10Micron is a division of COMEC-Technology, an Italian precision mechanics and equipment Company, born in the sixties years.
From the beginning, COMEC goals have always been innovation, high quality, accuracy and affordability. Youth and experience are two “seasons” in man’s life that it is difficult to find blended within the same generation. But it’s just youth, experience and spirit of innovation that constitute the secret with which our company has faced its work over the past 50 years.
The Company today, with a Baader Planetarium Dome for instruments testing
Quality and Innovation
When 10micron showed us the GM 2000 QCI mount in 2003, we immediately recognized the advantages of this unique concept. Since then, Baader Planetarium is the official distributor and service center for all EU countries except Italy. The GM 2000 QCI contains so much built-in intelligence that it virtually "knows" that it is an astronomical mount - and that was new to the market at the time. It fascinated us with its mechanical precision as well as its ability to perform many tasks "stand alone" that conventional mounts can only do with an additional laptop connected.
The 10micron QCI quickly became an alternative to the current mounts of the established manufacturers. More and more amateur astronomers use them, as do professionals in research and science. While the quantities produced could hardly keep up with demand, 10micron, in collaboration with Baader Planetarium, continued to develop the software and hardware. Over time, mount accessories such as tripods, clamps and dovetail bars emerged, and the "Leonardo" binocular mount complemented the product line. Many GM 2000 QCI mounts still work reliably after two decades in use, proving the high quality of manufacturing.
HPS-Technology
From 2004 on, a larger version of the mount, the GM 4000 QCI, found its place in many observatories around the world. With the HPS technology, encoders were used in the two mounts in 2011, combining the advantages of mechanical drives and direct-drive mounts (see https://10micron.eu/informationen/unterschiede-von-montierungsbauweisen). It was a completely new and worldwide unique concept. Since then, this technology has often been copied by other manufacturers, but due to the clear development lead of 10micron, they often do not reach the standard set be 10micron.
The new mounts were called "HPS" (High Precision and Speed). Two years later, the smaller, easy-to-carry GM 1000 HPS was introduced, with a slightly different look. For example, it required only one connection cable between the control electronics and the mount instead of two cables as in the 2000/4000 "HPS I" mounts. In addition, the motors of the GM 1000 HPS were provided with protective housings and various other detail improvements were made. This mount spread enormously fast among the mobile working amateur astronomers.
The same exterior and interior changes were made shortly thereafter to the GM 2000 HPS and 4000 HPS. These mounts are called "HPS II", because - in contrast to the GM 1000 HPS - there was a predecessor model. Shortly after, the GM 3000 HPS was launched, also in the "GM 1000 style". Since there are no predecessors of this mount, it is also not called "HPS II". AZ versions of the HPS mounts were also developed. The larger versions (from AZ 2000 HPS) have the advantage that you can mount another telescope instead of the counterweight.
In the future
Since 2016, 10micron has been working on a new line of AZ series direct drive mounts where the axis is also the motor. The AZ 5000, as the first product in the series, has been used in observatories since 2021. This concept allows even higher speeds and tracking accuracies than required in astronomy. They are mainly used for satellite tracking, space debris monitoring and similar tasks.
Surely we will see many more new developments from 10micron in the future!
Our history commenced in the 1950’s when our father’s passion for mechanics had a significative influence on his sons education. Fortified by this conviction, Mariotti brothers founded a small mechanical workshop in 1960. Aware of the will to continue, they established the current company premises in Caronno Pertusella in 1968.
The following years witnessed the continuous development of production with the design and construction of new machines and special equipment, for use in various sectors such as that of glass, food, jewelry and so on.
At the end of the 1980’s technological innovation, the advent of electronics and confrontation on ever more competitive markets made it essential for COMEC to expand the sphere of its activity.
Today the third generation has taken up the challenge of the new millennium, with the use of manufacturing and logistics structures covering an area of approximately 2000 sqm, surrounded by 3000 sqm of parkland, where it employs numerous workers whose professionalism and passion, combined with the use of forefront production systems, constitute a well-founded guarantee for the future, with the purpose of providing the customers with an ever more complete, high quality service.
Thanks to this philosophy and to the passion for astronomy and science, and after several years of experience, it has been possible to found the 10Micron division, specialized in design and production of astronomical telescope mounts with a professional grade of quality and with extraordinary and innovative features. New workers and new departments brought a so huge improvement in electronics and software fields that 10Micron developed exclusive, innovative and top level performance systems and became a leader in astronomical telescope mounts. 10Micron and COMEC power is based on this 50 years old experience and a continuos effort to improve, to keep updated on the last knowledge and to analysis the market and the customer needs.
Assembly area: a wide space is dedicated for the final assembly of the mounts.
Testing area and laboratories: in this area we can made deep tests on the electronic and mechanical parts in order to warranty that each delivered mount has passed our restrictive quality tests.
One of the production departments: precision machinery is essential in order to reach the accuracy that has made 10Micron famous.
10Micron is a division of:
Comec snc
Via Archimede 719
21042 Caronno Pertusella (VA) Italy
Tel: +39 02 96457330
