Ion Beam Figuring is a key technology after polishing, hexagonal cutting and integration to obtain ELT-M1 hexagonal segments without edge effects. This process used at REOSC over 30 years offers an efficient solution for finishing these large freeform optical components. This paper presents a dedicated figuring process strategy to maximize throughput and process convergence as well as to limit temperature increase during processing. We analysed the results of optical surface improvement over 100 ELT-M1 segments. These results highlight the high accuracy of IBF technology to correct hexagonal surfaces all the way to the edge. The final surface figure error below 10nm RMS was obtained while keeping low surface roughness. This is achieved after less than two figuring iterations leading to a throughput over one segment per day.
In 2017, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) awarded a contract for the Polishing, integration and final figuring of the Segment Assemblies of the primary mirror (M1) for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) to Safran Reosc. Since then, the design and commissioning of a production unit dedicated to ELT M1 has been accomplished and the plant has been producing many mirrors since spring 2022. We will introduce the smart factory, its processes and their automation that enabled reaching the current throughput of one mirror per day. We will then present the status of the project, some lessons learned and highlight the successes that have been achieved so far.
In 2017, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) awarded a contract for the Polishing, integration and final figuring of the Segment Assemblies of the primary mirror (M1) for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) to Safran Reosc. Since then, the design and commissioning of a production unit dedicated for ELT M1 has been accomplished and the plant have been producing many mirrors since spring 2022. We present the status of the project, some lessons learned and highlight the successes that have been achieved so far.
In 2017, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) awarded a contract for the manufacturing of the segments of the primary mirror for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) to Safran Reosc. Since then, we designed a production unit dedicated for ELT M1. From spherical mirror blanks, we first glue 39 pads per segment. We then shape, polish and cut the segments with 133 different off-axis aspheric definitions. We finish them to nanometer accuracy using ion beam figuring and a fully automated interferometric test bench. Now manufacturing has begun, we present the solutions and methods that we developed to manufacture more than one segment per day.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.