SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

SARAWAK CAMPUS
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING &
SCIENCES

Design of a Vibration Isolator for Micro-sized Systems

Bachelor of Engineering
(Mechanical)

Roshan Sanjeeva Weerasinghe

December/2014

DECLARATION
We hereby declare that this report entitled Design of a Vibration Isolator for Microsized Systems is the result of our own project work except the quotations and
citations that have been duly acknowledged. We also declare that it has not been
previously or concurrently submitted for any other degree at Swinburne University of
Technology (Sarawak Campus).

Name: Roshan Sanjeeva Weerasinghe

ID:

7432879

Date: 05/12/2014

Name: Sarosh Samuel

ID:

7433069

Date: 05/12/2014

ii

Table of Contents
List of Figures ............................................................................................................. v
List of Tables ............................................................................................................. vi
Acknowledgement .................................................................................................... vii
Abstract .................................................................................................................... viii
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Aims ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Objectives .................................................................................................................. 2
2 Literature Review................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS)........................................................... 4
2.2 Mechanical Vibrations ............................................................................................. 5
2.3 Classification of Vibrations ..................................................................................... 5
2.3.1 Free Vibrations .................................................................................................... 5
2.3.2 Forced Vibrations ................................................................................................ 6
2.3.3 Damped and Undamped Vibrations .................................................................... 6
2.3.4 Linear and Non Linear Vibrations ...................................................................... 7
2.4 Damping .................................................................................................................... 7
2.4.1 Application of MEMS and Microsystems........................................................... 8
2.5 Effects of Vibrations on MEMS .............................................................................. 8
2.6 Vibration Isolation.................................................................................................. 10
2.6.1 Vibration Isolation Using Elastomeric Materials .............................................. 11
2.7 Existing Designs ...................................................................................................... 12
2.7.1 Active Vibration Control and Isolation for Micro machined Devices .............. 12
2.7.2 Compact Vibration Isolator for Protecting MEMS Oscillator and Sensitive
Electronic Devices ......................................................................................................... 13
2.7.3 Passive Vibration Isolation Using Axially Loaded Curved Beams .................. 14
2.8 Summary ................................................................................................................. 15
3 Initial Design ....................................................................................................... 16
3.1 Oscillating device (Oscillator) ............................................................................... 16
3.2 Vibration Isolation Platform ................................................................................. 16
4 Methodology ....................................................................................................... 19
4.1 Flow chart................................................................................................................ 19
4.2 Design Changes ....................................................................................................... 20
4.3 Plate Design ............................................................................................................. 22
4.4 Final Design ............................................................................................................. 23
5 Simulations and Results..................................................................................... 24
5.1 Drop Test ................................................................................................................. 26
5.2 Force and Pressure test .......................................................................................... 29
5.3 Mathematical Modeling ......................................................................................... 31
5.4 Material Procurement and Cost analysis ............................................................. 33
5.5 Fabrication .............................................................................................................. 34
6 Testing ................................................................................................................. 36
6.1 Mechanical Testing ................................................................................................. 36
6.2 Experimental Testing ............................................................................................. 37
6.2.1 Testing Procedure.............................................................................................. 38
7 Results ................................................................................................................. 41
7.1 Simulation ............................................................................................................... 41
7.2 Experimental Testing ............................................................................................. 42
iii

8 Discussion of Results .......................................................................................... 49

8.1 Simulation ............................................................................................................... 49
8.1.1 Natural Frequency ............................................................................................. 49
8.1.2 Drop Test ........................................................................................................... 50
8.1.3 Maximum Force and Pressure ........................................................................... 51
8.2 Testing ..................................................................................................................... 52
8.3 Comparison with existing design .......................................................................... 53
8.4 Applications............................................................................................................. 55
8.5 Sustainability........................................................................................................... 55
8.6 Manufacturing and Implementation .................................................................... 57
9 Conclusion, Recommendation & Future Work............................................... 57
10 References ......................................................................................................... 59
11 Appendix ........................................................................................................... 62

iv

List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Main Components of MEMS ..................................................................... 4
Figure 2-6 Free Vibrations ........................................................................................... 5
Figure 2-7 Forced Vibrations ....................................................................................... 6
Figure 2-8 Damped Free vibrations ............................................................................. 6
Figure 2-9 Damped Forced Vibration .......................................................................... 7
Figure 2-6 Crack in a MEMS accelerometer ............................................................... 9
Figure 2-7a Vibration Isolation...................................................................................10
Figure 2-7b Vibration Isolation.. ........................................................................ 10
Figure 2-8 Illustration of the prototype of an active vibration isolator ...................... 12
Figure 2-9 PCB Vibration Isolator ............................................................................. 13
Figure 2-10 Isolator using two curved beams ............................................................ 14
Figure 3-1 Layout of proposed Oscillator .................................................................. 16
Figure 3-2 Layout of proposed Isolator ..................................................................... 17
Figure 3-3 Final design .............................................................................................. 17
Figure 3-4 Main Effects Plot from Minitab ............................................................... 18
Figure 4-1 Flowchart of the project ........................................................................... 19
Figure 4-2 Dimensions of the beam (a) Initial design (b) Modified design............... 21
Figure 4-3 Plate designs (a) Initial Design (b) Modified Design ............................... 23
Figure 4-4 Final Design ............................................................................................. 23
Figure 5-1 Drop Test Results ..................................................................................... 26
Figure 5-2 Deformation of beam................................................................................ 27
Figure 5-3 Stress concentrations on the beam............................................................ 28
Figure 5-4 Maximum Force on the beams ................................................................. 29
Figure 5-5 Maximum Pressure on the beams ............................................................. 30
Figure 5-6 Fabricated Model of Isolator .................................................................... 34
Figure 5-7 Fabricated oscillator ................................................................................. 35
Figure 6-1 Mechanism ............................................................................................... 36
Figure 6-2 Direction of movement ............................................................................. 36
Figure 6-3 Testing Equipment ................................................................................... 37
Figure 6-4 Testing Setup ............................................................................................ 38
Figure 6-5 Finding frequency of motor using DSO Nano ......................................... 38
Figure 6-6 Checking for ambient vibrations .............................................................. 39
Figure 6-7 Oscillator is placed on the platform ......................................................... 39
Figure 6-8 Setup to test the isolator ........................................................................... 40
Figure 6-9 Testing the efficiency of the isolator ........................................................ 40
Figure 7-1 Ambient vibration waveform ................................................................... 42
Figure 7-2 Ambient Vibration waveform converted to values .................................. 43
Figure 7-3 Waveform obtained with the oscillator .................................................... 44
Figure 7-4 Amplitude values of oscillators waveform ............................................. 44
Figure 7-5 Waveform obtained when the isolator was tested .................................... 45
Figure 7-6 Amplitude values for the waveform during isolation ............................... 46
Figure 7-7 Waveform obtained while testing for the efficiency of the beams........... 46
Figure 7-8 Amplitude values for the waveform ......................................................... 47
Figure 7-9 Waveform before isolator is used ............................................................. 48
Figure 7-10 Waveform after the isolator is used ........................................................ 48
v

Figure 8-1 Comparison of isolation waveform. (Left) Before isolation (Right) After
Isolation .............................................................................................................. 52
Figure 8-2 Comparison of design with PCB vibration isolator.................................. 54
Figure 8- 3 Sustainability Results .............................................................................. 56

List of Tables
Table 4-1 Natural Frequency with respective to length ............................................. 21
Table 4-2 Mechanical Properties ............................................................................... 24
Table 5-1 Natural Frequencies with ABS Plate ......................................................... 24
Table 5-2 Natural Frequencies with Rubber plate ..................................................... 25
Table 5-3 Natural Frequencies with MDPE Plate ...................................................... 25
Table 5-4 Natural Frequencies with Steel Plate ......................................................... 25
Table 5-5 Equipment .................................................................................................. 33
Table 7-1 Natural Frequencies with ABS Plate ......................................................... 41
Table 7-2 Natural Frequencies with Rubber Plate ..................................................... 41
Table 7-3 Natural Frequencies with MDPE Plate ...................................................... 41
Table 7-4 Natural Frequencies with Steel Plate..41
Table 8-1 Elastic Modulus ......................................................................................... 49
Table 8-2 Natural Frequencies for different material combinations .......................... 50
Table 8-3 Drop test result comparison ....................................................................... 51
Table 8-4 Isolation Region ......................................................................................... 53
Table 8-5 Comparison with PCB Isolator .................................................................. 54
Table 8-6 Applications55

vi

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Khameel Bayo Mustapha and subject
coordinator Dr Basil Wong for their guidance and advice throughout this project.
Their constant motivation and attention helped us to complete this project on time. I
would also like to thank my group mate, Sarosh Samuel for his support and
contribution. I thank him for his dedication and patience throughout this whole
project. I would also like to thank all the lecturers who guided us since our first year,
as the knowledge learned throughout was extremely useful during this project.
I would also like to thank my friends and family for giving me all the support and
guidance throughout this project. I would like to thank my housemates, my
classmates and everyone else who helped me to complete this project successfully.

