Concurrent engineering of a next-generation freeform telescope: mechanical design and manufacture

Horvath, Nick; Davies, Matthew A.

doi:10.1117/12.2518954

Cited by 5 publications

References 7 publications

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The concurrent design strategy for astronomical instrumentation: tools and methodology

Eredia,

D'Auria,

Cianniello

et al. 2024

Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy XI

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A concurrent engineering approach to the design of astronomical instrumentation is based on experts of different backgrounds collaborating in the same environment on every aspect of the design, during one or multiple dedicated sessions, depending on the complexity of the project. This strategy is very cost effective, and, if managed properly, can optimize the way different teams interact with each other, compared to the traditional "step-by-step" approach, with each team working separately and thus generating a cascade dependency of all subsystems.As the complexity of a project increases, so does the number of teams who work together, and a progressively larger number of interactions is required to allow all the actors to talk to each other. For projects of the complexity that is often dealt with in space or ground-based astronomy, concurrent engineering has been proven to be extremely efficient in terms of time and effort, especially for feasibility studies and preliminary design, but also during the following phases.In this work, an analysis of the methodologies that are typical of a concurrent design approach is made, with a focus on the tools that can be adopted for an efficient coordination of all the people involved.These tools and methodologies will be applied to the Concurrent Design Facility in construction at the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory in Naples, in the scope of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan project "STILES -Strengthening the Italian leadership in ELT and SKA", with the aim of significantly improving the design process of the present and future classes of astronomical instrumentation.

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The concurrent design strategy for astronomical instrumentation: tools and methodology

Eredia,

D'Auria,

Cianniello

et al. 2024

Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy XI

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Advancing lightweight mirror design: a paradigm shift in mirror preforms by utilizing design for additive manufacturing

Horvath

Davies

2021

Appl. Opt.

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Additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology that can be leveraged by the redesign of components in most engineering fields. Fundamental engineering resources for lightweight mirrors were developed more than 30 years ago with a main design limitation, state of the art manufacturing. Here, we present two design methodologies for the design of lightweight mirrors. The first method utilizes analytical expressions to design a traditional isogrid mirror, which provided the foundation for most lightweight mirrors to date. The second method employs a combination of topology optimization, lattice infill, and analytical estimation to develop an advanced lightweight mirror designed for additive manufacturing. The advanced mirror design outperforms the traditional design for each functional requirement, including a 94% reduction in predicted surface quilting and a higher specific stiffness. The manufacturing of the advanced mirror is only possible with an additive manufacturing process.

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Grinding of silicon carbide for optical surface fabrication, Part 1: surface analysis

Shanmugam¹,

Lambropoulos²,

Davies³

2022

Appl. Opt.

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This paper presents a study of the grinding of three different grades of silicon carbide (SiC) under the same conditions. Surface topography is analyzed using coherent scanning interferometry and scanning electron microscopy. The study provides a baseline understanding of the process mechanics and targets effective selection of process parameters for grinding SiC optics with near optical level surface roughness, thus reducing the need for post-polishing. Samples are raster and spiral ground on conventional precision machines with metal and copper-resin bonded wheels under rough, medium, and finish grinding conditions. Material microstructure and grinding conditions affect attainable surface roughness. Local surface roughness of less than 3 nm RMS was attained in both chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chemical vapor composite (CVC) SiC. The tool footprint is suitable for sub-aperture machining of a large freeform optics possibly without the need for surface finish correction by post-polishing. Subsurface damage will be assessed in Part 2 of this paper series.

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Concurrent engineering of a next-generation freeform telescope: mechanical design and manufacture

Cited by 5 publications

References 7 publications

The concurrent design strategy for astronomical instrumentation: tools and methodology

The concurrent design strategy for astronomical instrumentation: tools and methodology

Advancing lightweight mirror design: a paradigm shift in mirror preforms by utilizing design for additive manufacturing

Grinding of silicon carbide for optical surface fabrication, Part 1: surface analysis

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