How can the finest isolation instruments, available anywhere on Planet Earth, be so reasonably priced? Simple. Van Slyke Engineering (VSE) is not a large, fancy CNC (Computer Numerical Control) job shop with high salaried designers, engineers, machinists and staff. VSE also offers blems that can save you a bundle. Most important, VSE markets many of their products, wholesale direct to you, eliminating dealer commissions, points, etc. that can seriously inflate a product's final price, which can save you as much as 50%.
All products are handmade on digital gearhead lathes and power feed digital mills, one at a time. High accuracy [Tru-Set] 6-jaw chucks, with 0.0002" run-out, are used to maximize product concentricity, and KURT mill vises (made in USA) with vise surfaces that are ground parallel to 0.0001" for more accurate milling operations. VSE also uses Starrett (made in USA) and Fowler (made in Switzerland) digital height gauges for product layout, and high quality BISON and YUASA rapid indexing heads for extremely accurate dividing of circular stock. FYI, the lower right picture above is the layout and indexing stage in a production run of Tri-Orbs.
VSE products are metal construction throughout (except when other materials are structurally more practical or superior to metal). VSE uses a unique and distinctive finish on all products. The finish process is called glass beading, which is the same durable finish that is applied to high-quality rifles and handguns to give them [what I call] an "expensive looking" appearance. Glass beading also hardens the surface of the metal, similar to anodizing, but without harming the environment (see "Questions & Answers FAQ" link for more info). The finishing process is applied, using glass beads propelled at high velocity inside a direct pressure blasting cabinet, that actually cold works (hardens) the surface of the metal.
The value of your investment in Van Slyke products will appreciate over the years, because they are built to perform through the next millenium and beyond. For over 20 years, Paul Van Slyke has been creating ingenious products with patents and patents pending in his name. His reputation for manufacturing the highest quality instruments is known to be beyond compromise and without comparison.
From left to right above are: Fowler 24" digital height gage, with 0.0001" resolution, on an isolation air bladder lift granite block and [blue] stand; Index 2hp vertical mill with XYZ axis power feeds, and XYZ axis Mitutoyo digital readouts with resolutions of 0.0005"; two 14" x 40" gear head lathes equipped with Sony & Anilam digital readouts, with resolutions to 0.0002" and European 6-jaw TRU-SET chucks. Foreground above right is a 7" x 12" metal cutting band saw with hydraulic feed.
Our product test facility is second to none. Testing vibration and damping capabilities of our products (and others) is performed with extreme precision. We start by completely isolating all ground vibration by using a granite/air bladder isolation support platform (blue stand pictured above). Situated on top of the 3" thick granite test block is our audio input system which consists of a custom designed 10Hz to 20,000Hz shaker cabinet (large black box center above) driven by a 200 watt audio amplifier (lower shelf behind test conductor). We provide precise control of shaker input responses by utilizing a standard audio frequency generator (far left) feeding a Fluke digital frequency counter (right above oscilloscope on mobile arm platform) for precise tuning, or utilizing various audio test CDs.
Our library of CDs provides various audio test pattern samples to include 20Hz to 1kHz 1/3-octave warble tones at -20dB, pink noise, octave spacing, spot frequency tones, squarewave and sinewave test tones and much more, and [of course] the finest test track, music CDs available anywhere. This completes our various audio signal source systems.
We then use a matched pair of the finest vibration measurement devices in the industry (www.PCB.com) for the comparative analysis of our products, a pair of PCB ultra-high sensitivity (1000 mV/g), ceramic titanium accelerometers. The output of these accelerometers is sent directly to a 4-channel PCB signal conditioner (long skinny white box next to audio freq. generator) to bias the output for analysis by various oscilloscope-type test equipment. This equipment consists of a Hewlett-Packard Spectrum Analyzer (behind test conductor) attached to a Dual Tracer (on top of HP Spectrum Analyzer), and a Tektronics dual trace oscilloscope (right, next to black shaker box). Channel B is attached to the shaker box itself and indicates the base audio output level of the shaker unit. Channel A is attached to a mock, simulated equipment case indicating the damped output after the product under test has demonstrated it's damping and isolation properties.
In the test scenario above, a set-of-three early prototype analog Tri-Orbs (that never made it to market in their above pictured configuration) are under test. Before any test can be conducted, precise sound pressure levels are calibrated using a sound pressure level meter noted in the hand of the test conductor above.
VSE wants to thank the "gurus" of the vibration damping and isolation industry, Clarence de Silva who published the monumental (943 pages) "VIBRATION, Fundamentals and Practice" (pub. 2000), which reveals the current [state-of-the-art] vibration studies of NASA/JPL and the aerospace industry. VSE also wants to thank Steve Goldman who wrote "Vibration Spectrum Analysis, A Practical Approach" (pub. 1991), who revealed more practical, non-mathematical approaches to the problem. Without their assistance, Tri-Orbs would not exist today (books pictured below).
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