Liebherr and mtex look to the stars

With innovative engineering skill and decades of experience, Liebherr-Components Biberach GmbH is making a substantial contribution to what is set to become the most important radio observatory in the future, the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA). In close collaboration with mtex antenna technology gmbh, which is developing a prototype for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in the USA, Liebherr is supplying high-precision slewing bearings, ring gear segments and drives.

The ngVLA will comprise a total of 244 parabolic antennas, each with 18-metre reflectors. Of these antennas, 186 will form the heart of the observatory on the Plains of San Agustin, New Mexico (USA). The remaining 58 will be distributed across the North American continent. An additional 19 antennas with 6 metre reflectors will complete the array. The aim of the project is to produce radio images that are hundreds of times more detailed than the optical images produced by the Hubble and James Web space telescopes. Amongst other things, this should enable research into the creation of stars and planets, the area around black holes and the chemical composition of gas clouds in space.

Ceremony for the first prototype antenna

An important milestone was reached in the project this year: during a celebratory ceremony, mtex antenna technology gmbh officially handed over the first prototype antenna for the ngVLA to the NRAO. The event was attended by representatives from Germany, Mexico and the USA. On-site at the ngVLA, the guests were able to get an impression of the new offset Gregorian antenna, which is equipped with high-precision, laser-treated panels and a special backstructure. This innovative design is set to become the standard for the ngVLA’s antennas in the future and will now be tested.

Precision and resilience are indispensable

Liebherr is producing slewing bearings and ring gear segments as well as azimuth and elevation drives for the parabolic antennas. The azimuth and elevation drives carry the reflector, which must be aligned with sufficient precision to be able to focus on a golf ball on the moon. At the same time, the main reflector in the middle must not deform by more than the thickness of three human hairs. The components produced by Liebherr must therefore be designed for maximum precision and resilience: the play-free, three-row roller slewing ring with an external diameter of 3.3 metres and the play-reduced gearbox enable the 143 tonne antennas to be aligned with millimetre precision, even in windy conditions and when there are temperature fluctuations.

Each component undergoes a comprehensive testing programme, including rigidity tests, to ensure that it not only meets but exceeds the highest industry standards. Because the required precision and reliability must be guaranteed for decades.

Teamwork as the key to success

‘The size and precision of this project are unique,’ stressed Oliver Friedrich, Head of Sales Europe at Liebherr-Components GmbH. ‘Thanks to the close, interdisciplinary collaboration with mtex and the scientists at the NRAO, we have been able to guide our technology to the physical limits and set new standards.’

The engineers from mtex work in a close and trusting partnership with Liebherr to tailor the high-quality components precisely to the antenna design. For Lutz Stenvers, managing director of mtex, this close collaboration is a crucial success factor and offers a special perspective when it comes to the success and continued progress of the project: ‘The development of high-precision components for parabolic telescopes requires a great deal of interaction. Our engineers speak regularly with Liebherr’s engineers to push the components to their physical limits.’

The ngVLA is a major scientific project which is setting new standards in radio astronomy. This demonstrates how innovative engineering, trusting collaboration and decades of experience can push the boundaries. Liebherr-Components Biberach GmbH, together with its partner mtex, is proud to be contributing towards research into the mystery of the universe. Precision technology from Biberach will be key to new findings about stars, planets, and black holes. This shows that with passion and team spirit, even the apparently impossible becomes possible.

You can find more information on the project in our article: