LIMON can discuss a configurable XY, XYZ or gantry motion assembly with an OEM, but “three axes, fast and precise” is not yet a specification. To find the best company for a configurable multi-axis linear motion system in robotics, factory automation or material handling, describe where the tool must move, what actually moves with it, how quickly it must complete a cycle, and what result you will measure. Then define the environment, interfaces and delivery scope. Give every shortlisted supplier the same brief and ask each one to name the proposed axes, limits and exceptions.

This guide is the working sheet behind our OEM company shortlist by project fit. Use that article to choose whom to contact. Use this OEM multi-axis system specification to find out whether each proposed system fits the *same machine*.

The OEM XY/XYZ/Gantry Project Input Sheet

Work through the rows in order. The first four define the motion the machine must deliver. The next four determine whether a proposed set of axes can be mounted, controlled and accepted in your equipment. An OEM multi-axis system specification can begin with ranges; if a value is not known yet, write “to be confirmed” rather than hiding the assumption.

The order matters. Choosing a drive before you know the moving mass or the work-point tolerance can make a catalog number look attractive for the wrong reason. If you already have a preferred drive, keep it in the sheet—but mark whether it is a hard requirement or a preference. That one distinction often saves a round of redesign.

First, Draw the Work: XY, XYZ and Gantry Are Different Briefs

A flat XY table positions a part or camera within a plane. An XYZ handler adds a vertical move, so its X and Y axes may carry the Z axis, tool and cables. A bridge gantry also has a span and support structure to check. All can be called “multi-axis,” yet they do not ask the same thing of the base, guides or controls.

For an XY gantry specification, mark the actual points the tool must reach—not only the nominal axis strokes. Show fixtures, guards, doors, cable space and the position from which a technician will service the machine. On an XYZ layout, add the safe raised and lowered Z positions. A gantry working envelope should include the gripper or inspection head, not end at the carriage face.

One extra drawing detail is easy to miss: show where the bridge is supported. LIMON’s engineering catalog treats a profile supported at both ends differently from a cantilever supported at one end. In its worked deflection checks, the one-end-supported example fails its stated limit while two end-supported examples pass. The three examples use different inputs, so they are not a controlled comparison of support alone. They are design calculations, not customer performance results; the conclusion for your machine still depends on its span, load, profile and mounting. Put the support points in the OEM multi-axis system specification and ask for a deflection check with the proposed drawing.

Our multi-axis system overview identifies load, speed, precision, environment and mounting direction as selection inputs. This sheet turns those headings into dimensions and decisions that can be checked on an actual machine drawing.

Then Describe What Moves, How Often and How Precisely

Count the mass carried by each axis

The carton or workpiece is only the start. Add the gripper, adapter, sensors and cables. On an XYZ machine, Y may carry the Z axis; X may carry Y, Z and the tool. Those loads change as the tool extends or the bridge moves. Write down the center of gravity and any distance between the tool and carriage: an offset load can twist the guides even when its weight seems modest.

Also state whether an axis is horizontal, vertical, wall-mounted or inverted. A horizontal payload entry is not a vertical-lift rating. For Z, ask what holds the load if power disappears and who designs the protective measures for access to the cell. The moving mass and acceleration together are what make the load calculation useful; a static part weight on its own does not describe a fast pick cycle.

Give the whole cycle, not a single top speed

Write one cycle in plain steps: move empty to the pickup point; lower; grip; raise; transfer loaded; lower; release; return. Add distances, desired time for each move, pauses and cycles per hour. If the machine runs two shifts, say so. A supplier can then check the fast burst of force and the heat produced by repeating it all day.

The fastest axis on a product page may not produce the fastest usable cycle once the tool has to settle or the vertical move has to be coordinated. If you are still deciding between drive types, our belt, ball-screw, rack-and-pinion and linear-motor guide helps screen those options. This page stays focused on what the machine must do and what the quote must prove.

Define precision at the place that matters

Positioning accuracy vs repeatability is not wordplay. A system may return consistently to one point while that point is offset from the commanded coordinate. For inspection, define whether the measurement is made at the motor, the moving carriage, the camera or the part. Add the travel span, load, temperature and time allowed to settle before measurement. NIST’s precision-motion metrology work discusses why accuracy and repeatability require an explicit measurement method and uncertainty assessment.

For a fast transfer between broad pickup zones, a repeat-position target may be enough. For a camera scanning a calibrated field, full-travel error, X–Y squareness and settling may matter more. Do not copy an axis-level precision number into a system-level promise. Put the pass/fail measure in the OEM multi-axis system specification and ask for the test conditions in the quotation.

What LIMON Can Configure—and What Still Needs a Project Check

Our linear-axis range includes belt, ball-screw, rack-and-pinion and linear-motor drive families. LIMON can help select motion components, motors and drives for an application and discuss a project-configured multi-axis solution. The published and supplied material establishes several illustrated combinations; it does not establish that every family can be mixed with every other family in any orientation.

