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Air Tables Are Not Always Needed for Vibration Isolation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Anthony G. Moss*
Affiliation:
Auburn University

Extract

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Most of the time an air table is not needed for vibration isolation of electrophysiological equipment and microscopes. In fact, an air table can be a liability in that it is likely to pick up air-borne vibrations. This is especially likefy if you have a solid enclosure, as is often used for the construction of Faraday cages used in electrophysiological investigations of vision research. Sound propagation can be particularly annoying, especially at the lower frequencies. Such important details are often forgotten in discussions of this topic.

A good damping table will help reduce the resonances, but still often can't overcome the difficulty posed by sound. One of the best solutions is proper placement of the entire rig: on the slab in the basement in a quiet place with no heavy vibrations from nearby heating, ventilating, and airconditioning (HVAC) and other equipment.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 1999