vii

Abstract
This project is based on designing a vibration isolator for Micro Electro Mechanical
System (MEMS) device. MEMS are miniature devices that consist of mechanical
and electrical components. They are found in various mobile devices and also used in
applications subjected to harsh environmental conditions. These MEMS devices
experience various vibrations and shocks throughout its lifetime, thus affecting its
functionality. Vibrations and shocks will also physically damage the devices.
Therefore methods to reduce these effects have being studied and the most viable
solution was to design a platform that would be used as a vibration isolator. This
project consists of two sections. Each section will be done during different time
periods.
The first part of this project was concerned with studying different existing designs
by means of a literature review and producing an initial prototype. The design was
by no means made randomly, but all aspects of the design were carefully designed to
make sure that each of its components had its purpose. In order to replicate actual
environmental conditions, an oscillator was also designed to obtain a specific
vibration frequency. Simulations were carried out using Solidworks and the design
was refined and optimized using Minitab. A suitable material was also decided based
on specific characteristics, which would assist in isolation of external vibrations.
Calculations were also done to obtain statistical figures that will help us to improve
our design in the next phase of this project.
In the second stage, further optimizing was conducted on the design to achieve better
results. More simulations were conducted using simulation software to achieve
efficient results. A model of the actual design was fabricated and tests were
conducted to understand the functionality of the vibration isolator. Several
applications was studies and highlighted, while recommendations were made which
could be implemented in the future to make this design ready to be applied in the
electronics industry.

viii

1 Introduction
Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) have made into almost all electrical
devices since it was first introduced. Modern day devices are getting smaller in size
and MEMS are responsible for a large part of this change. MEMS are preferred over
much larger counterparts due to its small size, low cost and other distinctive features.
The MEMS market has increased in size and this is largely due to the consumer
needs of having more compact devices rather than bulky ones. MEMS are employed
in a variety of applications and are not only restricted to consumer products.
One of the main reason affecting MEMS functionality and performance is
mechanical vibrations. Vibrations tend to produce undesired output from the device.
This will produce degraded performance, as well as responsible for structural
damage (Yoon 2009). Therefore extensive research is been carried out to develop
technologies that can protect the MEMS devices from undesirable outcomes.
Vibration isolators are been designed to counter vibrations that MEMS devices will
experience during its operation. These isolators maybe of different size and shapes,
and even containing different components, but all fulfill the same purpose.
MEMS technology is a new breakthrough in the electronics industry. There is only a
limited amount of vibration isolator designs available in the industry and lately more
concern is put towards the science of vibration isolation. Several designs exists
which uses active vibration isolation to counter the effects of shocks and vibration.
Isolators that use passive isolation vibration are not common in the industry. Active
vibration isolators use additional components fixed together to achieve its purpose
while passive vibration isolators mostly use visco-elastic materials.
The purpose of this project is to design and develop a vibration isolator for a typical
MEMS device. This project was conducted in two phases. In the first phase,
literature review was conducted on MEMS and vibrations to understand their
background. Existing designs were analyzed to get a better understanding about
vibration isolation. In the next stage, a conceptual design was generated which would
be suitable as an effective vibration isolator. Towards the end of phase one,
1

simulations were conducted and the design was further refined to obtain an efficient
vibration isolator. The second phase of this project consists of finalizing the design
after extensive simulations. Fabrication of the design was done to test the vibration
isolator on its functionality and efficiency. A variety of testing, ranging from
mechanical testing to experimental testing, was conducted to understand how the
isolator behaves under intended conditions. Different materials were also analyzed
and several applications based on the properties of these materials were proposed. A
sustainability study was also conducted to study the effect of this design and its
materials, on the environment.

1.1 Aims

To understand Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and the effects of

vibrations on them

To research on suitable materials that can reduce vibrations

To propose a sustainable design

To perform simulations and identify an efficient design

1.2 Objectives

To design a vibration isolator for MEMS devices that is capable of isolating a

range of vibration frequencies

The objective will be achieved by first conducting a thorough research on any

existing designs that are available in the electronic industry. Following research,
simulation software such as Solidworks will be used to create a initial design that
will later be refined to produce an efficient vibration isolator.

To examine damping capabilities of different materials in order to engineer

an efficient isolator

Since there is a range of materials that are proper for this design, research will be
conducted on the intended application so that the right materials for such applications
can be decided. Out of all the suitable materials, their properties will be further
studied and researched to identify the most efficient material for the isolator.

To evaluate the performance of the design through testing

This objective can be achieved by fabricating the most efficient isolator that can be
designed using simulations and then run physical tests to evaluate its performance is
actual real-life scenarios. They will be subjected to actual vibrations and shocks to
test the efficiency of the design.

To present an isolator that is capable of multiple applications

This design is capable of been used in several applications provided that it is made
from the appropriate materials. Different materials due to its characteristics will
provide different results and therefore these characteristics could be manipulated to
create isolators capable of many applications. This idea will be used to study other
materials and conduct simulations to design a efficient and effective vibration
isolator.

Literature Review

As this project is to develop a vibration isolation platform for MEMS, this section
contains the theory that is required in order to tackle the design. First, MEMS
technology will be discussed along with its uses and applications. Next, vibrations
and damping, which are responsible for most part of this project, will be discussed.
Afterwards, methods of vibration isolation will be discussed. Finally, existing design
will be analyzed and how they can be used to come up with our design will be
explained.

2.1 Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS)

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS, can be classified as a technology
where they are defined as scaled-down mechanical and electro-mechanical elements
that are made using micro fabrication. They are important in modern day products
due to its low cost, low power consumption and its ability to fit into space-limited
applications. MEMS are used in various consumer products such as mobile phones,
wristwatches and toys. They are also used in the automobile industry (making
airbags work precisely) and other sectors such as in military, aerospace and energy
production applications (Yoon 2009). MEMS are also refereed to as Microsystems
Technology or micromachined devices The size of MEMS varies around 1
micron. They can either be simple structures with no moving parts, or rather complex
systems with multiple moving parts in them. Modern day devices are getting smaller
in size and this has made the MEMS market to rise due to its miniature size (MEMS
and nanotechnology Exchange, 2014). Figure 2-1 shows the different classifications
of MEMS.
Microactuators

Microelectronics

MEMS

Microstructure

Microsensors

Figure 2-1 Main Components of MEMS

(Adapted from MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange, What is MEMS Technology,
https://www.mems-exchange.org/MEMS/what-is.html
4

2.2 Mechanical Vibrations

Mechanical Vibrations can be referred as periodic oscillatory motion over a time
period, which is relatively higher than the settling time of a device (Inman
2000).Common applications that are used everyday produce low-level vibrations.
These include land vehicles, machinery and other applications such as vibration
testing (Yoon 2009).
(The figures in the following section are adapted from Yoon, SH, Roh, JE & Kim,
KL 2011, 'Shock Isolation of Micromachined devices for high-g applications',
Structural Dynamics of Electronics and Photonic Systems,p.451.)

2.3 Classification of Vibrations

A vibrating system consists of three elements. A spring or elasticity to store potential
energy, a mass or inertia to store kinetic energy and a damper where the energy is
finally lost (Rao 2009, p.13). Vibrations can be classified into several categories. The
most important ones are as follows.
2.3.1

Free Vibrations

If a system consisting of a spring and a single mass is left to vibrate on its own. The
resulting vibration is known as free vibration (Rao 2011), which can also be stated as
undamped free vibration, where the mass and stiffness of the spring interacts without
external excitation (Yoon, Roh & Kim 2011)

Figure 2-6 Free Vibrations

5

2.3.2

Forced Vibrations

Vibrations taking place due to external forces is called forced vibration. Resonance
occurs when the natural frequency of the system coincides with the frequency of the
external force. This creates dangerously large oscillations that cause the failure of
structures such as buildings, bridges, turbines and airplane wings. (Thomson &
Dahleh 1998)

F(t)
Figure 2-7 Forced Vibrations
2.3.3

Damped and Undamped Vibrations

If energy is not lost during oscillation due to friction or other resistance, the vibration
is said to be undamped vibration. But if energy is do lost in this way, it is called
damped vibration (Rao 2011). The damping element may be either an air damper or
an oil damper. The system therefore consists of the mass, spring and damper. The
mass provides the inertial force, while the spring provides spring force and the
damper contributes with the damping force which together makes the system to
vibrate (Yoon, Roh & Kim 2011).

m
Figure 2-8 Damped Free vibrations

F (t)
Figure 2-9 Damped Forced Vibration

2.3.4

Linear and Non Linear Vibrations

All oscillatory systems can be categorized as linear or non-linear. If the main

components of a vibrating system, namely the spring, mass and the damper behave
linearly, the vibration is called linear vibration. But if those components behave
nonlinearly, the resulting vibration is known as non-linear vibration (Rao 2011).If the
vibration system is linear, the principal of superposition holds and the mathematical
techniques available are thoroughly developed, whereas for non linear vibrations, the
techniques of analysis are less known and thus difficult to apply. Since all systems
tend to become non linear with higher oscillating amplitude, a knowledge regarding
nonlinear vibration is recommendable in dealing with such systems (Thomson &
Dahleh 1998).

