Radar based system to detect space debris

Application Description:

• Machine type: Three axis positioning system
• End customer: Fraunhofer Institute
• Customer requirement:
• System with swivel angle >400°
• Narrow installation space
• Solutions from igus: Series E4.56 with rear bending radius and chain combs as strain relief

The silver vector award goes to the company AlpinaTec GmbH Technical Products GmbH The "GESTRA" project is a specially developed radar-based system for searching and mapping space debris.

The "GESTRA" project consists, among other things, of a transmission and reception system, for which two three-axis positioning systems with electrically clamped and backlash-free drives and corresponding cable and supply paths were designed. Due to the specified narrow construction volume, the complexity and degrees of freedom of the axis arrangement, as well as the diversity of the media, signals and the resulting "variety" of hoses and cables, the compact cable carrier was one of the major challenges in this project.

Taking into account the given narrow space conditions, a double-sided double chain system could be defined for the elevation axis. The whole system is able to cope with the changing gravity conditions - a decisive criterion. In close cooperation with igus, a complex including "floating island" was developed and implemented especially for the azimuth axis. Energy chains of the E4.56 series were used for this and strain reliefs of the article number 3250.ZB.