Frequently asked questions
about vibration isolaton, instruments & accessoires
-
Q1: I have got vibration problems! What can I do?
High-precision measurements and high-resolution microscopy, especially down to the nanometer-scale, can be easily disturbed by vibrations from outside. Possible sources are:
- building and floor vibrations (vertical: 5-30 Hz, horizontal: 0.5-10 Hz)
- acoustic vibrations (>20 Hz)
- motorized equipment and machinery (10-500 Hz)
Passive and active isolation systems are available to dampen these unwanted vibrations. Passive systems are often applied by mounting the system on rubber stamps inside an acoustic hood or using a heavy table mounted on soft springs. This solution can be used successfully to isolate relatively high frequencies (>50 Hz), but beware this is the worst possible "solution" for low frequency building vibration. Active systems actively attenuate low frequency vibrations, especially in the range where passive systems have their resonance frequency.See chapter 'TECHNOLOGY' for further details
-
Q2: Why active damping and what are the limits of passive damping?
Passive systems do not damp vibrations at low frequencies because of their resonance frequency in that region.
To improve this disadvantage passive system have to be very soft resulting in higher latencies between disturbances.Active systems overcome this limit when applying inertial velocity in a feedback loop (analog electronic).
The advantages of active systems over passive systems are:
- inherently stiff
- rapid recovery from shock (1-10ms)
- no air required
- no setup time required
- small size
- better performance than the best passive systems
-
Q3: How can I isolate low frequency vibrations, caused by floor, traffic, sound, etc.?
Low frequency vibrations can be damped by active vibration isolation systems (eg. the TS- and AVI-series).
-
Q4: I don´t really know the frequency and dimension of my disturbances. Can you help me?
Yes of course!
We offer vibration analysis in your laboratory in order to determine the best solution for your individual application.
-
Q5: Is it possible to get a demo system for testing the effect on our individual application?
Yes, we offer demo systems to show the effect of our damping systems in combination with your specific instrument.
-
Q6: What kind of load capacities and instrument dimensions can be covered by the TS- and AVI-systems?
The TS- and AVI-systems cover a wide range of loads and instrument dimensions:
System System Type Max. Load Dimensions TS-C30 Tabletop 40 kg 300x300x70 mm3 TS150 Tabletop 150 kg 400x450x75 mm3 TS140 Tabletop 140 kg 500x600x84 mm3 TS300LT Tabletop 120 kg 600x800x120 mm3 TS140+40 Tabletop 50 - 180 kg 500x600x84 mm3 TS300 Tabletop 300 kg 600x800x120 mm3 AVI200-Series Modular 400 kg (expandable) customizable AVI400-Series Modular 800 kg (expandable) customizable AVI600-Series Modular 1600 kg (expandable) customizable The basic configuration of an AVI setup consists of two modules.
-
Q7: What are typical applications of the TS-Systems?
System Applications TS150 AFM, optical Microscopy, SNOM, ... TS140 AFM, LSM, SNOM, Profilometry, ... TS300LT Profilometry, Nano Lithography, ... TS140+40 AFM, LSM, SNOM, Profilometry, ... TS300 Profilometry, Nano Indentation, ... AVI200-Series SEM, UHV-STM, water inspection systems, ... AVI400-Series SEM, UHV-STM, Interferometry, Nanoengineering, ... AVI600-Series SEM, UHV-STM, TEM, ... -
Q8: Is it possible to switch the system on & off via remote control?
Yes, an optional remote control is available for the TS Series systems.
-
Q9: Are there different top plates available for the Tabletop Systems?
Yes, it's possible to select between aluminium and stainless steel.
Additionally the customer can select between a blank top plate and a top plate with a M6x50mm grid.
Specially customized top plates are available on request. -
Q10: What kind of additional accessories will be offered by HWL?
Beside the remote control, the exciter boxes and the vibration analysis system VA-2C (see 'ACCESSORIES' for further information), HWL offers standard and customized support frames and table top plates as well as an integrated work environment for our antivibration systems. (see 'WORKSTATION' for further information)
-
Q11: Do the systems require calibration?
All TS-series systems will adjust themselves automatically and balance different load distributions of the setup. The AVI-series systems will have to be adjusted once to a certain load distribution range.