2.4 Damping
The phenomenon where energy from a vibratory motion is removed and converted to
thermal energy irreversibly is known as damping. The change of energy is from
mechanical energy to thermal energy (Gaul 1999). Damping is associated with time
dependent deformation and/or displacement (Benaroya & Nagurka 2010). Damping
is usually measured under conditions for cyclic or near-cyclic motion. It also plays a
major role in providing stability to a dynamic system.

2.4.1

Application of MEMS and Microsystems

MEMS have been utilized in most of the industries in the modern world. The fact
that all products are becoming smaller in size has led to the growth of MEMS. One
of the industries that largely make use of MEMS is the automobile industry. The
automobile industry is an ever-growing market and they have made use of MEMS
technology on a variety of their products. Using of microsystems in automobiles are
categorized into four major sections namely safety, engine and power train, comfort
and vehicle diagnostics.
The Health Care sector has also utilized MEMS technology in their equipment.
Products such as respirators, kidney dialysis equipment, lung capacity meters and
infusion pump pressure sensors are equipped with a variety of microsystems. Other
industrial sectors that make use of MEMS include the aerospace industry, industrial
and consumer products sector and the telecommunications sector (Hsu 2008)

2.5 Effects of Vibrations on MEMS

Electronic products experience vibrations throughout its lifetime. They can either be
in the form of simple vibrations or high frequency vibrations, such as in industrial
equipment. These vibrations have adverse effects on electronic devices and MEMS
are no exception.
The environments where MEMS usually function are subjected to various rough
conditions that will affect the functionality and life span of MEMS devices. MEMS
used in high-g applications are affected the most. This is the case in most of the
vehicles, in rotating machinery and also in environments with high frequency audio
noise where the systems designed is made to vibrate above the cutoff frequency of
the human ear. Vibrations will lead to physical damage to the MEMS components in
the long run. Some MEMS devices are more vulnerable than others, such as
gyroscopes, resonators and other high frequency oscillators such as surface
transverse wave (STW) resonators. Resonating MEMS work by oscillating a plate
structure at a specific frequency, and therefore suffer performance loss with high
external vibrations in the environment (Kim et al. 2009)

Mechanical vibrations from the environment can degrade the performance of MEMS
in many ways including false output, sensitivity change and accelerating device
fatigue (Yoon et al. 2007). False output occurs when MEMS devices respond to
vibration by generating output, even though the target input is absent. Sensitivity
change of the devices occurs when the target input is present. The target input plus
the unwanted vibrations will form the total output of the device. For example, a
MEMS gyroscope experienced a change in rotation rate sensitivity when rotational
and sense axis vibration were both applied (Yoon 2009). Output errors are mostly
prevalent since the function of many MEMS depends on the dynamic movement of
the devices structure. These output errors and loss of device sensitivity due to
environmental vibrations cannot be controlled with electronics (Yoon et al. 2007).

Figure 2-6 Crack in a MEMS accelerometer

(The above image is taken from http://openi.nlm.nih.gov/)
Accelerated device fatigue is another problem related to vibration. It causes the
devices to crack, create debris, create cracks in bonding areas and detach bonding
wires as shown in figure 2-6. This failure is also known as long-term fatigue
accelerated physical damage because fatigue is produced during long-term use. This
problem can be tackled by using a vibration isolation system (Yoon 2009).

2.6 Vibration Isolation

Vibration isolation is a procedure where undesirable effects of vibrations are reduced
by means of an isolator (Rao 2011). The isolator is placed between the vibrating
mass and the source of vibration. Vibration isolators can be categorized into active
and passive isolators. An active isolator consists of an external powers source, signal
processor, sensor and actuator while passive isolators mainly consists of springs,
cork, felt and elastomers. There are also other isolators such as fluid damping isolator
and non-obstructive particle damping isolator. These fall under passive isolators as
well. Fluid damping isolators work by transmitting the energy into heat or acoustic
energy while non-obstructive particle damping isolators absorb the vibrations
through friction and momentum exchange between particles and the wall. These two
isolators are not used for MEMS due to their large size(Yoon, Roh & Kim 2011).
Vibration isolators are mainly used in two types of situations. In the first type, the
base or foundation is protected from the vibrations of a system, while in the second
type; the system is protected from the vibrations of its base. This is shown is Figure
2-7 below.
x (t)
Vibrating
machine

x (t)

m
Figure 2-7a Vibration Isolation

Delicate
system

c
Vibrating
base

Base

y (t)

m
Figure 2-7b Vibration Isolation

(The above images are adapted from the book Mechanical Vibrations by Singiresu S.
Rao)
A more successful approach to vibration isolation has been to include an elastic or
resilient member between the base and the system. The system is modeled as a single
degree of freedom system. The resilient member is assumed to have both elastic and

10

damping properties and therefore is modeled as a spring with a stiffness k and a

damper c. The operation of the system is assumed to be giving a harmonically
changing force (Rao 2011). Mathematical modeling of a vibration isolation system
with base motion is shown below. The equations were obtained from Singiresu S
Raos book, Mechanical Vibrations.
A vibration isolator with base excitation is shown in figure 2-11b. The system is
modeled as having a single-degree-of-freedom. The equation of motion of the system
when subjected to a harmonic motion is given by Eq. (2-1).
+ + =

(2-1)

where z = x y which represents the displacement of the mass with respect to the
base. The motion of the mass will be harmonic provided the base motion is harmonic
too. Therefore the transmissibility ratio is denoted by Tr = X/Y is given in Eq. (2-2).

Tr =

!
!

!!(!!")!
(!!! ! )! ! (!!")!

(2-2)

The frequency ratio is denoted by r. The equation for r is given in Eq. (2-3).
r=

!
!!

(2-3)

In order to successfully design a vibration isolator, a thorough understanding about

the following is required i.e. the frequency spectrum of the environmental excitation,
how this will affect the performance of the device and also the potential undesirable
effects of using an isolator (Braman & Grossman 2006).

2.6.1

Vibration Isolation Using Elastomeric Materials

As discussed earlier, an elastic or resilient member can be used to isolate vibrations.

There are many options available to choose from. Thermoplastic materials, which
can be melted and formed, can be used for this purpose. Rubber elastomers and vinyl
are a type of thermoplastic material. Thermosets are also be used but they cannot be
11

reformed like thermoplastics. Due to the short life cycle of thermosets compared to
thermoplastics, they are more costly than the latter. Damping and stiffness also varies
with different types of materials. Elastomeric materials are suitable to be used as
isolators because they possess a particular mechanism called hysteretic damping
where energy is lost through internal friction when they deform (Frankovich n.d).
Another conventional method used for isolating object is to make use of fluids,
typically oil or grease. The dampers will be filled with this fluid to absorb the
vibrations. A disadvantage with using such fluids is that they are very sensitive to
temperatures due to their viscous properties.

2.7 Existing Designs

2.7.1

Active Vibration Control and Isolation for Micro machined Devices

By Seong Jin Kim, Robert Dean, George Flowers and Chen Chen

Kim et al (2009) insisted that there are many limitations in using purely passive
vibration isolators due to their inability to tune after fabrication and also the damping
properties were quiet low(Kim et al. 2009). Therefore they proposed and designed an
active vibration isolator by integrating a MEMS passive vibration isolator with two
electrodes in the bottom and feedback controller electronics. The MEMS structure
consists of a proof mass pad attached to a frame by eight springs. They tested their
design using a small electromechanical shaker to provide excitations around the
natural frequency of the MEMS structure.

