JHU ME Senior Design project STScI-E18:

The demanding requirements for HiCAT drive continual innovation. The precise optics work best in a controlled, enclosed chamber. Meanwhile the science team need to be able to open the chamber easily and without causing contamination. The enclosure developed by mechanical engineering students in 2015 was OK but over time problems were found. The sliding panels caused some dust to form due to wear, and they were not as airtight as desired. A team of four mechanical engineering seniors worked on a fresh version during their two semester capstone course. After many prototypes the final version installed has a viton™ rubber seal and magnetic attachment to the frame. It’s only been used for a few weeks but early signs are that it is an improvement over the previous design.

ME Seniors Courtney, Andrew, Andrew & Matthieu would like to thank STScI and our friends at the Makidon lab for a first-rate educational experience.