Design of Electromagnetic Levitation Linear Bearing for FPD Glass Delivery Applications

In flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing, especially in next-generation organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display manufacturing, a high-weighted glass carrying tray is required to be position servo-controlled precisely in long range of vacuum process line without mechanical contact. So special contactless linear bearing, which is called a electromagnetic levitation linear bearing (ELLB) is suggested in this paper. It can expend its operating distance by adding series of electro-magnets and shifting the electromagnets by section switching algorithms suggested in reference [12]. In order to prove the feasibility of the ELLB, a test setup with specially designed ELLB is made-up and the performance of it is observed. With the proposed ELLBs and proper linear propulsion system, the glass-carrier system in vacuum FPD manufacturing process line is expected to be constructed easily in the near future.