Figure 2-8 Illustration of the prototype of an active vibration isolator

12

(The above image was taken from Kim, SJ, Dean, R, Flowers, G & Chen, C 2009,
'Active Vibration Control and Isolation for Micromachined Devices')
The results obtained showed that when the feedback controller was activated, the
mechanical quality factor (Q) reduced significantly when compared to a purely
passive isolator. Mechanical quality factor or Q factor can be defined as the value of
amplitude ratio at resonance (Rao 2011) or simply, how underdamped a resonator or
oscillator is.
2.7.2

Compact Vibration Isolator for Protecting MEMS Oscillator and

Sensitive Electronic Devices
By Yan Liu, Hejun Du, Li King Ho Holden, Neo Mingfeng

Liu et al. (2012) suggested that designing a vibration isolator made of stainless steel
316 was more suitable for MEMS rather than using viscoelastic material. A material
such as rubber is very suitable as a vibration isolator but they will degrade under
higher temperature. This is the case for viscoelastic materials. The main objectives of
this design was to create a vibration isolator that could work within a temperature
range of -40oC to 125oC and also that could retain its physical size while meeting its
purpose.

Figure 2-9 PCB Vibration Isolator

(The above image was taken from Liu et. al 2012, Compact Vibration Isolator for
Protecting MEMS Oscillator and Sensitive Electronic Devices.)
13

They fabricated two structures, -shaped and J-shaped. The J-shaped structure was
further analyzed, as it was more compact. The structure was made of four
cantilevered beam supports that would sit around the four edges of the MEMS
device. The main purpose of these beams was to act as springs so that vibration
isolation could be achieved. It was designed in such a way that at fundamental
frequency, the MEMS device will vibrate in phase with the beams, while vibrations
beyond fundamental frequency will result in the device to vibrate out of phase with
the beams (Liu et al. 2012). Liu et al further went on to analyze the effect of
increasing the beam length on vibration isolation
2.7.3

Passive Vibration Isolation Using Axially Loaded Curved Beams

By: Ali Abolfathi, Tim P. Waters, and Michael J. Brennan

Abolfathi, Waters & Brennam (2011) proposed a design where buckled beams were
used to form a vibration isolator. Two identical curved beams were used and they
were axially loaded. They chose to isolate a one kilogram mass and achieve a
fundamental natural frequency of 1 Hz. They analyzed the design using finite
element analysis, to find a relationship between the curvature of the beam and its
natural frequency. They concluded that a having a lower curvature produced a higher
natural frequency for the beam and also a High Static Low Dynamic Stiffness
isolator could be achieved using a beam of reduced stiffness (Abolfathi, Waters &
Brennam 2011).

Figure 2-10 Isolator using two curved beams

(Obtained from Abolfathi, A, Waters, TP & Brennam, MJ 2011, 'Passive Vibration
Isolation Using Axially Loaded Curved Beams)

14

2.8 Summary
MEMS can be defined as the technology of the future. The popularity of MEMS has
been increasing during the last few years and it will increase rapidly in the future.
Incorporating MEMS in a variety of products has brought about a vast number of
advantages to the user as well as the manufacturers. A large number of industrial
sectors have already utilized MEMS technology in their equipment, while the rest are
catching up to them. The most significant problem affecting MEMS functionality is
mechanical vibrations. MEMS technology is been used in applications that function
under rough environmental conditions. Therefore they are vulnerable to external
vibrations that will result in reduced performance as well as physical damages.
Vibrations are classified into two main classes. They are free vibrations and forced
vibrations. Another phenomenon involved with vibration is damping. Damping is the
process where energy from a vibratory motion is removed. Damping is therefore
utilized in solving the stated problem. Damping may be achieved by using structural
elements or by using materials that act as efficient dampers. Viscoelastic materials
are utilized in different applications to act as vibration isolators because of their
ability to act as dampers. Viscoelastic materials also come with its share of
disadvantages, as they tend to underperform at extreme temperatures. There is a great
interest to design a vibration isolator for MEMS devices. Vibration isolation can be
classified as either active vibration isolation or passive vibration isolation. Active
vibration isolation utilizes components such as an actuator and an external power
source to achieve its purpose, while passive vibration isolation concerns with using
elastomeric materials or structural features. There are several designs that exploit the
properties of fluids as well. This section includes a number of existing designs that
have been discussed and they have been analyzed to propose a suitable design for
this research project.
Since this project was conducted in two phases, the following section will provide a
brief summary on the initial design and the methodology conducted. This will be
followed by the methodology of phase two of this project and the discussions related
to this project.

15

Initial Design

3.1 Oscillating device (Oscillator)

The oscillator was designed using SolidWorks and its model was adapted from
Moeenfard and Ahmadians (2012) Torsional Micromirror. The oscillator would
consist of two parallel plates, while it was suggested that a shaft-less tiny motor
would be placed in between the plates to generate the vibrations. The selected motor
has a speed of 14500 rpm, which is equivalent to 241.7 Hz. The initial design of the
oscillator is shown below.

Figure 3-1 Layout of proposed Oscillator

3.2 Vibration Isolation Platform

The design was chosen to be a circular platform with bent beams on the bottom. A
circular platform was chosen due to several reasons. A circular structure does not
have pointy edges such as in a rectangle, therefore stress concentration will not
occur. Therefore fractures and crack propagation is minimized. Also energy from
vibrations will be distributed equally. These will help to increase the life span of the
device immensely. Bent beams are attached to the bottom of the plate and they
provide the mechanism for this structure. There are six beams and they are placed at
60-degree intervals. The beams do not intersect each other at any point and they are
attached to the circular plate by six locks.

16

Figure 3-2 Layout of proposed Isolator

Simulations were carried out using SolidWorks and optimized using MINITAB to
obtain 8 separate designs. From these 8 designs, a final design was obtained which
had the lowest natural frequency among all. Design 4 was chosen as this provided a
natural frequency of 1244.7 Hz. The design with its dimensions is shown in figure 33.

Figure 3-3 Final design

Minitab results showed that in order to decrease the natural frequency of the
oscillator, the length of the beam had to be increased. The main effects plot
illustrated in Figure 3-4 from Minitab shows that the outer radius had to be increased
to reduce frequency. Increasing the outer radius meant that the length of the beam
had to be increased.
17

Figure 3-4 Main Effects Plot from Minitab

Therefore it was decided that for the second phase of this project, a new design had
to be made which will comprise of longer beams, while maintaining the same
diameter of the plate. The methodology for the second phase is described in the next
section.

18

Methodology

4.1 Flow chart

Designing of a vibration
isolator for MEMS device

Identification of aims and objectives

Literature review on subjects related to the

topic

Isolator

Oscillator

Methodology

Designing of the isolator

Simulations and testing using

SolidWorks

Identify required components

Optimizing of design using Minitab

Mathematical modeling

Results and Discussion

on Research Project

Designing of the oscillator in

SolidWorks

HES 5103 Advanced Research Project

Fabrication

Testing and analysis of results

Discussion on future work and

Conclusion

Figure 4-1 Flowchart of the project

19

4.2 Design Changes

Simulations were carried out on the initial design using SOLIDWORKS and possible
optimizations were identified using Minitab. It was concluded at the end of HES
5102 that for the design to be more efficient, several design changes had to be made.
The possible changes are as follows:
1) Increase the length of the beam
2) Change material
3) Increase the height of the beam
After analyzing all the variables, it was decided that increasing the length of the
buckled beam was the better option. A longer beam would produce a lower natural
frequency, as the two variables are inversely proportional. If the beams were to be
extended, the diameter of the base would also have to be increased, which would
increase the size of the overall design as a whole. Since this was not preferred,
another approach had to be taken, and a breakthrough was made. Instead of the
vertical fixture plate, the beam would now consist of a diagonal side, while it will
now be fixed to the base plate horizontally. Figure 4-2 shows the new beam that was
designed to meet the performance requirements.
The dimensions and angle of the beams were chosen after optimizations were done
using Minitab. This design also helped in its damping properties. Since the beam was
able to move more freely, it can absorb more vibrations and shocks, thereby
increasing the efficiency of the design.

20

Figure 4-2 Dimensions of the beam (a) Initial design (b) Modified design
Figure 4-2 above shows the dimensions of the initial design (Top) and the new
design (Bottom), It can be seen clearly that the vertical portion of the beam is now at
an angle, thus increasing the length of the beam without increasing the diameter of
the base plate. Simulations were carried out on the new design using Solidworks and
compared with the results of that of the old design. Table 4-1 shows the natural
frequency of the system with their respective length.
Table 4-1 Natural Frequency with respective to length
Initial Design

New Design

Length

Natural Frequency

Length

Natural Frequency

3.531mm

1286.3Hz

5.243mm

696.9Hz

21

The change in the above values can be explained using the equations below. The
natural frequency of a beam is given by,
! =

(4-1)

Where

! =

!!!!"!#$
!!

