What Is an Optical Table?

Optical platforms, also known as optical breadboards, optical tabletops, scientific desktops, and experimental platforms, provide a level and stable tabletop. Generally, platforms need vibration isolation and other measures to ensure that they are not disturbed by external factors and allow scientific experiments to proceed normally. At present, there are two main categories: active and passive. There are two types of passive rubber and air flotation.

Optical platform

Optical platform, also known as optics

Optical platforms are functionally divided into fixed and adjustable; passive or active.

The optical platform is widely used in the fields of optics, electronics, precision machinery manufacturing, metallurgy, aerospace, aviation, marine, precision chemical and non-destructive testing, as well as other key devices for vibration isolation of precision test instruments and equipment in the machinery industry.

The basic components of a standard optical platform include: 1. a top plate; 2.

Support

The optical platform includes a rigid, vibration-isolating support frame, a passive vibration-isolation support frame, and an active self-leveling support frame.

Other Accessories

Other optical platform accessories include shelves, mounts, under-table shelves, vibration isolation accessories, pole-mounted optical platform accessories, adjustable optical climbing frame mounts, seismic suppression, optical breadboard covers, shading materials, magnetics Flakes and more.

Scientific experiments in the scientific community today require more and more precise calculations and measurements. Therefore, a device that can be relatively isolated from the external environment and interference is very important for measuring the results of experiments. Optical platforms capable of fixing various optical components and microscope imaging equipment have also become essential products in scientific research experiments. One of the main goals of an optical platform is to eliminate the relative displacement between any two or more components on the platform.

Optical platform damping

The most important characteristic of an optical table or breadboard is its resonance frequency. Resonance frequency and amplitude are negatively correlated, so the resonance frequency should be increased as much as possible to minimize vibration intensity. Platforms and breadboards vibrate within a specific frequency range. To improve performance, the damping effect of each size platform and breadboard needs to be optimized.

Platform damping requires various tests to optimize its thickness / area ratio. Larger platforms (with a side length of at least 10 feet or 3 meters) have a standard thickness of 12.2 inches (310 mm) for improved stability. For smaller area platforms, the thickness can be 8.3 inches (210 mm) or 12.2 inches (310 mm), and larger sizes can be customized.

Optical platform compliance

The most widely used vibration response transfer function for optical platforms is compliance. In the case of constant (static) force, compliance can be defined as the ratio of linear or angular misalignment to the applied external force. In the case of dynamic changing force (vibration), compliance can be defined as the ratio of the excited amplitude (angle or linear dislocation) to the amplitude of the vibration force. Arbitrary deflection of the platform can be expressed by the relative position changes of the components mounted on the surface of the platform. Therefore, by definition, the smaller the compliance value, the closer the optical stage is to the design's primary goal: to minimize deflection. The compliance is frequency dependent, and its unit of measurement is the amount of displacement (meters / newtons) without unit force.

Optical platform measurement method

Use a pulse hammer to apply a measured external force to the surface of the platform or breadboard, and attach a sensor to the surface of the platform or breadboard to measure the combined vibration.

The signal from the detector is read by the analyzer and used to generate a frequency response spectrum (that is, a compliance curve). During the development of the optical platform, the compliance curves of many points on the surface of the platform are recorded; however, the compliances at the four corners of the platform are often the largest. Therefore, the compliance curve and data released by the company are measured by the flat sensors at the four corners of the table, thus illustrating the data results in the least ideal case.

Optical platform single test data

Products need to be tested independently, with a separate test data report and compliance curve. This provides more data than industry standards that use a single-size compliance curve to represent all product characteristics. The compliance curve and data are measured at the four corners of the table with a flat sensor, so the results of the data in the least ideal case are illustrated.