Compared to mechanical, roller or ball bearing based linear stages and rotary stages, air bearings are friction free and wear free and generate no particles during operation, making them clean-room compatible and ideal for dynamic, 24/7 duty cycle automation applications. In an air bearing stage, the moving platform glides on a thin film of air. This principle also is responsible for the surface averaging effect that significantly improves geometric performance such as straightness and flatness in linear motion applications while reducing runout and wobble in rotary tables.