(4-2)

The equations show that increasing the length of the beam will reduce the stiffness of
the beam and hence reduce the natural frequency of it. Also increasing the length
adds mass to the beam that further helps to reduce the natural frequency of the beam.
The modified design was able to achieve the required target value for the frequency.
The old design had a natural frequency of 1286.3Hz which was above the desired
value of 1000Hz. Modifications to the beam has significantly reduced its natural
frequency as the new design has a frequency value of only 696.9Hz. This is a very
favorable result, as this change was made possible by only changing its dimensions,
while materials used remained the same. Therefore other factors will not affect the
final outcome of the result.
Other design changes were also made in order to make the beam more effective.
Sharp edges were changed to fillets in order to prevent stress concentration and also
to prevent crack propagation from cyclic loading during prolonged use. The part that
will connect the beam to the plate has no fillets as it will not be subjected to any
loading and the whole portion will be inserted into the plate.

4.3 Plate Design

In order to accommodate the newly designed beams, the design of the plate also had
to be altered. The diameter and the thickness of the beam were kept constant while
the main change in the design is the relocation of the beam locks. In order to achieve
the same base diameter but increase the beam lengths, the locks were moved to the
circumference of the base plate. Figure 4-2 shows the differences between the initial
and the modified design. In the initial design (Top), the beam locks are on top of the

22

base plate, which was a hindrance to increase the length of the beam. With the new
design, the locks are moved to the edge as shown the figure (Bottom).

Figure 4-3 Plate designs (a) Initial Design (b) Modified Design

4.4 Final Design

Figure 4-4 Final Design

The above figure shows the final design for the vibration isolation platform. This
design proved to be more efficient in its purpose compared to the initial one. The
increase in lengths of the beams significantly reduced the natural frequency and the
readings obtained following simulations was way below desired. The simulations
were carried out using the materials MDPE and ABS Plastic. In order to verify that
23

this was the most suitable combination of materials, further simulations were done
with several other materials. The other materials were chosen based on their
properties related to vibration isolation. Their mechanical properties are highlighted
in Table 4-2. The simulations were done with the following materials.
1. MDPE
2. ABS Plastic
3. Stainless Steel
4. Rubber
Table 4-2 Mechanical Properties

Material
MDPE
ABS
Steel
Rubber

Elastic
Modulus
(MPa)
172
2000
1930000
6.1

Mechanical Properties
Shear
Yield
Modulus
Strength
(MPa)
(MPa)
0.439
59.4
14
0.394
318.9
68.9
0.27
82000
241
0.49
2.9
9.24

Poisson
Ratio

Thermal
Conductivity
(W/(m.K))
0.322
0.2256
16.3
0.14

Simulations and Results

Simulations were carried out with the above-mentioned materials. The material for
the base plate was kept same and the beam materials were change. This procedure
was carried out for all the materials. The results obtained are as follows.

Table 5-1 Natural Frequencies with ABS Plate

Plate
Material

ABS

Beam Material

Natural Frequency (Hz)

MDPE

694.96

Rubber

135.17

Steel

7851.3

ABS

2298.6

24

Table 5-2 Natural Frequencies with Rubber plate

Base
Material

Rubber

Beam Material

Natural Frequency (Hz)

MDPE

601.54

Rubber

135.08

Steel

601.54

ABS

601.54

Table 1-3 Natural Frequencies with MDPE Plate

Plate
Material

MDPE

Beam Material

Natural Frequency (Hz)

MDPE

722.25

Rubber

135.14

Steel

3110.3

ABS

2298.5

Table 5-4 Natural Frequencies with Steel Plate

Plate
Material

Steel

Beam Material

Natural Frequency (Hz)

MDPE

722.39

Rubber

135.17

Steel

7851.3

ABS

2298.8

The above tables highlight the effect of using different materials on the isolator. The
variations in values are largely due to their different stiffness. It can be seen that steel
has a very large stiffness and therefore the natural frequency value is very high.
Rubber on the other hand has the least frequency reading due to its elastic nature. In
theory this would be the better option. Practically, rubber is more vulnerable to
environmental conditions and is not as tough as other materials listed. MDPE proved
to be the best material for the beams due to its reasonable frequency values, coupled
25

with favorable physical properties. Steel and ABS plastic are both suitable as the
material for the plate, but ABS had a slight edge in the frequency values with 694
Hz. Thus the choice of using MDPE and ABS plastic was further validated as the
better material combination for this structure.
Further simulations were conducted to analyze the physical endurance of the
structure. In order to validate this, a stress analysis and a drop test was conducted
using Solidworks and the procedure along with its results are highlighted in the
following section.

5.1 Drop Test

A drop test was conduction on the isolator by means of simulation using Solidworks.
A finite element analysis was done in order to test the durability of this structure,
provided it had to undergo unexpected circumstances such as a fall. These isolators
are embedded in the structures of much larger devices. If a device such as a smart
phone was taken into consideration, they tend to have occasional drops, which will
affect the components inside of it. For this simulation, it was assumed that the beams
would have the largest effect due to the fall. Therefore the simulations were carried
on the beams of the isolator.

Figure 5-1 Drop Test Results

26

The drop test results are classified into two sections. In Figure 5-1 above, the vertical
displacements of the beams are shown. As mentioned earlier, it is assumed that he
beams will hit the ground first upon impact. For this simulation, the isolator was
dropped from a height of 2m, which is just above the height of an average person.
The maximum displacement as shown in the figure above is 0.0036mm. This value
will vary depending on the device that holds the isolator. The highest displacement is
in the middle of the beam, as that particular area will hit the ground first.

Figure 5-2 Deformation of beam

The beams will move in a vertical direction upon impact with the ground. This
mechanism will aid the isolator to not only isolate vibrations, but also act as an
efficient shock absorber. Figure 5-2 above shows the side view of the structure and
the area that has the highest displacement with a bracket.
The other section related to drop test would be the stress analysis. The impact will
create stress on the structure and thus lead to cracks and failure.

Figure 5-3

illustrates the various areas of the structure that will undergo stresses. All the beams
will be subjected to high stress values upon impact with the ground as shown in the

27

figure. The simulations were carried out at different heights to test the endurance
levels of this structure.

Figure 5-3 Stress concentrations on the beam

The illustration shows that the highest stress region is on the edge of the pre buckled
beam. Stress is heavily concentrated here due to its low area when compared to the
rest of the structure. Von Mises is considered in this study, as it will be easy to
determine if the structure will fail or not. A structure will fail if the von Mises stress
is higher than the yield strength of the material (What is Von Mises Stress? 2012).
MDPE has yield strength of 14 MPa as shown in Table 4-2, while the von Mises
stress is only 2.88 MPa. Therefore at a height of 2m, this structure will not fail. This
same test was conducted by changing the height of fall to 22.5m. The maximum
stress obtained was 13.52 MPa that is still less than the yield strength of MDPE.
Therefore it can be said that the isolator is a very good shock absorber and can
withstand large amounts of stresses.

28

5.2 Force and Pressure test

Simulations were carried out to determine the maximum force and the maximum
pressure that the isolator can withstand before fractures appear and causes failure.
Finite Element Analysis was performed using Solidworks and the following results
were obtained.

Figure 5-4 Maximum Force on the beams

A vertical force of 0.115N was applied to the pre bucked beams of the isolator. The
illustration shown by Figure 5-4 indicates that the maximum von Mises stress value
that the beams will experience is 13.2 MPa. The region that will experience this
stress is highlighted in the figure with the reddish orange shade. MDPE has yield
strength of 14 MPa, which is higher than the maximum stress value stated in the
above simulation. Therefore the beams will not undergo failure at a force of 0.115N.
For the next simulation, a pressure analysis was performed. Using FEA, the
maximum pressure that the isolator can withstand without failure was determined. It
was found out that the maximum pressure value is 0.016 N/mm2. This pressure
would provide a maximum stress of 13.64 MPa. Since it is almost close to 14 MPa,
29

which is the yield strength of MDPE, it can be concluded that the above stated
pressure is indeed the maximum pressure. The simulation result is shown in Figure
5-5.

Figure 5-5 Maximum Pressure on the beams

It can be seen from the diagram above that the highest stress occurs in the middle of
the beam. 13.64 MPa is the highest stress value which is less than the yield strength
of MDPE therefore failure will not occur at a pressure of 0.016 N/mm2.
These simulations show that the structure is very strong and is able to withstand
vibrations and also shocks. The design is suitable for all conditions, even application
under extreme environmental conditions. The next section will be concerned with
numerical analysis by means of mathematical modeling to find variables such as
transmissibility.

