In this section, three basic steps are defined to tackle thermal effects in precision systems. These steps are the selection of the proper construction material in combination with the right choice of geometry, the application of passive and active thermal conditioning techniques and the application of software compensation. A brief outline of these three steps is given. It is impossible to cover these three steps with sufficient depth in this section. Important subjects such as modelling and measuring are not even discussed. Thermal effects in precision systems are becoming more important. This subject is still under development and much knowledge is not available in textbooks. Therefore, it would be appreciated by many if engineers would share their knowledge on this subject.
