Invention:
This invention is for a robotic system that is designed to polish multiple regions of a large optical surface simultaneously. It includes a novel internal propulsion mechanism that uses coils to drive a magnetic weight along a circular track. This method can accelerate the mirror fabrication time, eliminating the need for off-line testing, reducing downtime and improving overall efficiency.
Background:
Conventional polishing of meter-class optics can take several years to complete and often is a bottleneck in preparing mirrors for large telescopes. This novel method uses a coil propulsion system in order to polish mirrors for telescopes with integrated monitoring and process control. This approach enables in situ, real-time monitoring and evaluation of surface quality, thereby eliminating the need for off-line testing. As a result, it reduces process downtime and enhances overall operational efficiency.
Applications:
- Optical surface polishing
- Robotic-based polishing
- Telescope materials polishing
Advantages:
- Reduces downtime
- Improves efficiency
- Polishing of large surface areas
- Avoids off-line testing
- Accelerates mirror fabrication time
