Precision machining for cuttingedge research
The Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) in Garching near Munich has its origins in a project group for laser research, which was founded in 1976 at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. It was awarded the status of a separate institute five years later.
Aeschlimann AG Décolltages from Lüsslingen has its roots in the manufacture of watch screws. Werner and Anna Aeschlimann-Wolf founded the company in 1937, and their sons Hans-Ueli and Peter Aeschlimann joined the business in 1952 to expand the portfolio to include assemblies and machine parts. The company moved to the local industrial estate in the 1970s. Since then, it has grown continuously in terms of production space, number of employees and turnover. Today, with 160 employees, Aeschlimann stands for high-precision and ready-to-install turned parts that are used in almost all sectors, from automotive, hydraulics and medical to electronics and - as before - the watch industry. Since 2021, three DMG MORI machines have been added to the 6,000 m², 250-machine production facility. It started with an NTX 2500 with Robo2Go, followed by an NTX 500 automated with IMTR. In 2024, a SPRINT 32|10 was also installed for a test run.
Two Nobel Prizes in Physics
Research at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics provides physicists with ever deeper insights into the microcosm. The results are so groundbreaking that two Nobel Prizes in Physics have already been awarded to Garching employees – the first in 2005 to Professor Theodor W. Hänsch for the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy. This technology can be used to determine the color of light from atoms and molecules with extreme precision. In this way, frequencies can be measured with an uncertainty of a few millionths of a billionth of a hertz. Professor Theodor W. Hänsch researches high-precision laser spectroscopy of hydrogen and similar elements at the MPQ in the Emeritus Group for Laser Spectroscopy.
The Nobel Prize was awarded to Professor Ferenc Krausz in 2023. At the beginning of the century, he and his team succeeded in isolating a single X-ray pulse with a duration of 650 attoseconds. One attosecond corresponds to a billionth of a billionth of a second. This corresponds to the ratio of one second to the age of the universe. The interaction of electrons with each other or with light in matter also takes place on this unimaginably small time scale. It therefore requires extremely short exposure times to observe or control electrons at the atomic level in real time. This is exactly where attosecond physics can help. Professor Ferenc Krausz sees a practical benefit for medicine. After all, electron movements also play a role in biological systems. With this research, infrared, X-ray, and particle sources driven by femtosecond laser light are being developed and used for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
5-axis simultaneous machining for complex, high-precision components
The high standards of research at the MPQ are also reflected in the in-house workshop. “Our laboratories need very special, high-precision optical instruments to carry out their experiments”, explains Michael Rogg, who has been at the institute since 1986 and head of the workshop for 13 years. “Engineers design device components according to the specifications of the researchers, which we manufacture to the required quality and accuracy.” For this task, the workshop team is equipped with modern 5-axis simultaneous machining centers from DMG MORI. The most recent acquisition was a DMU 40 in December 2023. “The stability of the machines and their extensive cooling systems allow precise machining of the often complex geometries,” says Michael Rogg.
Complexity and precision on the one hand and the wide variety of materials on the other are what characterize the orders in the MPQ workshop. “As many experiments are carried out in a vacuum, stainless steel components are common, but aluminum, copper alloys or special plastics are also used due to their individual properties,” comments Michael Rogg on the wide range of materials. The challenge lies in taking the behavior of the diverse materials into account in the machining process. Another challenge is the individual machining strategies. The mostly small workpieces can be very delicate and this in turn requires machining that is as stress-free as possible. Michael Rogg mentions tolerances that are in the range of a few micrometers in extreme cases: “Even a thread cutter can cause unwanted deformations.” That is why an M1 thread has already been milled on the DMU 65 monoBLOCK and not cut.
Motivated specialists with a willingness to learn
In production, one person is always responsible for the entire component – from programming through to final quality control. This is how Michael Rogg explains the high demand for good personnel: “Unlike in industry, profitability is only a secondary concern in research. What counts first and foremost is the perfect result. This means that we are looking for particularly motivated specialists and young people that are willing to learn.” The MPQ is currently preparing three trainees for this exciting job.
Longstanding partner in machining
In cooperation with research institutes, universities and vocational schools, the DMG MORI Academy is responsible for equipping the workshops. It is well aware of the requirements there and knows the differences to industry. In the case of MPQ, Michael Rogg can look back on many years of cooperation with the DMG MORI Academy: “We have been using CNC technology from DMG MORI for decades. With new purchases, we can be sure that we always receive manufacturing solutions that meet our stringent requirements.”
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
Hans-Kopfermann-Straße 1
85748 Garching bei München
www.mpq.mpg.de
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