The
Spherolinder® from g2 Engineering, Mountain View, CA, improves
load-carrying capacity of three-groove kinematic mounts by eliminating
traditional point contacts while retaining repeatability. Standard
repeatable kinematic mounts use three precision-ground spheres in
conjunction with mating grooves to locate two parts in relation
to each other, enabling them to be repositioned after disassembly.
The Spherolinder is a mediating connector that replaces the sphere
and eliminates the point contacts by replacing them with line contacts.
As a result, a 1" repeatable mount can carry up to 2,000 pounds
per connector, compared to about 20 pounds for a traditional sphere-based
design. Applications include heavy removable components, aligned
instruments under dynamic loads, and optical instruments. The connector
can be fabricated in stainless steel, tungsten carbide, and high-temperature
ceramics and plastics.
www.g2-engineering.com
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