Manufacturing Process
Our telescopes are manufactured & assembled near Southampton. They are then galvanised & powder coated for us in Kent.
Hot Dipped Galvanizing
A coating that can last up to 170 years. Hot dip galvanizing has been used worldwide for well over a century because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack. Applying a hot dip galvanizing process to steelwork provides fabrications with a robust, durable and corrosion protective finish that under normal conditions will last for many years without maintenance of any sort.
Linishing
After galvanising the parts are linished to remove any sharp edges & smooth the surfaces
9 Stage Pre-Treatment With Zinc Phosphate
One of the most important things to get right when applying coatings is the pre-treatment stage. Ensuring the substrate is adequately prepared is essential to obtain optimum coating performance. Zinc Phosphate is an ideal treatments for optimising adhesion and corrosion protection.
Powder Coating
Powder coating is a type of paint that is mainly applied to metals to provide a harder finish than a normal paint. The paint is applied as a powder electrostatically from a spray gun. It is cured in an oven under a high heat to form a tough, durable skin. This acts as a low maintenance, long lasting, colourful covering for our steel based telescopes.
Oven Baked
After powder coating the telescope parts are oven baked. In the convection oven, the heated air first heats the substrate. When the substrate reaches full temperature it will conduct heat into the coating and the powder will begin to cure and harden.
Finished Product
Our telescopes are built to last!