Product category:
Calibration and Testing Services, Consultancy and Learning
News Release from: RA Rodriguez (UK) | Subject: Bearings
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 June 2007
Bearings supplied for infrared camera in
telescope
Bearings and engineering analysis for the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) were supplied by R A Rodriguez, UK representatives for the Kaydon Corporation.
VISTA, allegedly the world's largest telescope dedicated to ground-based survey work should be completed by early 2008 Capable of supporting a huge variety of projects from solar-system studies to cosmology it is equipped with the world's largest infrared camera
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 16 Apr 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Design and construction has been managed by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre for a Consortium of 18 UK Universities led by Queen Mary, University of London.
As the acronym suggests it can be enhanced by an optical camera at a later stage; VISTA stands for Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy.
Proposed projects for this world-class telescope range from measuring the galaxy's population of brown dwarf stars to constructing a 3D map that covers about 5 percent of the entire observable universe.
An important part of the telescope's operation is the exchange of different filters in the field of view to alter the waveband to suit the application.
Kaydon bearings were selected for this filter wheel mechanism for the infrared camera, primarily to save space.
An ability to operate in a cryogenic atmosphere of -200degC without lubrication was also a prerequisite.
The bearings and engineering analysis was supplied to the UK Astronomy Technology Centre by R A Rodriguez - UK factory representatives for the Kaydon Corporation.
The chosen bearings are of a type that is now considered an industry standard for achieving high performance in a small space.
The duplexed pair has a relatively large 7 inch bore but an outside diameter of just 7.5 inches x 0.5 inch high.
The bearings' weight-saving potential was also beneficial to the filter wheel mechanism design.
And as the application could not tolerate grease or oil lubrication these stainless steel angular contact bearings were supplied with lead ion dry film lube.
Sited at the Cerro Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile and operating at an altitude of 2635m, this 4m telescope will become part of the European Southern Observatory's suite of telescopes.
Its discoveries will be crucial in optimising European exploitation of southern hemisphere 8m telescope time.
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