The FPU baseplate was delivered today from Alimex, looking big and shiny and giving a worrying sense of scale for what is to come... The inspection report shows that the part meets the 10 micron profile tolerances on the FPU facets, which is extremely impressive considering the size and amount of material removal required. It … Continue reading FPM baseplate delivered
FPM baseplate in manufacture
Pictures from a visit to see the Fibre Positioning Module baseplate being manufactured at Alimex GmbH in Willich, nr Dusseldorf. The plate is being machined on a massive DMU 270P 5-axis mill. The monolothic baseplate is made from ultra-stable 5080 ACP aluminium alloy. It has 1069 'facets' onto which the FPUs, acquisition cameras and fiducials … Continue reading FPM baseplate in manufacture