Astronomical Mirrors and Large-size optics Manufacturing Blanks configuring and lightweightening process To mill a shape and a structure of large-size optical components, precision equipment, allowing to have light-weighted blanks for optical components up to 4000mm in diameter and to an accuracy of 10nu with a variety of light-weighting designs is used.

Honeycombed structure of light-weighted of blanks of astronomical mirrors diameter 1540 m

Box structure of light-weighted of diameter 512mm mirror

Triangular structure of light-weighted of
elliptical form 662x312mm mirror

Adaptive astronomical mirrors manufacturing Example in the left – diameter 3300mm adaptive mirror mounting to standard support

In view of the great experience in the manufacturing of large-size astronomical mirrors, the works and developments on the manufacturing multilayer light-weighted mirrors basing on the electro-adhesive connection technology as well as using non-traditional materials, such as "self-tied" silicone carbide (SiC), are in progress at our company.
The technology of electro-adhesive connection allows to obtain astronomical multilayer mirrors up to 2000mm in diameter, which consist of weight-reduced body and covering plates. The design like this increases mirror's stiffness considerably.