Features:

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• Active electro-pneumatic vibration isolation with up to six degrees of freedom.
• Highly-effective isolation of vibration without resonance amplification.
• Optimal positional precision in both the vertical and horizontal. Minimal deflection and subsidence times when machine changes loads.
• Highly-effective real-time control. SPS, CAN bus, one control unit for each degree of freedom and a highly-dynamic proportional position valve.
• Each control unit has its own processor and an integrated, high-resolution sensor for position, pressure and acceleration.
• Easy-to-use, intelligent WinSNI software for operation and diagnostics.
• Simple digital switching between scanning mode (during sensitive machine operations) and loading mode. (while machine load is being changed)
• No feed-forward signal required.
• In contrast to electro-magnetic actuators or linear motors, no generation of heat or magnetic fields which could disturb machine operation. Consumption of electricity is held within normal limits.

Range of Applications:

Optimal vibration isolation for highly-dynamic measurement and test machines, laser equipment, high-resolution microscopes, as well as inspection and production equipment in the semiconductor industry. AIS™ is used whenever the isolation effectiveness and response times of conventional air spring insulators with conventional leveling systems are not sufficient to the task.

AIS™ has two functions:

To protect vibration-sensitive machines from vibrations emanating from the ground and from structural movement within the equipment itself caused by load changes or other machine movements, and to minimize these vibrations and reduce the time of subsidence. 

Advantages as compared to conventional air spring systems:

• Adjustable horizontal natural frequency
• Adjustable horizontal damping
• Very low natural frequency and highly-effective vibration isolation
• No uncontrolled friction effects (e.g. stick-slip effects)
• No resonance amplification when combined with AIS™
• Above-average damping effectiveness
• Minimal subsidence times
• Very high position precision 

The AIS™ consists of a PLC, CAN-Bus, 16 bit-Controllers, High
Speed electropneumatic servovalves and BiAir air springs
and/or HAB horizontal air springs. A range of sizes are available
for both the vertical and horizontal air springs. One 16 bitcontroller
and one High Speed electro-pneumatic servovalve
is used for each air spring or group of air springs. The AIS™
works with a minimum of 3 groups (degrees or freedom) to a
maximum of 6 groups (degrees of freedom).

The 16 bitcontrollercan be mounted directly to the air-spring itself orto the machine, in the same direction as the isolator motion.
Located Inside the 16 bit-controller is a microprocessor, a
position sensor (resolution 0,2 μm), an acceleration sensor
(resolution 8 μg) and an air-pressure sensor (resolution 0,2
mbar). The signals from each of these sensors will be sampled
at the rate of 4 kHz. Since each 16 bit-controller has a microprocessor with specially developed control algorithms alongwith a special high dynamic pneumatic servo valve, the resultingperformance is a very efficient realtime control and no feedforward signal is required.The 16 bit-controllers are connected by a CAN-BUS to thePLC. The PLC can be connected to a PC by a standard RS-232 for initial set-up and diagnosis. The primary function of thePLC is to manage and watch over the 16-bit controllers. Inaddition, the PLC has digital Inputs and Outputs, for example; Ready, Motion Complete, Inspection of Position, Pressure andPower Supply, Switch over from Scanning Mode to LoadingMode, Emergency Stop.

The PLC also provides the possibility to switch from scanning
mode to loading mode by using a digital I/O. The PLC takes
care of downloading all of the necessary parameters to each
16 bit-controller to achieve the two different modes. The
advantage of providing two different modes is the performance
of the system can be optimized for each mode. For example,
during scanning mode when machine is performing sensitive
operations the system should be very soft and not be very
aggressive otherwise forces created by the isolation system
can affect the machine performance. During loading mode,
level accuracy and shortest possible settling times are the
most important factors and a very stiff, fast and aggressive
system will provide the best performance.