Aerospace & Defense
The aerospace and defense market presents some of the most challenging applications around.
The systems and subsystems are mission-critical, whether rotating a radar tower to communicate with military assets or positioning a solar panel on a space telescope. At Motion Systems, we work with tier-one defense and aerospace contractors, as well as with space agencies, to build the systems that enable them to potentially change the world and our understanding of it.
Industry Challenge
In aerospace and defense, nothing is more important than performance. Systems are frequently one of a kind, developed under tight deadlines. They need to meet extremely strict tolerances and comply with standards such as military specifications and aviation safety requirements. Systems frequently operate under punishing environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures, shock and vibration, radiation, humidity and salt air, and contamination. In particular for space exploration, devices need to last. Repair is difficult for orbital systems but for a space probe on a one-way trip to the stars, maintenance is impossible.
The Motion Solutions Advantage
Motion Solutions specializes in designing and building electro-mechanical assemblies for these very demanding applications. At our Aliso Viejo production facility, we have both manufacturing capabilities and an array of specialized test equipment that lets us fully verify each aspect of a product, from prototype to production model. We have multiple coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), including one capable of evaluating parts as large as 16 feet. With our in-house machine shop, we can customize parts and modify components at a moment’s notice, rather than sending them out to a job shop. This level of responsiveness is particularly important for aerospace and defense applications that might involve an order size of three rather than 300.
Proven Solutions
Aerospace and defense systems operate on land, in the air, and in space. At Motion Solutions, we have developed assemblies for all of these environments. We apply our institutional knowledge to move equipment stably, accurately, and repeatably. We have worked repeatedly on positioning systems for radar towers, satellites, and other space-based equipment. To this, we add our expertise in working with equipment designed for operation in clean-room and vacuum environments.
For many applications in this space, there is no margin for error in terms of system failure or failure to meet deadline. Projects frequently cost millions of dollars and involve years of development. To avoid unpleasant surprises and ensure success, we work closely with our customers during their proposal stage so that they can write not just a winning proposal but a successful proposal. Our engineering team applies techniques like finite-element analysis and mechatronic modeling to help clients ensure that the project they want to build actually can be built as described. We help them refine the design. Then, when they have won the project and are preparing to build it, we are in the best possible position to step in and contribute to their success.
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