Large Optics Manufacturing Study

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Large Optics Manufacturing Study
Partners
A study, funded by DTI and Thales Optics to
investigate the possibilities of using new
manufacturing processes to enable manufacture of
large numbers (thousands) of mirror segments,
spherical or aspherical, for extremely large
telescopes.
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LOMS Main Conclusions

• Extremely Large Telescopes need mirror segments
  where the ratio of accuracy to size is 10-8!
• New processes exist that could radically alter
  the economics of large (1m to 2m scale) mirror
  production.
• Development of these processes combined with an
  integrated manufacturing approach could enable
  aspherical mirrors to be produced at the same
  cost as spherical mirrors
• A key part of the process is the metrology
• A fully detailed report with costings was
  produced (confidential to the partners).

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Typical Process