Elston Engineering Services has worked with Astrium and manufacturers of composite components to extend the use of composites from the reflector (carbon fibre) and radome (glass-reinforced plastic) to the support base, thus reducing mass and improving stiffness and stability.

The culmination of this has been the design, analysis and build of SCOTPatrol in 2011, with all the main structural components of the three-axis pedestal produced from carbon fibre composites.  This achieved a system mass of less than 90kg against a target of 150kg for the 800mm diameter dish version SPM800X, with elegant designs for the base, riser, cross-level gimbal (yoke) and combined reflector and elevation gimbal arms.