The performance of precision mechanisms can be limited by disturbing vibrations that are amplified at parasitic eigenfrequencies. Piezoelectric patches that are integrated into flexures have been shown to be a promising approach for actively suppressing parasitic modes.

In this article, we present the model-based design steps for a high-performance vibration isolation system to support a metrology frame. During the design phase, several improvements were shown to increase the vibration isolation performance.

Exposing a component to a very high heat load is complex. Especially when the component is the size of a straw. To make sure the component actually survives this volumetric heat load Demcon developed a setup that can simulate the actual heat load on a similar component.

Conventional spherical lenses suffer from spherical aberration. Therefore freeform – often aspherical – lenses have become popular in lithography, aerospace, astronomy and microscopy as well as in (smartphone) photography.

It is essential that the ventilator support is synchronized (in time) with the patient’s spontaneous breaths. A mismatch in this timing is referred to as Patient-Ventilator Asynchrony (PVA). To improve the patient’s comfort and recovery this PVA must be prevented. A key step in this process is the detection and classification of PVA.

Lightning-fast internet via glass fiber – that’s what everyone wants. But one tricky point in roll-out is the manual connection of two fiber ends. That demands accuracy, takes time and requires skills. TE Connectivity developed a connector that lends itself to automatic processing by a so-called Light Plug Tool.

Radio-isotopes are widely used for medical diagnostics and treatment, predominantly in cancer care. The current production method has only a 2% yield of the isotope wanted. The rest is mostly nuclear waste. Demcon helps to produce it with minimal nuclear waste.

In life sciences research, studying cryogenic samples of proteins, viruses and bacteria becomes more and more popular to answer these questions. With Kryoz, Demcon has a cryogenic micro cooler for integration in the electronic microscope on the market.

To diagnose liver cancer, a physician takes a biopsy by accurately inserting a needle in the tumor. However, it is hard to reach the right spot manually based on the CT image. To overcome this, a needle placement robot helps the medical specialist find exactly the right angle to place the needle the first time right.

A Polaroid film cartridge production line in Enschede was revived from 2008 onward. Demcon Industrial Systems supports this process with a retrofit process module and works at improving the ultra-fast production line’s reliability. Both the line and the products are now better than ever.

3D Metal Jet Printing is about printing products made from micrometer-range droplets of various metals. The high conductivity of copper and silver could be combined with the rigidity of aluminium or stainless steel. Demcon took on the challenge of enabling this process by meeting the daring printing conditions.

After shipment of forty million coins from the Netherlands to their destination country, it appeared that an estimated one percent of the coins showed missing chips and discoloration. An on-site sorting machine was urgently required and Demcon built it within four weeks.

There are not enough rheumatologists for frequent monitoring of all RA (Rheumatoid arthritis) patients. The Hemics HandScan device addresses this by using inflammation detection in the hands through optical spectral transmission (OST).

We have grown accustomed to metal and concrete printing. But glass? It not only has a very high melting point, it also becomes brittle after solidifying too quickly. Together with the German specialist in advanced solutions from high-performance materials QSIL we cracked the ‘glass code’.