Every now and then, Replique, the platform for industrial parts procurement, receives requests that don’t fit into everyday industrial work. Some are still so exciting that the team makes an exception. This was one of them: Replique designed a custom-fit rain cover for Christof Reinhart’s private ASA AZ1000 telescope on La Palma and produced it using 3D printing. As Replique doesn’t usually manufacture for private customers, the equivalent value is being donated to the Sterntaler children’s hospice in Mannheim instead of being invoiced.
Why the telescope needed rain protection
Large telescopes are normally well protected under a dome. The instrument’s design therefore didn’t account for larger amounts of water getting in from outside, and a gap was left open all the way around the upper part of the housing. When the observatory roof was opened when it shouldn’t have been, a sudden change in the weather sent rainwater in through exactly that gap. The electronics, drive and encoders were damaged, resulting in a five-figure loss.
To make sure this never happens again, Christof Reinhart needed a cover that can’t be bought anywhere. The solution turned up at an event: Replique’s 3D printer was running at its booth, a conversation started, and it turned into a joint project.
Precisely designed, printed and installed
Replique’s engineering team designed the cover to the exact dimensions of the mount. It consists of two halves that are placed over the open gap from the left and right, so nothing on the telescope has to be taken apart. The parts were printed using the FDM process in PET, a robust plastic that copes well with moisture and temperature fluctuations. For a one-off part like this, 3D printing is ideal: no tooling is required, and adjustments can be made quickly.
The finished parts traveled to La Palma in checked luggage. On site, just two millimeters had to be reworked in one spot, and then everything fit.
“Ignacio Rodriguez, one of the engineers at Replique, designed a solution incredibly quickly, and it fit right away. Now the telescope is finally protected from rain, and I don’t have to worry anymore.” – Christof Reinhart
Ready for clear nights again
Since then, the telescope has been back in operation, photographing nebulae, star clusters and galaxies. And Christof Reinhart has even bigger plans: in future, the images won’t just be used privately but will also be made available to professional research.
A donation to the Sterntaler children’s hospice
Replique normally manufactures exclusively for businesses. For this project, the team was happy to make an exception. Instead of issuing a real invoice, material costs and working hours were calculated and the value of €500 was passed on as a donation. Christof Reinhart doubled the amount, bringing the total going to Kinderhospiz Sterntaler to €1,000. The Mannheim-based association supports children, adolescents and young adults with life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families.
“It’s great to see what can come out of an event: you get talking at the 3D printer, and in the end there’s a solution for a telescope on La Palma. We really enjoyed this exciting project and are even happier that it has turned into a donation for the Sterntaler children’s hospice.” – Nick Dinges, CTO, Replique
Find out in detail how the cover was designed and manufactured in the use case on the telescope cover.
About Replique GmbH
Replique is an all-in-one contract manufacturer for industrial components based in Mannheim, Germany. Through a central platform, the company enables decentralized, demand-driven production of prototypes, series and spare parts – on demand, technology-agnostic and to industrial standards. More than 100 customers rely on Replique and its global network of certified production partners. Replique is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.
