Keynote Address Opto-Mechanical Instrument Design

The field of "Opto-Mechanical Instrument Design" is becoming an identifiable discipline. From the time the first optical instruments were designed, fabricated and assembled, optical and mechanical engineering design have been coupled together. Now with the high accuracy and stability required for many optical systems, the mechanical engineering aspects of the main support structure have become of paramount importance (at times equaling the importance of the optical system design itself). Today the world of accurate measurements and alignment is based on the quality and performance of the opto-mechanical instruments available. This paper will highlight the topics that must be considered during the design, development, fabrication, assembly and test of an opto-mechanical instrument: materials of construction, fabrication, jointing, stress analysis, thermal analysis, vibration analysis, transmission (power), rotary motion, linear motion, adjustments and alignment. For additional information on optomechanical design, the following references will be useful: "Introduction to Opto-Mechanical Design" by D. Vukobratovich; "Opto-Mechanical System Design" by P. Yoder, Jr.; "Fine Adjustments for Optical Alignment" by R.S. Reiss. Telephone: (415) 965-3888.