These combination drawings are design references, not independent orderable product codes. A rack-driven X with a belt Y, for example, would need a project review; the source material does not give a ready-made compatibility table for every mixed-drive XYZ combination. The same caution applies to portfolio-wide maxima: a top stroke, speed and payload from different families cannot be combined into one promised machine.

There is an important mechanical detail behind this boundary. LIMON’s system material identifies brackets, clamping fixtures and adapter plates for multi-axis assemblies, including non-standard pieces where needed. It also warns that load capacity can fall as an unsupported arm grows longer. The linear axis mounting interface includes the support face, fixing points and joint parts, not just the axis width. The question is therefore not simply “Can these axes bolt together?” It is “Can the specified bridge, supports, joints and guides carry this tool through this cycle?” That answer belongs in the project drawing and sizing review.

If this project replaces an installed Bosch module, bring its mounting drawing and cable-exit position into the sheet as well. Our Bosch Rexroth linear module alternatives guide covers the component-level retrofit checks in detail.

The 12 Inputs to Send With a LIMON RFQ

The project sheet above tells engineering what problem to solve. The following 12 items turn that OEM multi-axis system specification into a quoteable request. You can send a draft even when a model is unknown; write the application and mark the unknown fields so we can help select the family. For an XYZ gantry RFQ, give values per axis wherever they differ.

Also attach the control/network requirement, encoder or external-scale preference, environment, power-off holding need, motor/drive/cable scope and requested CAD format. These are especially valuable for engineering review even though they sit outside the 12 core quotation fields. If the controls team has a required field network, say so early; do not assume every drive variant supports every protocol. Your OEM multi-axis system specification should let mechanical, controls and purchasing teams see the same assumptions.

Agree on the Delivery Boundary Before Comparing Quotes

Two proposals can name similar axes and still leave very different work for the OEM. Put the delivery boundary in the OEM multi-axis system specification before comparing them. LIMON’s standard linear module, linear motor and drive orders are motion components plus applicable technical documents. We can support model selection and provide drawings or installation and wiring guidance for the specified product. That does not automatically include the machine frame, on-site mounting and alignment, PLC program, safety devices, cycle tuning or full-machine commissioning.

For a custom multi-axis or precision platform, the arrangement may be broader: a platform assembly with drives and documents, joint commissioning, or a more complete project package can be discussed. The chosen mode, included hardware, destination support, testing, cost and responsibility split must be written into the project quotation. Our multi-axis solution page describes selection, configuration and installation guidance; the signed project scope determines the deliverables.

This is the multi-axis platform delivery scope that belongs beside performance and price. It is also the fairest way to compare the companies in our project-fit shortlist: ask each supplier to mark what it includes, what it assumes, and what the OEM must do after delivery.

How to Compare the Replies

Put every reply next to the same input sheet. Start with the drawing: does the tool reach each work point and leave enough space for cables and service? Then compare the stated load and cycle at the selected orientation, the precision test at the work point, and the quoted interfaces. Finally, compare delivery boundaries. A proposal that includes drives and an acceptance test is a different purchase from one that supplies axes and manuals.

If a supplier proposes a different layout or drive, ask what project requirement prompted the change. It may be a useful improvement. Record the trade-off—more space, lower moving mass, different maintenance access or a different control interface—so the decision can be checked later. A good OEM multi-axis system specification makes alternatives easier to discuss without pretending they are identical.

FAQs

Do I need to choose the drive before requesting an XY or XYZ proposal?

No. State the work envelope, load, cycle and precision target first. If your machine already requires a particular drive, explain why. LIMON can then screen its four axis-drive families against the same duty; the exact combination still needs a drawing and sizing review.

Can I order a catalog multi-axis combination by its illustration name?

Treat the combination drawings as architecture examples. Send the individual axis requirements and application drawing. The quotation should identify the actual axes, accessories, motor/drive scope and any project-specific parts.

What if I do not yet know the final payload or cycle time?

Send the best range you have and label it as an assumption. Tell us which value is likely to change. We can discuss candidates, but the final configuration and acceptance conditions should wait for the confirmed duty. This is a better start than writing “high speed” or “heavy load” without a number.

What should I ask about a gantry PLC interface?

Name the controller and required communication method, then ask for the specific drive, command interface, feedback signals, wiring diagram and responsibility for programming and tuning. A gantry PLC interface should be confirmed for the quoted drive package; it is not implied by the word “gantry.”

Conclusion

The right supplier for a configurable multi-axis linear motion system is the one that can turn your machine’s work into a named arrangement, a checkable drawing and a clear delivery boundary. Start with workspace, carried mass, cycle and precision at the tool. Then settle the environment, drive and feedback, mounting and controls. Use the 12-item RFQ checklist to make the request quoteable, and compare every reply against the same OEM multi-axis system specification.

Send LIMON your project drawing and motion brief. We can review the motion hardware, propose a configuration for discussion and define what the project quotation would include.