How do you ensure axial alignment in a wave spring assembly to prevent 'tilting' of the mating components?

Tilting occurs if the wave spring does not apply a perfectly uniform load around its circumference. This is often caused by using a single-turn spring with a gap. To mitigate this in high-precision optical mounts, a multi-turn crest-to-crest spring or a nested spring is used, as they provide more contact points (waves). Additionally, the mating surface should have a flatness tolerance comparable to the wave height. In some cases, a 'load-centering' washer is placed between the spring and the component to average out any local load variations from the spring's peaks.