Capital investment in equipment for measuring complex objects

我们建议采购一台高端便携式激光跟踪仪，用于测量表面几何形状、轮廓和空间坐标。该装置将为大型非球面望远镜镜面的测量提供重要支持，并为复杂形状物体的测量提供大动态范围的方法。这将大大提高我们的两个STFC-IPS项目的研发速度，并提高英国的能力，以满足英国和国际科学基地的仪器要求。该设备广泛应用于天文光学、红外和x射线光学、大功率激光系统、平视显示器、同步加速器光学和医疗仪器等领域。该设备支持的第一个项目将解决抛光软金属镜子（铝）的挑战，这些镜子可用于地面和空间天文学。第二个项目涉及硬质材料，如模具和模具的工具钢，用于工业大规模生产。这些部件也可以进行增材制造。我们的工业合作伙伴Wayland Additive拥有NeuBeam技术，可以提供各种材料的复杂形状组件。先进制造的关键环节是计量。现成的产品，如干涉仪，可以测量纳米级精度的光学表面，但它们对工作环境要求严格，动态范围低。我们发现，在制造阶段测量复杂表面的主要挑战是对大动态范围和稳定环境的要求，特别是对于大口径（直径100米）光学器件，复杂的支撑使测量更具挑战性。在引入相位测量技术之前，偏转计以前被用作低精度测量的质量控制措施。亚利桑那大学光学科学学院已经在一个大型可变形镜上展示了这项技术，并达到了0.2微米的精度。该设备的主要功能将是精确校准系统多个部件（PC屏幕，摄像头，镜子）在空间中的位置。激光跟踪器是实现这种精确校准的最直接和最精确的方法。第二个项目是加工硬质材料的模具。除了从制造的前一阶段改善粗糙的表面条件外，通过抛光修复磨损的模具和模具的需求越来越大。由于工作条件各不相同，这些工具很可能磨损不均。重要的是，计量能够反映真实的表面几何形状。具有合适探头和运动支架的激光跟踪仪非常适合于此目的。我们确定的设备具有经济性和通用性的优点。它具有6个动态自由度，在35米范围内的精度为16微米。如果我们使用该激光跟踪器来辅助内部和外部校准，我们将在偏转测量上获得优于50nm的精度。其次，我们获得的报价包含了广泛的附件，使我们不仅可以应对许多地方不容易到达或无法触摸的挑战性坐标测量情况，而且可以为我们提供快速准确的实时跟踪。后一项功能将使我们能够记录抛光机器人甚至高端计算机数控（CNC）抛光机的坐标信息。这些数据将帮助我们对抛光工艺进行更深入的了解和分析，并保持在该领域的领先优势。

We propose to procure a high-end portable laser tracker for measuring surface geometry, profile and spatial coordinates. This equipment will be of vital importance in supporting the metrology of large aspherical telescope mirrors and provide a large dynamic range method in measuring complex shape objects. It will greatly enhance the speed of R&D in our two awarded STFC-IPS projects and enhance UK capability to meet the instrumentation requirements of the British and International Science Base. This equipment has a wide range of applications across astronomical optics, Infrared and X-ray optics, high-power laser system, head-up displays, synchrotron optics and medical instruments. The first project that will be supported by this equipment addresses the challenge of polishing soft metal mirrors (aluminium) that can be used for ground-based and space astronomy. The second project deals with hard materials such as moulds and dies in tool steels, used for industrial mass production. The parts can also be additively manufactured. Our industrial partner Wayland Additive with NeuBeam technology can provide components of complex shape in a wide range of materials. The key procedure in advanced manufacturing is metrology. Off the shelf products, such as interferometers, can measure optical surface at nano-meter level accuracy, but they require strict working environments and are of low dynamic range. We found the main challenges in measuring complex surfaces at manufacturing stages are the requirements for large dynamic range and a stabilised environment, especially for large aperture (diameter > 1 meter) optics where complicated support make it more challenging to measure. Deflectometry has previously been used as a quality control measure for low precision measurement until the introduction of phase-measuring technology. The College of Optical Science of Arizona University has demonstrated this technology on a large deformable mirror and achieved 0.2 microns accuracy. The primary function of the equipment will be to accurately calibrate the positions of multiple parts of the system (PC screen, camera, mirror) in a space. A laser tracker is the most direct and precise way of achieving such accurate calibration.The second project is to process moulds and dies made of hard materials. Apart from refining rough surface conditions from the previous stage of manufacturing, there is an increasing demand for repairing worn moulds and dies through polishing. Since the working conditions vary, it is likely that these tools are not evenly worn. It is important that metrology can reflect the true surface geometries. A laser tracker with suitable probe and kinematic mount is well suited to this purpose. The equipment we have identified has both of economic and versatility advantages. It has dynamic 6 degrees of freedom and an accuracy of 16 microns within 35m range. We will achieve a better than 50nm accuracy on deflectometry if we use this laser tracker to assist intrinsic and extrinsic calibration. Secondly, the quote we have obtained includes extensive accessories to enable us not only to cope with challenging coordinate measurement situations where many places are either not easy to reach or not able to touch, but also offer us fast and accurate real-time tracking. The latter function will enable us to record polishing robots or even high-end computer numerically controlled (CNC) polishing machine's coordinate information. These data will help us to develop a deeper understanding of the polishing process and analysis and maintain a leading edge in this area.