Case Study: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation cuts design cycles in half and accelerates observatory upgrades with SolidWorks

Upgrading a world-class observatory with SOLIDWORKS®

The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation operates a world-class 3.6‑meter observatory on Maunakea and faced the ongoing challenge of modernizing and maintaining its facility and instruments while accessing decades of legacy drawings. After finding Autodesk Inventor cumbersome and workstation‑bound, CFHT adopted SolidWorks Research Edition 3D design software to improve portability, speed up upgrades, and streamline collaboration with partners.

By implementing SolidWorks, CFHT halved its design and development cycles, improved compatibility with vendors, and expanded CAD work into the observatory itself by running designs on a laptop on‑site. SolidWorks also enhanced design visualization (including PhotoView 360 renderings) and supported the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer project, enabling faster modeling, better design reviews, and measurable reductions in project time.

Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation

Greg Green

Instrument Designer & Machinist