Dependable mechanical guides aren't rocket science, but....
Hepco GV3 and HPS series linear guide systems feature extensively in a
new non-destructive testing (NDT) rig that is being built by Garrandale
Systems for a NDT client. The rig will be used to manipulate ultrasonic
test probes across the entire internal surface of three booster rocket
segments, checking for a variety of properties, including the integrity
and thickness of a critical thermal layer.
Powered rollers support the rocket booster segment and rotate it during
ultrasonic testing. These rollers are fixed to a rail-mounted,
battery-driven bogie that 'docks' against a static, floor-mounted frame.
The frame supports a 15m long boom - the X-axis of the machine - along
which is mounted a rack-driven Hepco GV3 linear guide system. The probe
manipulators, meanwhile, are mounted on Hepco type HPS pneumatic
Powerslides. Both HPS units are attached to gear-driven rings, providing
a slewing action that enables the probes to check details on both inner
and outer circumferences of the booster casings.
The rig has to cope with conditions of high humidity and high
temperature, plus occasional water splashes, so its components are either
made from stainless steel or given a protective coating.