Smart Mechatronics
As a supplier of large antennas and radio telescopes, we are experts in the high-precision alignment and positioning of structures weighing several tons. This makes us a sought-after partner for the realization of similar projects in other industries.
Based on our many years of experience in antenna and telescope construction, we also offer our expertise in the fields of mechanics, steel construction and control technology to other areas of application that require precise alignment and positioning of large mechatronic structures.
Typical examples of this are high-resolution XXL computer tomographs for non-destructive material testing, as well as the development of proton and heavy ion portals for modern cancer therapy centers.
XXL CT Scanners
In cooperation with the Development Center for X-ray Technology (EZRT) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (Fraunhofer IIS) in Fürth, we develop and build industrial inspection equipment in the form of extra-large CT scanners. These systems are used to X-ray entire vehicles and to examine the behavior of components under load. Due to the size of the systems and their extremely precise control units, even very large objects can be examined in their true dimensions with high resolution.
Our References
XXL Tower CT
Together with the EZRT of Fraunhofer IIS, we have realized an XXL tower CT that is still unique in the world today. The system was put into operation in 2013 and enables the detailed imaging of very large objects. It works by placing the object to be examined on a heavy-duty turntable and capturing it layer by layer from numerous viewing angles using an X-ray beam projected between the radiation source and detector. Over the years, the system has been used to X-ray a wide variety of vehicles and even smaller aircraft and helicopters and convert them into 3D measurement data. The use of high X-ray energies in combination with the high-precision positioning of the test object enables particularly good differentiation of different densities with a spatial resolution in the sub-millimeter range. This allows the precise analysis of complex geometries, different material properties and defects present in components.
Gantry CT Gulliver
In collaboration with the Fraunhofer IIS and the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (Fraunhofer ITWM), we are developing the XXL Gantry CT Gulliver for the TU Kaiserslautern. The system, which has an integrated hydraulic load test bench, can be used to examine components and supporting structures in their actual dimensions under static and dynamic loads.
During the experiments, the CT scanner moves over a horizontal distance of up to three meters and rotates by up to 210° around the object to be examined. By using high X-ray energies in combination with state-of-the-art evaluation methods, even the tiniest defects in test objects can be detected and displayed in the 3D model. The focus here is on concrete structures that can only be examined non-destructively on a model scale using conventional testing facilities and analysis methods.
Proton and Heavy Ion Portals for Modern Cancer Therapy Centers
For the next generation of cancer treatment facilities by irradiation with protons and heavyons we have developed high-precision positionable mechanical structures for movement of the radiation source developed and supplied, including a 360° rotatable gantry for the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT).
Our References
Gantry for the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT)
For the HIT, we supplied the 360° rotatable gantry for positioning the radiation source. The entire structure weighs 670 tons, of which 600 tons can be rotated with sub-millimetre precision. Inside the gantry is the radiotherapy station where the patient is positioned during treatment. Thanks to the precise rotation of the radiation source in combination with the treatment table, which can be automatically adjusted in six directions, the treatment beam can be directed in such a way that the total dose required to destroy the cancerous tissue is only reached in the tumor area. As a result, healthy tissue is optimally protected and only exposed to minimal radiation.
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