30

5.3 Mathematical Modeling

The following calculations are done to determine the transmissibility ratio of the
entire structure. Transmissibility ratio can be defined as the transmitted force over
distributing force (Thomson & Dahleh 1998). The equation for transmissibility ratio
was shown in Eq (2-2).
!!(!!")!

Tr =

(5-1)

(!!! ! )! ! (!!")!

Where r =

!!"#$%%&'!(
!!"#$%&#'

and is damping ratio

(5-2)

r is the frequency ratio of the entire system. The natural frequency ! can be
calculated using the equations below.

! =

!!
!!

where kb =

!!"

(5-3)

!!

The oscillator, or the system is comprised of two parallel plates with the motor
sandwiched in the middle. The moment of inertia of the oscillator was found using its
dimensions. The total moment of inertia for the oscillator was the sum of the moment
of inertia of the top plate and the moment of inertia of the bottom plate. The Elastic
Modulus (E) was obtained from the software Solidworks while the total mass was the
addition of the mass of motor and the oscillating structure itself.

!"!#$ = 2

! =

!!!!"!#$
!!

!! !
!"

= 4.367 10!!" !

= 28760 /

!"#"$ = 8 10!!

!"#$%& = 4.5668 10!!

!"!#$ = !"#"$ + !"#$%& = 8.45668 10!!
31

mtotal in this case is the total mass of the oscillator, which includes the parallel plates
and the motor. The natural frequency of the isolator was obtained from the
SolidWorks simulations, while the natural frequency of the oscillator was calculated.
= 7350.22

!"#$%&#' = 694.96 = 4366.6 /

=

!!"#$%%&'!(
!!"#$%&#'

= 1.69

Using the above values, the transmissibility value can be found using equation 2.
Using the damping ratio as 0.01
Transmissibility value Tr = 0.538
Transmissibility ratio shows that 53.8% of the vibrations are not being isolated.
Therefore 46.2% of the vibrations are being isolated by this design. Hence the
efficiency of this isolator is 46.2%.
Efficiency = 46.2%
The frequency ratio r can be used to calculate the isolation region of this design. In
order to find isolation region, two variables has to be used, the damping ratio and the
frequency ratio. The transmissibility value for this case should be close to one, for
example, 0.98. For that to occur, the frequency ratio should be 1.42 and damping
ratio as 0.01.
Isolation region = r x !"#$%&#'

(5-4)

Therefore isolation region = 986 Hz = 6200 rad/s

32

The significance of this value is that vibration frequencies higher than 6200 rad/s will
be isolated by the design while the rest would either be amplified or just passes
through the isolator.

5.4 Material Procurement and Cost analysis

In order to carry out fabrication and testing, several components were required.
These components were not available locally therefore they had to be shipped out
from neighboring countries. The items that were purchased along with their costs are
listed below in Table 5-5.
Table 5-5 Equipment
Item No.
1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.

Item
Shaft-less Vibration Motor
Arduino Uno Rev-3 Main Board
Pulse Sensor
DSO Nano V3 Oscilloscope
Prototype
Handling & Shipment
Total

Price (RM)
20
85
102
336
250
30
823

The equipment purchased would provide the following uses.

Shaft-less motor This motor is used as the source of vibration and will be
fixed onto the oscillator

Pulse Sensor This will be used to measure the oscillations of the resonator

DSO Quad This 4 channel oscilloscope will be used to display the

frequency spectrum of oscillations

Arduino Uno Rev-3 Main board All the above components are fitted into
the arduino board and programmed to obtain required readings.

A total of RM 830 was spent throughout the entire project, which was well within the
allocated budget of RM 1200. Fabrication of the product was carried along with
testing of it, and the process is highlighted in the next section.

33

5.5 Fabrication
The main obstacle in the manufacture of a Micro Sized design is; it is micro in size.
Due to the non-availability of resources, the final prototype had to be scaled up; so
further testing of it can be done. In order to maintain similitude, the size ratio
between the proposed design and its model was 10. Since a prototype would have
been too small to conduct tests, a model that was 10 times larger was more preferred.
A 3D printer was used to fabricate the isolator. The design was made using
SolidWorks and sent to a 3D printing facility in order to get it fabricated. It might be
argued that the actual prototype could have been fabricated using a 3D printer. The
minimum dimension that such equipment could print is 0.5mm. Therefore it was not
possible to print such a micro sized device, due to this limitation.

Figure 5-6 Fabricated Model of Isolator

The idea of making this model to resemble the prototype as much as possible was
very important. It was necessary for both to have geometric similarities; in this case
the model is 10 times bigger than the actual. Figure 5-6 illustrates the fabricated
model made using a 3D printer. The material used to fabricate this model is ABS
plastic; which again is included in the actual design specification. ABS plastic is also
used in other vibration isolator and it has favorable mechanical properties. The

34

beams and the plate were fabricated separately and were fixed together using
chemical adhesives. There were several reasons for this decision.
1. Enhances the ability to resist vibration, thus helping in the design purpose
2. Weight of the whole structure will not change drastically
3. Stress will be evenly distributed
4. Easy to bond
Other methods of fixtures were not used, as this would affect the functionality of the
model. For example if nails were used, the mass and difference in stiffness values
will affect the results during testing.

Figure 5-7 Fabricated oscillator

The oscillator is shown in Figure 5-7. The oscillator is made using two parallel
aluminum plates with a shaft less motor in between these plates. The oscillator will
provide the vibrations required to test the functionality of this isolator. The oscillator
would be placed on top of the isolator during testing. Aluminum plates were used
along with nails to maintain a constant stiffness. The oscillator and the isolator were
then used to conduct a series of testing to prove the functionality as well as the
effectiveness of this design.

35

Testing

The model that was fabricated cannot be tested to replicate the readings of
simulations due to the difference in size. The testing conducted on the model was to
validate that the intended mechanism and functionality does work in real life
applications.

6.1 Mechanical Testing

A mechanical test was first conducted to check the movement of the beam when it
functions under an applied force. A slow motion video was recorded and the
following stills were captured.

Figure 6-1 Mechanism

Figure 6-1 above shows that when a force is applied from the top, the beams tend to
move in a vertical direction to absorb the shock. The beams as intended act as
springs or dampers to absorb the vibrations or shocks. A computer-generated design
of the isolator below shows the direction of movement.

Figure 6-2 Direction of movement

36

6.2 Experimental Testing

The second method of testing is done using the components purchased and obtaining
proof through experiments that the isolator serves its intended function. Figure 6-3
shows the components that were used for testing.

Figure 6-3 Testing Equipment

1. Oscillator Produces required vibrations for testing

2. Pulse sensor Detect the vibrations
3. Arduino All components are connected to this micro controller and
programmed to obtain necessary values on screen
4. DSO Oscilloscope Generate frequency patterns and measure the frequency
of the motor. It can also be used to change the frequency of the motor
5. Aluminum Plate Base platform for testing
6. Isolator Tested system
7. Laptop - Control the input and output of the Arduino and get results

37

The entire testing setup is illustrated in Figure 6-4 below. All the components are
attached to the arduino and the arduino connected to the laptop. The oscillator is
placed on the isolator, which is place on top of the aluminium platform.

Figure 6-4 Testing Setup

6.2.1

Testing Procedure

The first step before testing was to find the frequency of the motor. The motor was
connected to the DSO Nano Oscilloscope and the frequency was obtained. Figure 6-5
below shows the frequency as 1.53 kHz.

Figure 6-5 Finding frequency of motor using DSO Nano

38

Following this procedure, the whole set up was arranged. The arduino was connected
to the laptop and the other components connected to the arduino. The readings from
the pulse sensor will be displayed on the laptop screen using software called
Arduino Processing. Initially the pulse sensor was fixed to the aluminum platform
as shown in Figure 6-6 to measure any background vibrations. The setup is shown
below.

Figure 6-6 Checking for ambient vibrations

After obtaining the readings from the computer software, the vibrating source was
placed on the aluminum platform as shown in Figure 6-7 and readings were obtained.
Power was given to the motor so it will vibrate at a constant frequency.

Figure 6-7 Oscillator is placed on the platform

39

Finally the vibrating source, or the oscillator, was placed on top of the isolator as
shown in Figure 6-8 and further readings were taken. The motor was again made to
vibrate at a constant frequency. This test would determine how much of the vibration
produced by the oscillator will be absorbed by the isolator.

