In synchrotron beamlines, samples are measured on a positioning stage . Current systems typically use stacked stages based on a piezo motor or stepper motor. Due to increased throughput and performance demands, MI-Partners has developed an electromagnetically actuated sample stage. The stage enables motions in six degrees of freedom (DOF), with an endless rotation around the vertical (Z-axis) and a stroke of 3 mm along the X, Y and Z axis. The stage is based on a new type of magnetic levitation. For tomography in a synchrotron beamline, two typical sample scanning strategies exist: -Continuous rotation scan. The system should make rotations around the centre axis (Z-axis) but also off-centre. The latter is needed to perform a scan around an arbitrary point, typically not on the centreline of the stage. -2D planar scan at a fixed rotation position (RZ) of the sample. Hereto, the stage should hold the RZ-position fixed while perform a fast 2D planar scan perpendicular to the X-ray beam. A prototype has been designed and built that can perform these two scanning strategies, while controlled in 6 DOF. Since it is magnetically levitated, no contact exists between the rotating and the fixed world, which enables nm-level position performance with high scanning accelerations and speeds while be able to operate in high-vacuum. The system has a stroke in the X and Y (in-plane) directions of 3 mm. Also, in the vertical (Z) direction the stoke is 3 mm. Motions along the RX and RY axes are not necessary in these tomography scanning strategies, as such the systems only allows for small alignment motions along these axes. In RZ direction, the movement is infinite. The mechatronic architecture enables nm-level positioning performance. Currently the repeatability will be mainly limited by errors in the interferometric metrology system (typical +/-10 nm non-cyclic errors (3σ)). For a positioning system performing at nm level, all details in the design are relevant. During the design phases it is essential that predictive modelling is performed. A dynamic model with integrated controller structure has been set up to a-priori predict the performance of the closed loop system. Finite element modelling of the actuator is essential to predict parasitic forces and torques. Also, the thermal behaviour must be simulated to perform at nm accuracy. The presentation will present the applied modelling approaches and the results and will also show the resulting demonstrator.