Vibration isolation systems for the laboratory from Accurion
Accurion designs and manufactures the Halcyonics range of advanced vibration reduction systems for today's exacting nanotechnologies. Whether it's high-resolution measurement or a high-precision manufacturing process, effective anti-vibration solutions are required to achieve maximum performance.
Active vibration isolation overcomes the limits of passive damping systems, enabling the attenuation of vibrations caused by machinery, people, traffic, even sound waves, that would disturb delicate instruments.
The systems detailed below are designed for scientific or medical applications in the laboratory. The workstation group consists of three types: the Workstation_i4 has a small isolated surface for lightweight applications, while the Workstation_Vario has a larger isolated surface. The IVF_Workstation incorporates an active vibration isolation platform built into desk-style lab table to enable ergonomic use of a microscope.
Applications for the Workstation series include: Scanning probe microscopy, inverted optical microscopy with or without SPM combination, confocal microscopy, profilometry, nanoindentation, patch-clamp setups, laser setups, and many more.
The Workstation_i4 offers a compact active isolated surface surrounded by a conventional non-isolated laboratory desk surface. This makes it especially ideal for microscopes or microscope/SPM combinations, as the surrounding surface can be used to place additional equipment.
The Workstation_Vario systems come with an inset steel-framed optical breadboard as the working surface for larger and heavier applications. The outer supporting frame can be also used for the installation of acoustic enclosures. There are three sizes of this workstation, each with a different load capacity.
Accurion's IVF Workstation, although it was specifically designed for in-vitro-fertilisation, is ideal for applications where biologists need to ergonomically sit in front of their microscope.
The workstation consists of a lab table with integrated active vibration isolation system to actively compensate incoming vibrations. The application on top of the isolator is therefore protected from vibrations while the user's arms can rest comfortably on the non-isolated surface without impacting the procedure.
A number of papers have been published by scientists around the globe who have used Halcyonics vibration isolated workstations within their research. Here is an example: