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…Outperformed any and all other trucks that we have had in our fleet since the beginning. Tornado (Hydrovacs) have a strong desire to keep evolving and making improvements to their high standard equipment enabling customers to take pride in the fact that they have chosen the right company…"

David M. Kerper
General Manager, Atlas Daylighting LLC

W.M. Keck I and II Telescopes
Mauna Kea, Hawaii for the California Institute of Technology

The twin Keck 10-meter telescopes are currently the largest ground- based telescopes in the world. Dynamic Structures overcame unique challenges on both of these leading-edge projects.

Keck II

Dynamic Structures worked closely with astronomers and scientists to find the best-engineered solution for the design/manufacture of the telescope’s structure, optical modules and segmented mirrors. One of the most challenging factors was working at extremely high elevations on the summit of Mauna Kea - 13,978 feet. Over a period of four years DSL developed detail solutions which minimized joint eccentricity for the structural connections. The entire telescope was assembled prior to shipment to the site and tested for compliance to extremely fine tolerances. The mirror cell structure (consisting of over 500 individual members) and the azimuth journal (the precision steel rail on which the telescope rotates) were manufactured in modules and shipped for final onsite assembly. Specialized joint designs, welding procedures and custom grinding equipment ensured each joint was finished to within micron accuracy. Design and construction of the Keck II represents the pinnacle of creative thinking and successful project planning.

Keck I

Based on Dynamic Structures past experience designing telescope enclosures, the Company was challenged to find a new solution for a complex enclosure which would protect the first Keck telescope thermally and dynamically. A new style of "up-and-over shutters” were engineered to minimize the enclosure diameter and thus thermal inertia. Unique bogies to support the 750-ton structure were designed to be self-steering in order to compensate for thermal changes in the enclosure shape. The success Dynamic Structures achieved on the first Keck enclosure earned a greatly expanded role on the subsequent Keck II project.

Together the twin Keck telescopes continue to be the world's leading- edge observatories. Many incredible astronomical discoveries have been made possible by the existence of these facilities. Now Dynamic Structures is pushing the limits of design engineering to new heights with preliminary work on what will become the largest telescope project in the world - the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

Click HERE to learn more about the exciting TMT project.

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