Figure 6-8 Setup to test the isolator

The above tests were conducted to analyze the functionality of the structure. The
mechanism and simulations proved that it was efficient but it needed to be verified if
the similar results could be obtained with real life testing. The use of pre-buckled
beams is the uniqueness of this isolator and it is expected to function as a damper or
a spring, in order to absorb vibrations. But materials have damping properties as well
and it was required to prove that material was not the deciding factor in vibration
isolation, but the pre buckled beams also played a part in isolation. Therefore the
following setup, show in figure 10, was used to determine if the beams helped in
vibration isolation.

Figure 6-9 Testing the efficiency of the isolator

40

Results

7.1 Simulation
The simulations conducted yielded results that could be further used to derive the
isolation regions of the isolator with respective to the different materials used. The
calculation method to determine the isolation region is explained under mathematical
modeling. The results are tabulated in tables 7.1 to 7.4.
Table 7-1 Natural Frequencies with ABS Plate
Beam Material
ABS Plate

Natural Frequency (Hz)

Isolation Region (Hz)

MDPE

694.96

> 986

Rubber

135.17

> 191

Steel

7851.3

> 11148

ABS

2298.6

> 3264

Table 7-2 Natural Frequencies with Rubber Plate

Beam Material
Rubber
Plate

Natural Frequency (Hz)

Isolation Region (Hz)

MDPE

601.54

> 854

Rubber

135.08

> 191

Steel

601.54

> 854

ABS

601.54

> 854

Table 7-3 Natural Frequencies with MDPE Plate

Beam Material
MDPE
Plate

Natural Frequency (Hz)

Isolation Region (Hz)

MDPE

722.25

> 1025

Rubber

135.14

> 192

Steel

3110.3

> 4416

ABS

2298.5

> 3263

Table 7-4 Natural Frequencies with Steel Plate

Beam Material

Steel Plate

Natural Frequency (Hz)

Isolation Region (Hz)

MDPE

722.39

> 1025

Rubber

135.17

> 192

Steel

7851.3

> 11148

ABS

2298.8

> 3263

41

The tabulated results indicate the change in natural frequency with different material
combinations along with the frequency isolation region. Different material properties
and characteristics affect the natural frequency of the structure. It has to be noted that
rubber has a very low natural frequency thus making it the most suitable material.
But in real life situation rubber will not act so ideally as it has unfavorable
characteristics. The different readings indicate that these materials can be used in
other application, where the frequencies have to be high.

7.2 Experimental Testing

Several experimental testing were carried out using the isolator and the vibrating
source to determine the functionality of the isolator. The results obtained were first
recorded by a pulse sensor, which was later fed into a computer to generate graphs
and values. Each test produced important results that helped to understand the
mechanism of the structure.
The initial test was conducted to determine the background vibrations. Figure 7-1
shows the waveform obtained from the pulse sensor. It can be clearly seen that there
was indeed some ambient vibrations. These vibrations will be considered as zero
error.

Figure 7-1 Ambient vibration waveform

42

The waveform was converts to values and the following results were obtained. The
peaks and trough values are clearly shown in Figure 7-2.

Figure 7-2 Ambient Vibration waveform converted to values

The next set of results was obtained when the oscillator was placed on the aluminum
sheet and the motor was switched on. This would allow us to determine the highest
amplitude of vibrations from the oscillator. The pulse sensor was placed beneath the
motor and the vibrations recorded. The peak and trough values were also obtained
using the software. Figure 7-3 below illustrates the waveform generated and Figure
7-4 illustrate the peak values obtained.

43

Figure 7-3 Waveform obtained with the oscillator

Figure 7-4 Amplitude values of oscillators waveform

44

The next stage in testing was conducted by placing the vibrating source on top of the
isolator. This test would help us determine if the oscillator was isolating the
vibrations generated by the oscillator. The pulse sensor was placed under the isolator
so it can record any vibrations that go through the isolator. The amplitude of this
waveform will indicate how much of the original vibrations will be isolated and what
will go through. Figure 7-5 shows the results obtained with the waveform.

Figure 7-5 Waveform obtained when the isolator was tested

It can be seen from the waveform that the amplitude is less when the isolator is used.
This is a clear indication that the isolator is absorbing the vibrations. The amplitude
values obtained also proved that the vibration reaching the pulse sensor has been
reduced. This result is illustrated bin the Figure 7-6.
It can be argued as to what is causing this isolation. This isolation could be due to the
material or the buckled beams. Therefore another test was carried out if the buckled
beams were actually helping in the isolation process. The setup was highlighted in
the testing section above and the results that are obtained are shown below.
45

Figure 7-6 Amplitude values for the waveform during isolation

Figure 7-7 Waveform obtained while testing for the efficiency of the beams

46

Figure 7-8 Amplitude values for the waveform

Figures 7-7 and Figure 7-8 shows the results that was obtained when the
functionality of the beams were tested. The waveform and the peak values indicate
that the beams do play a role in isolating the frequency. But it has to be said that the
material is also contributing in vibration isolation nevertheless. The waveforms of
Figure 7-5 and Figure 7-7 show that they are not identical. Hence the beams are not
the only factor in vibration isolation.
In addition to testing the isolator of its efficiency, another test was carried out to
understand the isolation region of this isolator. It was found out through calculations
that this isolator will absorb vibrations above 240 Hz. Therefore its isolation region
is above 240 Hz. The motor was made to vibrate at 220 Hz and the waveform of its
vibrations and peak values were obtained. The waveform is illustrated in figure 10.
Then the isolator was used along with the vibration source and the results generated.
It can be seen through Figures 7-9 and 7-10, that both the waveforms are identical.

47

Figure 7-9 Waveform before isolator is used

Figure 7-10 Waveform after the isolator is used

These identical waveforms suggest that the isolator does not isolate any frequencies
below 240 Hz. All the vibrations are transmitted to the pulse sensor through the
isolator from the vibrating source.

48

Discussion of Results

It is evident from the previous sections that numerous tests were conducted to
analyze and understand the functionality of the design. These results obtained from
these tests were analyzed thoroughly to understand the theory behind them. Several
comparison have also made been made with existing designs to assess the efficiency
of this design when compared to the rest. This section will provide a better
understanding about the results obtained and how they can be used to further
improve the design in the future. The results obtained by running simulations are first
analyzed, followed by the results obtained through running tests.

8.1 Simulation
8.1.1

Natural Frequency

Simulations were carried out to determine the suitable material that could be used for
the structure to product the least natural frequency. It was evident from the results
that material properties such as the elastic modulus and stiffness were a huge factor
in obtaining the natural frequency. The materials that were chosen are MDPE
(Medium Density Polyethylene), ABS Plastic, Steel and rubber. The elastic modulus
of these materials is shown in Table 8-1.
Table 8-1 Elastic Modulus
Elastic Modulus (MPa)

Material
MDPE

172

ABS

2000

Steel

1930000

Rubber

6.1

49

The table above shows that the elastic modulus of rubber and steel are the two
extremes. Therefore if steel were used as the material of the isolator, the natural
frequency of it would be extremely high. Like wise if rubber was used, the natural
frequency will be very low. The application of this design is intended for hand held
devices and therefore they are not subjected to large vibrational frequencies.
Therefore steel was discarded as the material option. Steel can be used for other
applications and they are discussed in a later section.
Rubber produces the least frequency but not the most desirable material to be chosen
for a vibration isolator of this size. Rubber does not act ideally in real life scenarios
and also production of micro sized devices with rubber will be extremely difficult.
Therefore the use of MDPE and ABS plastic was more preferred. They both had
good machinable properties and their material characteristics were also favorable.

Table 8-2 Natural Frequencies for different material combinations

Plate

Beam

Natural Frequency (Hz)

ABS

MDPE

694.96

MDPE

ABS

2298.5

MDPE

MDPE

722.25

ABS

ABS

2298.6

Simulation results displayed in Table 8-2 were obtained when separate simulations
were conducted to check which material combination of the separate parts yielded a
lower natural frequency. Its clear that the use of ABS as the plate and MDPE as the
beams would be the most efficient isolator as they had the lowest natural frequency
with 694.96 Hz. Hence the material selection for this design was selected based on
these results.
8.1.2

Drop Test

FEA simulations were conducted on the isolator to verify its structural performances.
A drop test was carried out and the results obtained were exceptionally great for this
design. Several heights were used to determine the endurance ability of this structure.

