VDL ETG - Tier-one design & contract manufacturing partner
Based on a high level of quality and service in the supply of mechatronic modules, VDL strives to exceed its customers’ expectations. They have accumulated extensive experience in the following markets: equipment for the semiconductor industry, thin-film deposition equipment for photovoltaic solar cells, analytical instruments, medical systems, science & industry and mechanization projects.
About ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope – The world’s biggest eye on the sky
The European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be the size of a soccer stadium and will be located in northern Chile at an altitude of three kilometers at the top of Cerro Armazones. Its mirrors will form the largest eye in the world and will capture more light than all other large, professional optical telescopes combined. The ELT will enable scientific discoveries about planets, the composition of nearby galaxies and the deep universe. Construction of the ELT’s foundation has already begun. The telescope should be operational by 2027.
The challenge
It is simply impossible to make the 39-meter-diameter main mirror of ESO’s ELT in one piece. Therefore, it is constructed from 798 hexagonal mirror segments, each about 1.4 meters in size and 5 centimeters thick. Each mirror segment has its own support structure and is driven by several electric motors, which position the mirror very precisely. Continuous correction is performed by 9 electric motors on each frame and 3 electric motors under each frame. To be provided with a new reflective layer, the mirrors must be replaced regularly. Therefore, a total of about 950 mirror segments and support structures will be built, with spare parts also taken into account.
VDL ETG has been appointed to design and qualify the mirror segments, after which the mirror segments will be mass produced. The realization of ESO’s ELT is a joint effort of several industrial companies, mainly based in Europe. Faes was asked by VDL to design and manufacture a custom flight case to safely transport the mirrors and supporting components from Europe to Chile. Each element has to be packed separately, representing a challenging task of approximately 1,000 cases in total for this prestigious project. The flightcases, used both for transport and storage, had to meet the following set of requirements:
- VDL components must be packed in reusable crates;
- The cases must withstand transportation by land, sea and air;
- Special transportation conditions should be avoided;
- If wood is used for packaging, it must be certified in accordance with ISPM 15;
- The crates must fit into standard ISO shipping containers (ISO standard 668);
- The dimensions of the crates must ensure minimal volume loss in the shipping containers;
- The cases require an integrated shock-absorbing system to reduce external shocks.
The solution
To ensure the safe delivery of the >900 mirrors in the Atacama Desert, the Faes KAM for the high-tech sector Corné van de Voort worked closely with VDL ETG. Together with a Faes engineer, they discussed the full set of requirements for the custom packaging. The Faes engineer designed a concept flight case packaging including a custom interior. After review and approval of the design by VDL, the flightcases went into production in-house at Faes (Reusel, Netherlands).
The results
At the time of writing, >400 flightcases have been produced and delivered to VDL. These flightcases have been shipped or are scheduled to be shipped to the northern part of Chile. All flightcases are expected to arrive in the Atacama Desert well in time for the ELT to be fully operational in 2027.
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