Do You Really Need Nanometer Precision? Challenging Industry Assumptions

In the race for precision, it’s easy to get swept up in the allure of nanometers. Many manufacturers assume that achieving the smallest possible tolerances automatically leads to better performance, higher yields, and greater success.

But the reality is nanometer precision is not always the right answer.

At ALIO Industries, we’ve spent decades delivering motion systems that operate at both nanometer and micron levels. And we’ve learned that true success comes not from pursuing “the smallest number” but from asking the right questions:

• What are the actual requirements of your application?
• Will nanometer precision add value, or introduce unnecessary complexity and cost?
• How can we optimize for both performance and scalability?

This is what we call Customer Driven Precision, precision tailored to your needs, not an arbitrary standard.

Nanometers vs. Microns

The leap from microns to nanometers isn’t just a smaller step in scale, it’s a fundamental shift in engineering.

Achieving nanometer-level precision requires:

• Ultra-rigid mechanical designs to minimize even the smallest deflection.
• Advanced bearing systems, such as air bearings, to reduce friction and hysteresis, or hand-tailored mechanical bearings, assembled to exacting levels of precision.
• Environmental control to reduce thermal drift and vibration.
• Sophisticated controls capable of sub-nanometer trajectory corrections.

For many applications (like semiconductor metrology or photonics alignment) these capabilities are essential. But for others, such as high-throughput industrial automation, micron-level repeatability delivers all the accuracy needed without the added cost and complexity.

The question isn’t “Can you achieve nanometers?” but “Do you need to?”

Your Path to Precision – From Microns to Nanometers

At ALIO, we don’t just deliver motion systems, we guide customers along Your Path to Precision. Whether you need nanometer-level point precision or robust, scalable micron-level solutions, we help define the right balance for your application.

Our motion systems have performance flexibility:

• Available True Nano® performance measured in nanometers.
• Stages / systems are available in “standard”, “ultra”, and “nano” levels of precision as customer needs evolve.

With ALIO’s vertically integrated approach (from design and machining to assembly and metrology) every system is crafted under one roof to meet the exact requirements of your process.

Precision On Your Terms

Precision for the sake of precision is not our goal. At ALIO, we engineer solutions that deliver:

• Performance where it counts.
• Simplicity where it’s needed.
• Scalability for future growth.

In a world focused on the idea of “smaller is better,” we invite you to take a step back and ask: What does your path to precision look like?

We’re here to help you answer that question and deliver a motion solution that’s perfectly suited to your needs.