Compact motorized vertical stage?

[Steve S]

Perhaps I'm missing the obvious, but I'm having trouble coming up with a small z-movement motorized stage that would fit under the objective of something like a SMO stereo microscope or an inspection microscope. A range of movement of 3-4mm would be ample, and the subject and its container would never weigh more than, say, 100g. A minimum step size of 1µm would probably do.

It's not hard to find something with manual micrometer movement that's compact enough; the motorization is the problem.

I would be happy to pay more than I should be happy to pay, but the Thorlabs LPS710 is almost US$5000 and provides only one millimeter of movement. No way!

[Peter M. Macdonald]

Not a Z stage, but what about attaching a WeMacro Micro Mate to the focus mechanism of the stereo?

[Scarodactyl]

I imagine it would not be too difficult to attach a motor to one of the hand-driven ones, either directly or with a belt. Haven't tried it yet myself though

[JohnDownie]

What about this guy?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SURUGA-SEIKI-Z ... 453b211c1d

[Lou Jost]

As Peter mentioned above, the WeMacro MicroMate is inexpensive and easy. I love them so much I have two.

[Steve S]

Thanks, all on your various continents, I had actually looked at the Wemacro site and missed MicroMate; my first thought, quickly abandoned, was to turn the fine-focus knob. I can only plead advanced age. . .