the three separate bearing lines on the stage into a single input to be used by the customer.
Vacuum Requirements
The A-311 stage requires vacuum to preload the air bearing. See Section 10.1 Basic Specifications for detailed
vacuum supply requirements.
Turning off the air supply when not in use
When the stage is not in use, the air supply may be turned off to preserve compressed air and energy.
The stage table should never be moved without the air supply turned on. Moving the
stage table with no air supply, causing sliding metal-to-metal contact, may damage the
bearing surfaces.
6.5. Affixing the Payload to the Stage
The payload should be flat, rigid, and comparable to the stage in quality. For valid system performance, the
mounting interface surface should be flat within 1 µm per 50 mm.
The stage tabletop features 32x M5x0.8
tapped holes for mounting the user’s payload. These are the only
features that should be used to attach a payload to the stage.
Figure 5 - Payload Mounting Holes
Prepare the payload mounting surface and the stage table with precision flat stones to remove any burrs or high
spots. Clean the payload mounting surface and the stage table with the appropriate cleaners (isopropyl alcohol).
