IMACS instrument carriage fabrication

The instrument carriage will first serve as a test and assembly fixture at
OCIW, and then will support IMACS on the telescope. Fabrication
of the instrument carriage, another design by Steve Gunnels
(Paragon Engineering), is under way at Rettig Machine in Redlands, Ca.
The carriage and associated parts are scheduled for completion at the
end of January, 2002.

2/18/02 Now running about 3 weeks late...
2/21/02 Delivered today...

March 11, 2002

The fully-assembled carriage with roller and drive assemblies now installed. The
drive (middle of image), and caster rail assemblies (left and right) are for rotation
and transport at SBS only.

Roller assembly, showing locking pin and balancing springs.

Drive assembly with idler cam follower, pre-load spring and adjuster, and motor/gearbox mouting (white).

February 21, 2002

Rettig Machine delivered the IMACS instrument carriage on 2/21/02

Engineers and Astronomers (A. Dressler, J. Prochaska, and S. Gunnels) sprang into
action...

Within minutes, the castors were mounted to their rails, and the rails were mounted
to the carriage.

The carriage was in the IMACS assembly area just in time for lunch...
Note the corrected, dark grey color.

February 18, 2002

The carriage frame is finished, but unfortunately, painted the wrong color. This
will be corrected on 2/19/02. The caster rails are finished and primed, and will
be painted 2/19. All the carriage roller and drive parts are finished and delivered to
OCIW.

Which paint were we using again?

M&T Rettig

January 29, 2002

Welding is complete on the carriage weldment, it has been Blanchard ground top and
bottom, and has now started machining operations.

18 January 2002

Alan Dressler and Franz Rettig with the instrument carriage frame.

Final welding....

Caster rails for adding wheels to the carriage...