The challenge: The Thirty Meter Telescope project requires hundreds of large mirror segments. Each optic substrate is 1.5 meters in diameter and weighs 450 pounds — a single drop or overstress event destroys months of work. The manufacturer needed tooling to move, hold, and measure these substrates safely.

What we designed: Substrate handling tooling for 1.5 m OD, 450 lb. optics, with Finite Element Analysis on every load path to guarantee both substrate safety and personnel safety.

Kinematic tooling for interferometric inspection of large satellite optics — repeatable, stress-free mounting so the measurement reflects the optic, not the fixture.

Manufacturing fixtures for precision optics, supporting the fabrication process from grinding through final figuring.

Coating stress analysis using FEA to verify the optical prescription would hold in a zero-gravity environment — coatings induce surface stress, and what measures perfectly on Earth can deform in orbit.

The skills involved: Large optics handling, kinematic mount design, FEA structural and coating stress analysis, interferometer fixturing, design for safety certification.

Working with large or high-value optics? Contact us before you design your handling and test fixtures.