Finite Element Modeling and Analysis of Light Weight Circular Surface Plates

Metrology applications require surface plates of high accuracy and stability Surface plates are made in different sizes, shapes and with different materials. The most common shape is rectangular and the most common material is steel or granite. The accuracy of the surface is obtained by repeated measurements and by lapping the non-flat regions. In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze the circular surface plates to reduce its weight and optimize the deflection by different support locations and different types of ribbing.