Egile participates in HI-Prest, a project to develop a high-precision scanner in the Basque Country

The project has just begun, “HI-PREST, Technologies for high reliability and sub-micrometric precision mechanisms for critical applications and environments” whose objective is no other than to develop a prototype of a high precision scanner which will then become an innovative and competitive product to be offered to space projects from the European Space Agency (ESA) or the U.S. space agency (NASA).

SENER Aeroespacial (leading supplier in high precision systems for space, defence and science, with a trajectory more than 50 years long) leads this project in which we participate together with other Basque companies like FAGOR Automation, IBARMIA Innovatek, KORTA and ULMA Embedded Solutions. We will work in cooperation to develop a high-precision scanner whose applications span telescopes and cameras among other optical instruments.

In addition, this project has the goal of making the participants leading suppliers in conception, development and manufacturing of sub-micrometric precision and high stability mechanisms for critical applications and environments. To this regard, SENER Aeroespacial possesses ample experience and a success story in the development of the Third Gen Meteosat (MTG, acronym in Spanish). The MTG scanner allows the satellite to take pictures with a precision within metres being 36.000 km away from its objective.

This kind of scanner is a key element in the telescopes installed in space satellites, as they are critical to ensure manoeuvre stability when tracking objects with their onboard cameras. They guarantee the capture of high-resolution panoramic images by eliminating the rotational movement of the satellite (spinning) with a submicrometric precision and in a critical environment like outer space.

In HI-Prest, SENER Aeroespacial will coordinate the scanner assembly. At Egile Mechanics we will develop the embedded gearboxes, FAGOR Automation, in conjunction with ULMA Embedded Solutions, will be in charge of the high-precision encoders and the position control algorithms, KORTA will develop low-noise bearings and IBARMIA Innovatek will make use of technologies stemming from machining to progress in new manufacturing techniques.

The project is financed by the Government of the Basque Country by means of the HAZITEK 2020 program, which supports industrial R&D. The six members of the consortium will be joined by five research centres: TECNALIA Research & Innovation, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Mondragon Unibertsitatea Higher Polytechnic School (MGEP), FAGOR AOTEK and Egile Innovative Solutions.

Our colleague Philippe Roulet, commercial director of Egile Aero, talks about the HI-Prest project in El Diario Vasco.