Negative-Stiffness Vibration Isolators from Minus K Technology

Negative-stiffness Vibration Isolators provide a simple, reliable, and highly effective isolation solution for sensitive instrumentation. They are particularly good at isolating the low frequencies and amplitudes of floor and building vibrations. They are relatively small, light weight, stable, and cost-effective.

Minus K negative-stiffness isolators are manually-adjustable, completely mechanical and do not require air or electricity. Isolation is achieved using a proprietary arrangement of springs and negative-stiffness mechanisms.

These systems provide isolation in 6 degrees of freedom with natural frequencies as low as 0.5 Hz. For a 0.5-Hz system, isolation begins around 0.7 Hz. They offer 10-100 times better performance than most high-performance air tables, especially in the 5-10 Hz range. Multiple isolators can be used together, which allows great versatility in designing for a range of applications and form factors. Minus K's negative-stiffness technology has been used to isolate payloads from a few pounds to many tons. The isolators are easy to use and adjust. They can be more economical than air systems, take up less space, provide better isolation, especially at low frequencies and require no maintenance.

Low frequency vibrations come from many sources, such as: seismic activity, highway traffic, airports, trains, building HVAC systems, etc. They are particularly troublesome for micro and nano technology research and instrumentation. Minus K Technology’s signature 0.5 Hz offers the best vibration isolation performance for these particularly difficult low frequencies.

Minus K manufactures 0.5 Hz passive vibration isolators. They come in a variety of sizes, including bench top, workstations (multiple sizes), floor platforms for SEM/TEMs and custom units. Isolators can be modified for cleanroom, low magnetism or vacuum compatibility as needed. Some of the applications negative-stiffness isolators are used for include: Microscopy (SPM, SEM, AFM, etc.), Micro-Hardness Testing, Laser/Optical Systems, Laser Interferometry, Biology/Neuroscience, Analytical Balances, Audio Reproduction, Micro/Nano Coordinate Measuring Machines, Crystal Growing, Cryostat Suspension and Spacecraft Testing.

Give Minus K your Vibration Isolation Challenge.