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​​​COMPANY

Company profile

ASH is a Dutch company that is specialized in the design and production
of high quality astronomical instruments for the demanding amateur.

 

Herman ten Haaf, founder of ASH is a technical engineer with more than
40 years of experience. Because of his outstanding craftsmanship many amateurs have found there way to Herman over the past years.

 

ASH is not a company where you can buy standard equipment.
On the contrary: ASH is specialized in custom made (astronomical) instruments and parts. ASH has expertise on optical and mechanical
design, as well as the knowledge and competence to give you advise
on your own projects.

 

Please take your time to look around at our website and do not hesitate
to contact us: 

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Company Quality

Quality is what it's all about at Astro Systems Holland.
Herman ten Haaf personally guarantees that every product is made according to the highest standards and materials.

In our workshop you will, for example, find a precision lathe and a precision coordinate drilling- and milling machine, amongst many other special tooling.

The optical systems are assembled and tested in a special underground optical shop. This temperature controlled room has a 4 meter optical bench. 

Assembly and testing of the optical systems takes place using advanced laser- and autocollimator tools.

To guarantee his own high standards, commercially available equipment was not good enough and did not match up to the high quality levels and criteria needed. Therefore Herman designed and build all his manufacturing and testing equipment by himself. 

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Company Award

To honor his work in the design and construction of optical instruments and observatories for the Dutch amateur telescope making society in general and his work for the Halley observatory in particular,
Herman ten Haaf has received the Dr. J. van der Biltprijs 2000 from prof. dr. H. van Woerden, chairman of the Royal Netherlands Association
for Meteorology and Astronomy .

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COMPANY HISTORY

Herman ten Haaf is a technical engineer with more than 50 years of experience. After a short civil engineering study, he changed to mechanical engineering with a specialization in mechanical and optical engineering. He worked as a technical engineer for many years in a number of companies. During these years he worked in the field of  precision engineering, the design of complex machinery and optical engineering. After a number of years he started his own company Astro Systems Holland. His interest in telescopes started when he was still a young boy.
For many years he was an active member of the Dutch Meteor Society. Together with some friends, he took the initiative to build an observatory on a dark remote location.

His civil engineering turned out to be of great help. He started to make his own mirrors and has built many telescopes over the years.
Soon he built his own workshop with lathe and optical bench.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herman in his younger years....

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