Product R&D
Clients that have worked with our Response Dynamics team over the years now manage engineering groups. It is these past clients that most often call us in the design phase of the product where we provide very valuable input in developing design criteria, helping to show where potential pits falls may be found, and where great improvement may be had by the adjustment of a few engineering details. Our input in the design phase will save valuable development time and resources, and has proven to be key to the success of many product efforts.
Dynamic Testing of a Solar Tracking Array
We help to accelerate the design optimization from the 1st alpha system to avoid last minute emergencies. We have recently worked in the design phase on a tabletop scanning electron microscope, a tabletop genomics ID system, and worked though the successful mechanical design and test of a cutting edge biotech imaging system with 25 nm rms resolution that will confidently perform on upper floors of light construction at VC-Office floor vibration levels and with the expected foot-fall excitation. This had not been done before.
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To achieve success, the design criteria must be well defined. We can help set realistic design criteria, and then help the engineering team achieve those design goals.We are very proud of our achievements. We have quieted noisy dialysis machines, eye surgery equipment, surgical robots, semiconductor imaging tools, and multi-ton solar tracking arrays.
Bio-Medical Product Development For Eye Surgery
Testing of Hospital OR Floor Structure to understand options for reducing floor vibration
We also work with architects and engineering groups on Facility Design for unique acoustics and vibration needs. These include state of the art semiconductor research facilities, university research buildings, tech-group collaborative office spaces, and others. Considerations that require our expertise include HVAC sourcing and distribution design, mechanical room design, equipment mounting, sensitive tool placement, floor system design, wall and partition design, sound masking, active cancellation, passive acoustics (added reverberation, or added sound absorption in particular frequency bands).
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For High Tech Facilities (such as: Semiconductor, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Nanotechnology facilities), we not only have the expertise in the testing the building floor dynamics, vibration, and acoustics, but we understand the needs of the high resolution sensitive equipment used in these facilities because we design, fix, and test this equipment. We perform the Sensitivity Testing and write the specifications for some of the high resolution imaging and testing systems used in these industries. Additionally, we have spent decades troubleshooting facility issues and thus we have intimate knowledge of what issues to expect and how to prevent them. We translate that knowledge into design specifications and work with the design team on these critical design details.
Strain and Acceleration Testing of a Medical Device
In product development, we provide assistance at several points along the product development cycle. Firstly, we provide assistance and guidance in the development of the conceptual and detailed design (often using a combination of analytic, numerical, and Finite Element Modeling). Our experience allows us to see potential pitfalls and find winning solutions, as part of your team, in the start of the design process. This is critical to staying on budget, on schedule, and meeting performance goals.
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Once the prototype has been built, we perform measurement and analysis of the dynamic response of these systems to expected disturbances, including both internal sources (such as X-Y stage stopping transients) and external sources (such as floor vibration and acoustics noise). In addition, determination of system resonances by Modal Testing and analysis often provides critical design information. If necessary, the design is then improved by making appropriate changes in structural design, Stage Control, Vibration Isolation, and Damping Treatment.
Comparison of Preliminary Allowable Floor Vibration Criteria with Floor Vibration Measurements at Customer Sites
We work with engineering teams to identify and design solutions. Often those solutions may involve subtle modifications that affect the stiffness of a subsystem, its mass distribution, and an Effective Damping Treatment. We may also suggest modifications to control system parameters, or other system changes. We use our testing and analysis to explain why a system performs as it does, and why the modification will improve performance. Our experience allows us to be both efficient and thorough, minimizing troubleshooting, tool time, and prototype iterations.
We perform vibration Sensitivity Testing to determine the specification for allowable levels of Facility Vibration (and acoustic noise) for the system's installation. We also perform Site Evaluation measurements to verify that the proposed installation site (in the end-user's facility) provides an acceptable vibration and acoustic noise environment for the successful operation of the sensitive system. If facility problems are identified we often work with the facility owners to identify and solve the problem or to find a suitable alternative site for the system. The solution may involve reduction/isolation of the disturbance source, active cancellation of the disturbance at the sensitive tool, modification of the floor system, or tool improvement (such as with tuned mass dampers).
Some of the metrology equipment that we have worked on are SEM tools, FIB tools, TEM tool, AFM (atomic force microscope) systems, stylus profilometers, wafer steppers, interferometers, electron microscopes, CD SEM tools, ellipsometers, and SPM tools which are manufactured by the companies such as KLA-Tencor, Veeco, Applied Materials, Rudolf Technologies, Nikon, Wyko, Zygo, Sensys, JEOL, Amray, Schlumberger, Thermawave, FEI, and Nanometrics.