Netherlands - Milling machines

Description

The machine must be capable of milling various part sizes, shapes and materials, predominantly of aluminium and, to a minor extent, stainless steel, titanium and plastics. Main application is single part production of in-house designed lightweight, complex parts with accurate interfaces positioned on various sides of the part, both on the outer perimeter and deep inside.To improve interface accuracy, the number of interfaces accessible by the machine in one setup is maximized, requiring a large articulation range of the five machine axes.As many parts produced will be of a relatively large size, and made of aluminium (i.e. with a high coefficient of thermal expansion), thermal stability inside the machining volume is paramount.The parts produced are primarily used in high tech instrumentation and largely assembled in-house in a clean room environment.
NOVA operates two instrumentation labs, the optical-infrared instrumentation lab, hosted by ASTRON in Dwingeloo, and the sub-millimeter instrumentation lab, hosted by SRON in Groningen. At both labs, specialists work on the design, manufacture and performance verification of complex astronomical instruments. NOVA has the expertise and facilities to manufacture critical instrumentation components in-house, e.g. the milling and polishing of both transmissive and reflective optics and the fabrication of complex metal parts to extreme tolerances using a 5-axis milling machine. Assembly and test facilities include cleanrooms, a number of test cryostats of varying dimensions and specifications, and an optical interferometer.NOVA is putting to tender the procurement of a 5-axis simultaneous CNC Milling Machine.The machine must be capable of milling various part sizes, shapes and materials, predominantly of aluminium and, to a minor extent, stainless steel, titanium and plastics. Main application is single part production of in-house designed lightweight, complex parts with accurate interfaces positioned on various sides of the part, both on the outer perimeter and deep inside.To improve interface accuracy, the number of interfaces accessible by the Machine in one setup is maximized, requiring a large articulation range of the five machine axes.As many parts produced will be of a relatively large size, and made of aluminium (i.e. with a high coefficient of thermal expansion), thermal stability inside the machining volume is paramount.The parts produced are primarily used in high tech instrumentation and largely assembled in-house in a clean room environment.

Opportunity closing date

08 September 2020

Value of contract

£100k-1m