Page 27 - Glass-Technology International no. 1/2018

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LISEC Besides the especially high acceleration, this motive power
engineering allows an excellent positioning accuracy of
MAXIMUM the cutting head with a maximum offset of 0.1mm. Due to
the intelligent control, the maximum speed is reached as
CUTTING SPEED AND quickly as possible. Traugott continues: “Through careful
constructive improvements, we were able to significantly
OUTSTANDING DYNAMICS reduce the noise emissions and optimise the handling of
the entire machine even more, a benefit for every operator
The brand new high-performance machine in the new and machine operating company.”
LiSEC design with the name SprintCut cuts flat glass The operation of the cutting table is made easier by an
automatically and quickly thanks to the state-of-the-art even higher degree of automation and new electronic
motive power engineering. controls. The cutting pressure control, grinding pressure
With linear motive power engineering and the integrated control, the monitoring of the consumption of cutting oil
measuring system, the new SprintCut ensures maximum and cutting wheel wear are automated and, as a preventive
cutting speed and outstanding dynamics. The maximum measure, the control system indicates pending replace-
acceleration is approximately 16 m/s² and the maximum ments or fillings, thus reducing unplanned downtimes.
speed 310 m/min. “The new machine sets a high standard in its class in
“Our linear drive has few moving parts, which means relation to price/performance. Especially customers with
the mechanical wear is lower, resulting in longer mainte- highly automated production lines in multiple-shift opera-
nance intervals and low downtime costs,” says Thomas tion can benefit from up to 20% shorter cycle times,”
5SBVHPUU )FBE PG #VTJOFTT 6OJU (MBTT $VUUJOH BU -J4&$ explains Thomas Traugott.

SCHOTT

MANUFACTURING PRIMARY MIRRORS FOR ELT

The Schott melting team has started pean Southern Observatory’s (ESO) ELT. In addition to the segmented
casting the first mirror segments that project plan. The main mirror of the 39-meter giant mirror, these will be a
will make up the 39-meter pri- ELT will be humanity’s largest eye on convex mirror 4.2 meters in diameter
mary mirror (M-1) of the European the sky, enabling us to reach unprec- (M2), the M3 concave mirror (3.8
Large Telescope (ELT). To make edented depths of space,” said Marc meters in diameter) and a 2.4-meter
the segments, liquid glass heated to Cayrel from ESO’s ELT project team. diameter adaptive mirror (M4).
over 1400°C will be poured directly Schott has developed special cast- “Thanks to significant expansion of
into moulds, and transferred into a ing moulds for the production of the production capacity at the Mainz
cooling furnace and subjected to a M1 segments. “The glass consump- site, Schott is very well prepared for
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ceramicization process lasting several tion factor will be as low as possible, the production of Zerodur glass-
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weeks. The result is Zerodur glass- so we can work very efficiently,” ceramic, both for the ELT project and
ceramic, a material with a thermal explains Dr. Thomas Westerhoff, for the currently very gratifying high
expansion of near zero that makes it Director of Strategic Marketing for demand from the high-tech industry,”
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especially suited to astronomy appli- Zerodur at Schott. said Dr. Thomas Westerhoff, director
cations. The Schott production facil- After ceramization, each of the round of strategic marketing, Zerodur® at
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ity in Mainz is expected to complete Zerodur blocks will be cut into five Schott Advanced Optics.
delivery of the segments by 2024. slices of approximately 60-70mm Two glass melting tanks are in parallel
Schott, the international technology in thickness. Further processing at operation due to the high demand.
group, will produce up to 949 identical Schott will take place on state-of-the- Furthermore, new jobs were created
1.52-meter hexagonal segments for the art computer-controlled 5-axis CNC for around 50 employees, and addi-
ELT. The giant mirror will be com- machines. Safran Reosc, a company tional capacity-expanding investments
posed of a total of 798 segments, made based in France, will polish the M1 are planned for the coming year.
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of Zerodur glass-ceramic, with the segments.
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balance used as replacement segments. Zerodur is a proven material that
“Casting the mirror substrates for has been selected for four of the five
the M1 is a milestone in the Euro- high-precision mirror elements of the

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