PI, a leader in precision motion control and nanopositioning, has introduced the H-855 high-load hexapod family for applications that need precise multi-axis positioning of heavy components. Supporting payloads up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs), these six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) systems give engineers more flexibility in designing automated equipment and precision alignment processes.
Conventional multi-axis positioning systems often rely on several stacked stages to achieve both linear and rotational motion. The H-855 instead uses parallel kinematics, with six actuators working together between a fixed base and a moving platform. This allows coordinated motion in X, Y, Z, pitch, roll, and yaw within a compact mechanical arrangement suited to demanding applications.
The family includes four configurations so engineers can prioritize different performance needs. Depending on the model, travel is up to 320 mm in Z and Y and up to 150 mm in Z, rotational travel reaches up to ±27° in θX and θY and up to ±60° in θZ, maximum velocity is up to 10 mm/s, and minimum incremental motion ranges from 0.15 to 4.5 µm.
The H-855 combines brushless DC gear motors with absolute rotary encoders, so position information is available immediately after power-up without a conventional referencing move. This can simplify integration into automated equipment, especially where homing movements are inconvenient or restricted by the surrounding mechanics. It is compatible with PI's C-887 series hexapod controllers and accepts positioning commands in Cartesian coordinates. Software-based coordinate transformations simplify multi-axis motion control, and a programmable pivot point lets engineers define the center of rotation to fit the application.
The family is suited to demanding positioning and alignment tasks in industrial automation, semiconductor manufacturing, optics, aerospace, and simulation systems. Its modular mechanical architecture allows actuator arrangements, gear ratios, travel ranges, and other design parameters to be adapted to specific requirements, and custom configurations can be developed when standard models do not meet the needed mechanical or motion specifications. By offering multiple configurations within one product family, PI helps engineers choose a positioning platform that balances payload, precision, speed, travel, and installation constraints without giving up the benefits of six-axis motion.
The source lists travel as “≤ 320 mm Z, Y; ≤ 150 mm Z”, which repeats Z, so one of those is probably meant to be X. I kept it as written, so you may want to check it against the original.
