Abstract of the Offer
Loxham Precision offer a large space mirror manufacturing service that is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, UK. Loxham Precision is a UK owned private limited company that can provide ultra precision manufacturing services and design support as a sub-contractor / project partner.
Loxham's engineers have been involved in many telescope projects; RoSAT, Chandra, EELT and JWST - having produced mirrors or metrology technologies to support their effective production. They offer a unique large mirror manufacturing service with expertise in mirror fixture design and metrology, and are keen to be a sub-contractor or project partner (Not a lead partner)
Description
Loxham Precision operates the largest diamond turning machine in the UK. It has a 1.5m diameter and 600mm height capacity. The Loxham team have produced many of the mirrors of the JWST and earlier telescopes / EO. The company operates under an ISO 9001 approved quality management system.
Advantages and Innovations
Loxham Precision has developed a specialised ultra-precision manufacturing capability for large-scale optical components, particularly space mirrors. Their approach integrates high-accuracy diamond turning with advanced metrology techniques to achieve superior optical performance.
Ultra-precision diamond turning at large scale
- Loxham operates the UK's largest diamond turning machine (1.5m diameter, 600mm height capacity), which is beyond the typical size limits of commercially available diamond turning machines.
- The machine can handle work pieces up to ~500kg, significantly expanding the range of manufacturable large optical components.
Exceptional surface quality and form accuracy
- Achieves form accuracy of ~1 µm per metre of aperture size, meeting demanding optical performance requirements.
- Delivers surface roughness in the range of 5 – 20 nm Ra, reducing the need for extensive post-polishing.
Integrated mirror fixture design and metrology
- Precision fixturing techniques ensure that mirror distortion during manufacturing is minimised, preserving optical integrity.
- Advanced in-situ metrology enables real-time monitoring of surface quality and dimensional accuracy, reducing errors and material waste.
Experience in high-performance space optics
- The team has contributed to major telescope programmes, including JWST, RoSAT, Chandra, and EELT, demonstrating proven expertise in manufacturing critical optical components.