Shvabe Holding (part of Rostec) patented an unrivalled device for controlling shape and measurements of large-sized optical components. It will be used in production of ground-based and space-based telescopes, astrophysical and photographic systems, and the Earth remote sensing equipment.
The interferometer was developed by the engineers and designers of Lytkarino Optical Glass Plant (LZOS), a Shvabe Holding enterprise. At the stage of product assembling, the new device allows to perform highly accurate measurements of large objects of different shapes: spherical, non-spherical, flat. It works in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum.
A device of a unique design with two reflective surfaces will be used at industrial enterprises engaged in production of large-sized elements for optical instruments, as well as space research instruments, for Russian and foreign orbital programs.
“Unlike the previous modification, the improved instrument is equipped with a mirror. Our engineers made necessary calculations and found that this type of reflective surfaces is multi-functional, more accurate and allows to take into account various forms of the parts, including the domed ones to significantly increase the number of objects to be measured,” said Sergey Popov, First Deputy General Director of Shvabe.
The device configuration is formed by a double-concave mirror with a hole and various curvatures of reflective surfaces: elliptical and spherical, which is its key feature. According to the developers, the design allows to expand the range of controlled surfaces and measure them in two directions at once. In this case, the choice of the type of mirrors’ reflecting surfaces and their geometrical parameters depends on the specific users of the interferometer.
In the near future, the company plans to start manufacturing the main element of the device, various designs of double-concave mirrors, and secondary components for specific dimensions and customers’ projects.
