Case Study: Alson E Hatheway Inc improves optomechanical stiffness analysis with MSC Software

Mechanical Design of Optical Systems using MSC Nastran

Alson E. Hatheway Inc. needed a way to evaluate the stiffness of optical system support structures early in the mechanical design process. The company’s challenge was to identify potential optical problems before a full CAD model was complete and to trace optical effects back to the mechanical features causing them. MSC Software’s MSC Nastran was used to support that analysis.

Using AEH/Ivory optomechanical modeling tools within MSC Nastran, Alson E. Hatheway Inc. analyzed a hyper-spectral imager from early concept models through more detailed structural models. MSC Software’s approach produced meaningful stiffness and image-motion results early, including a 574.9-pound model with 0.0006 inches of maximum structural deflection and 0.0005 inches of maximum image motion, and it helped the team reach a structure with 18.6 microradians rms overall LOS error. The case study says this approach saved projects months of schedule time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs by confirming adequate stiffness from the start.

Alson E Hatheway Inc

Alson Hatheway

President