Ultra-precision: enabling our future

Abstract

This paper provides a perspective on the development of ultra-precision technologies: What drove their evolution and what do they now promise for the future as we face the consequences of consumption of the Earth’s finite resources? Improved application of measurement is introduced as a major enabler of mass production, and its resultant impact on wealth generation is considered. This paper identifies the ambitions of the defence, automotive and microelectronics sectors as important drivers of improved manufacturing accuracy capability and ever smaller feature creation. It then describes how science fields such as astronomy have presented significant precision engineering challenges, illustrating how these fields of science have achieved unprecedented levels of accuracy, sensitivity and sheer scale. Notwithstanding their importance to science understanding, many science-driven ultra-precision technologies became key enablers for wealth generation and other well-being issues. Specific ultra-precision machine tools important to major astronomy programmes are discussed, as well as the way in which subsequently evolved machine tools made at the beginning of the twenty-first century, now provide much wider benefits.

Accessing individual 75-micron diameter nozzles of a desktop inkjet printer to dispense picoliter droplets on demand

“…The area and perimeter were measured for the small, medium and large droplets. The circularity was then obtained using eqn (1). The resulting values are shown in Table 1.…”

“…The method results in a dimensionless value for the circularity between zero and one, where a value of one is obtained when the shape is perfectly circular, using eqn (1). To obtain the area and perimeter of the evaluated droplets, a method was developed, the working principle of which is explained in the ESI (Fig.…”

Calibration of an interferometric on-machine probing system on an ultra-precision turning machine

“…Ultra-precision manufacturing has been developed over decades to produce surfaces with optical, electronic or mechanical functions for highly demanding applications [1]. Surface measurement is fundamental in providing valuable information to control the surface generation process and improving machining accuracy [2].…”

Variable-spot ion beam figuring

“…IBF is a powerful technique for enabling ultra-precision finishing of optical surfaces [1,2]. As a deterministic method, it has proven effective and applicable in processing both large optics [3,4] and small optical components [5].…”