Benchtop Vibration Isolation Platforms

Vibration Isolation System Applications

 

Microscopy (SPM, SEM, AFM, etc.)

Minus K isolators enable SPM’s to achieve their highest level of performance. They provide the performance of an ideal bungee system and the convenience of a bench top system without any of the problems associated with any of them, including air tables.

Quantum Computing

The nature of quantum computing is such that the state of the qubits can be adversely affected by numerous external influences, vibration being one of them. Use of a very high-performance vibration isolator, such as Minus K’s 0.5 Hz isolators can minimise the vibrations that could cause problems for the qubits including decoherence.

Storage unit for qubits must be able to stabilise the qubits and certain requirements have to be met. These can range from needing to be near zero degrees with the use of cryostats and/or the use of a vacuum chamber.

Minus K Technology isolators are totally passive, use no air or electricity, and will not create any acoustic noise, exhaust particulation, or generate any heat. The isolators can support cryostats and vacuum chambers for experiments or be integrated directly into quantum computing systems.

Micro-Hardness Testing / Nano Indentation

Lower vibrations provide finer details and more repeatable results.

Laser/Optical Systems

Laser and optical systems, whether used in an academic lab or in an industrial environment, are very susceptible to vibrations from the environment. These instruments almost always need vibration isolation. Traditionally, large air tables have been the systems preferred for optical systems. This is no longer the case. Minus K isolators provide 10-100 times the performance of air tables, depending on the vibration frequency.

They don't need air or electricity and they are compact and easy to move around. Some users need the array of threaded holes that breadboards provide. In that case it is quite easy to put a breadboard on top of one of our antivibration isolators. It is also common to put a larger breadboard across two or more of our isolators.

Laser based interferometers are exquisitely sensitive devices that are capable of resolving nanometre scale motions/features. They often have very long mechanical paths which makes them even more sensitive to vibrations. The sophisticated modern ellipsometry techniques that allow this high performance rely on low noise to be able to detect fringe movement. Properly isolating an interferometer will allow it to provide the highest possible resolution.

Optical profilers have similar sensitivity to vibrations. Keeping external vibrations from the typically long optical path yields improved sensitivity and more reliable measurements. It is no longer necessary to do the most sensitive measurements at all hours of the night.

Optical component systems are often quite complex. The long optical paths can lead to angular magnification of vibrations. Typically used optical air tables can make the problems worse since they have a resonant frequency that often matches that of floor vibrations. Our 1/2 Hz isolators provide isolation in these environments when air tables simply cannot.

Spacecraft Ground Testing

Minus K Technology, Inc. works with many aerospace and education laboratories for custom vibration isolation systems. They have manufactured custom vibration isolators for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), German Center for Aerospace (DLR), European Space Research and Technology Centre/European Space Agency (ESTEC/ESA) in addition to the JWST custom isolators for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Biology/Neuroscience

Minus K vibration isolation systems offer significant advantages for patch clamping, electrophysiology measurements, fluorescent dye imaging and other applications in biology and neuroscience.

Microelectronics/MEMS Fabrication

Lower vibrations mean more productivity and less part rejection (higher yield).

Cryostats

Cryostats often contain very sensitive instrumentation. They come in many different shapes, sizes and weights. Whether you are doing low temperature AFM, NMR or something else, we have several options available.

Analytical Balances

Minus K vibration isolation systems enable analytical balances to operate in vibration environments not previously possible, such as in manufacturing facilities with heavy equipment and on upper floors of buildings.

Audio Reproduction

The highest-performance vibration isolation platforms that have been widely used in industry for the most sensitive applications like atomic force microscopes are now available at competitive prices to enhance your audio systems.

Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing

Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing (DFOS) is a technology that enables continuous, real-time measurements along the entire length of a fibre optic cable at very fine spatial intervals. Because a fibre optic cable can be installed in harsh environments for long periods of time, the technology holds promise for environmental monitoring of sensitive geologic operations.

Vacuum Isolation

Minus K vibration isolation systems can be made vacuum compatible so they can be used right inside vacuum chambers. In addition to their superior vibration isolation performance, this offers other advantages of much lower payload weights, more compact systems, and eliminates problems associated with vacuum chamber feed-throughs.

Large-Displacement Systems

Minus K has developed the technology to produce passive vibration isolation platforms capable of large displacements and low frequencies, vertical and horizontal, and suitable for some vehicle applications. Because of the passive, low-stiffness behaviour, they cannot handle quasi-steady manoeuvre loads but they can be used to stabilise platforms for taking measurements or pointing during constant steady motion.

Heavy Systems

Minus K vibration isolation systems can be designed for very heavy payloads.

Custom Systems

Minus K engineers can design a variety of custom vibration isolation systems. Frequently these are modifications of other designs such as changing the load capacity of an SM-1 isolator, or the capacity, size and isolator locations on a FP-1 Platform.