Design, development and manufacture of opto-mechanical systems and precision mechanics

Organizational Unit
Description

The mechanical design process of a specific astrophysical instrument begins with the generation of the technical specifications of its mechanical systems. Next, we go through the stages of conceptual design, preliminary and detailed design, with the help of specialized software for 3D design and finite elements analysis and calculation. This allows to complete the set of mechanical characteristics, geometry, materials, treatments, finishes, etc., to be used in the different subsystems, as well as the tolerances assigned to each of them, in order to generate the manufacturing drawings and specifications. Subsequently it is necessary to follow up the manufacture of the components and, after dimensional verification, it is undertaken the assembly, integration and final verification of the different subsystems as well as the global system, both in the laboratory and in the telescope. The mechanical engineering team of the IAC already has numerous examples of scientific instrumentation whose structures, mechanisms and opto-mechanical systems have been designed, manufactured and verified in their facilities.

Related Technical facility
General view of the Mechanical Integration and Verification Laboratory. Medium-sized laboratory with work benches, electronic devices, mechanical tools and cabinets
Mechanical Integration and Verification Laboratory

The Mechanical Integration and Verification Laboratory provides the basic and specific infrastructures needed for the development and integration of the medium-sized mechanical systems developed at the Technology Division.

Alberto
Hernández González
General view of the Dimensional Metrology Laboratory with several measuring machines, one of bridge type on a table and another in the form of an arm on a tripod
Dimensional Metrology Laboratory

In the Dimensional Metrology Laboratory it is verified that the manufactured parts meet the required design specifications.

Partial view of the mechanics workshop with technicians working. Author A. L. Aldai. Large workshop with several manufacturing machines and a technician on the right adjusting a piece in one of them
Mechanics Workshop

The Mechanics Workshop main purpose is the manufacture, measurement and assembly of mechanical parts.