50

The von Misses stress values were obtained as this measurement is usually used to
determine if the structure would fail under testing conditions. The von Misses stress
was compared with the yield strength of the material used. The results obtained,
showed in Table 8-3, shows that the von Misses stress is lower than the yield
strength of the material.
Table 8-3 Drop test result comparison

TEST ON

Drop Height

Von Misses

Yield Strength

PROTOTYPE

(m)

Stress (MPa)

(MPa)

2.88

14

12.532

14

22.5

13.52

14

TEST 1
(a = 9.81 m/s2)
TEST 2
(a = 107.91m/s2)
TEST 3
(a = 9.81 m/s2)

The results show that that maximum stress is 13.52 MPa before it will reach failure.
This result proves that upon impact, the isolator can withstand large amounts of
shocks, thus making the design not only a vibration isolator but also a shock isolator.
The isolator will absorb the impact and withstand the high levels of stress to a large
extent. This could be due to the buckled beams acting as dampers, thus helping in
absorbing the energy. Force and pressure tests were carried out to further validate
these results and their results are discussed in the next section.
8.1.3

Maximum Force and Pressure

The simulations carried out to test the maximum stress when force and pressure is
applied yielded expected results. A force of 0.115 N provided the highest stress
before the structure fails. Simulation shows that stress concentration is on the middle
of the plates where the beams touch the surface. At this point, both ends of the beams
will be pushing against the top plate thus allowing the beams to fracture in the
middle if excessive force is used. The stress value obtained at 0.115N is 13.2 MPa,
which is less than the yield strength of MDPE. Therefore it can be concluded that the
maximum force the design can withstand is 0.115N.
51

A pressure test was also carried using FEA in SolidWorks. It was found that the
maximum pressure the design can withstand is 0.016N/mm2. This pressure yielded
stress of 13.64 N. Stress concentrations was found especially at edges because of
their small area. It can be concluded that cracks and fractures will appear at these
edges if excessive pressure is applied.

8.2 Testing
The results obtained through experimental testing proved that the isolator was
effective in its purpose. The waveforms generated showed that the amplitudes
decreased when the isolator was used. The vibrational frequency was kept at a
constant so that the tests had limited errors. Figure 10 below shows the difference in
amplitudes when the isolator was and was not used.

Figure 8-1 Comparison of isolation waveform. (Left) Before isolation (Right)

After Isolation
It was also validated from the tests that the buckled beams had a role in isolating
vibration. The damping qualities of the material did help to some extent but the
beams acted as spring to absorb the vibrations. It can also be said that higher
frequencies wee absorbed by the ABS plate, while the beams absorbed the lower
frequencies that penetrated the plate. The difference in materials could have been the
factor that caused the plate to absorb some of the vibrations. ABS plastic has a higher
stiffness value than MDPE. Therefore it has the ability to isolate higher frequencies.
Before testing was done, the pulse sensor was used to check for ambient vibrations.
This helped to eliminate possible errors in the results.

52

This model was tested to check the region of isolation. The region of isolation is the
frequencies that the model will isolate. Calculation methods were used to determine
the isolation region of the model. The isolation region was found to be 240 Hz. The
model was later tested with a vibrating frequency of 220. The pulse sensor recorded a
reading of 220 Hz. This proves that the isolator absorbed none of the vibrations. The
table below shows the isolation regions of the model and the actual design.

Table 8-4 Isolation Region

Isolation Region (Hz)
Model

> 240

Prototype

> 986

The results obtained from tests and simulations done on the prototype and the model
shows that both behave in a similar manner. It was not possible to replicate the
results due to manufacturing complications of micro sized units. Regardless of the
larger size of the model, the tests conducted on this model proved to be similar to the
results and calculation conducted on the actual design. The models functionality was
similar to the prototype and also its efficiency was satisfactory. Since this model was
made based on similitude, it can be expected that the prototype will also function in
this way, but with better results as simulated.

8.3 Comparison with existing design

The industry is short on vibration isolators for micro sized systems. MEMS are a new
type of devices and there are only a handful of vibration isolation designs available.
A vibration isolator with a circular plate has not been design to date and this design
has proved through testing and simulations that it is very efficient with numerous
advantages over the others. A comparison is made in table 10 below between this
circular vibration isolator and a PCB vibration isolator, which is an existing design.

53

Table 8-5 Comparison with PCB Isolator

Sample
A
B
C

PCB Vibration Isolator

Natural
Frequency (Hz)
500.86
374.95
293.75

Circular Vibration Isolator

Combination
Natural
(plate & beams)
Frequency (Hz)
ABS & MDPE
694.96
Steel & Rubber
135.17
MDPE & Rubber
135.14

Figure 8-2 Comparison of design with PCB vibration isolator

The highest natural frequency of the PCB vibration isolator is 500.86 Hz while the
circular vibration isolator has 694.96 Hz. This is not a huge difference when
considered that the PCB vibration isolator is longer than the circular isolator. It was
found that length of beams and natural frequency are inversely proportional. Sample
B and C of the PCB isolator have longer beam lengths, thus lower natural frequency.
Similar changes were done on the circular vibration isolator by changing the
materials. The results obtained shows that there can be different applications if
different materials were used for the isolator. These different applications are
discussed in the next section.

54

8.4 Applications
There can be different applications to the circular vibration isolator. Table 8-6 below
highlights these potential applications.
Table 8-6 Applications
Circular Vibration Isolator
Application
Hand Held
Devices

100-2000

Rotating

Less than

Machinery

1000

MEMS in
Military

Spacecraft
MEMS

Missile
MEMS

100-2000

10-20,000

0-50,000

Materials

Isolation Region

(Plate & Beams)

(Hz)

ABS & MDPE

> 986

ABS & Rubber

> 191

Steel & Rubber

> 192

Rubber & Rubber

> 191

ABS & MDPE

> 986

ABS & Rubber

> 191

Steel & Rubber

> 191

Steel & MDPE

> 1025

Steel & ABS

> 3263

Steel & Steel

> 11148

Steel & ABS

> 3263

Steel & Steel

> 11148

The table shows that with a different combination of materials, different isolation
regions can be achieved. This provides the use of the vibration isolator for different
applications as highlighted above. Since the circular vibration isolator for this project
is based on the applications for hand held devices, the material used are ABS and
MDPE as these devices are subjected to vibrational frequencies above the isolation
region. Applications where extreme conditions are needed are required to use
materials such as steel as they are excellent in enduring tough conditions.

8.5 Sustainability
Sustainability is one of the major aspects of any design. Every design has to be
environmentally friendly and comprise of sustainable materials. Solidworks was used
to run simulations on the design to check its sustainability.
55

Figure 8- 3 Sustainability Results

The software requires a baseline material, and steel was chosen as this material as the
PCB vibration isolator was made of steel. This design was compared to the circular
vibration isolator in the previous section. Figure 8-3 above illustrates the results that
were obtained. The illustration above shows that the various environmental effects
on different stages of the product life cycle. When compared with steel, MDPE and
ABS showed vast improvement in environmental sustainability. The study was
performed for duration of one year. Air acidification is the highest for
manufacturing. This could be due to the manufacturing process of MDPE and ABS,
which is injection moulding. When compared with steel, which was the material for
the PCB vibration isolator, the following results were obtained.

Carbon Footprint 91% less than steel

Energy Consumption 84% less than steel

Air acidification 92% less than steel

Water eutrophication 98% less than steel

The full sustainability report is attached in the appendix for reference. It can be
concluded that the circular vibration isolator design is very eco-friendly and thus
have very limited environmental impact. This vibration isolator also indirectly helps
to reduce electronic waste. MEMS will be subject to degradation due to vibrations

56

throughout their lifetime. With the help of vibration isolators, their lifetime can be
extended thus reducing the waste of MEMS. Increasing the lifetime of MEMS
increases the lifetime of the devices they function in. Thus contributing to the
reduction of more electronic waste.

8.6 Manufacturing and Implementation

The manufacturing process for this vibration isolator was chosen to be injection
moulding. This process was chosen because of the material selection. MDPE and
ABS have good machinability and therefore can be made precisely. Precision is
important in the manufacture of micro sized systems. If a material such as steel is
used, die-casting would be the appropriate choice. Sustainability studies conducted
through the software Solidworks prove that injection moulding does not harm the
environment significantly.

Conclusion, Recommendation & Future Work

This project was conducted in two phases where the first phase was to identify a
suitable design that would be a unique yet efficient one. The design was later
optimized to get better results but was not effective enough to be the finalized design.
The methodology conducted during the second phase yielded positive and efficient
results that would be helpful in the future to implement this design in the industry.
Simulations conducted with different materials have proved that there are various
applications for this vibration isolator. This novel design has tested to be able to not
only isolate vibration but also to withstand shocks.
However, no design can be perfect in its own ability. There are always areas that
need to improve, be it in testing conducted or the structural design itself. Limited
resources have led to minor assumptions during testing that may have altered the
results obtained. The following areas have been identified as weak points in the
testing procedure.
1) The model was tested for its functionality and it yielded desired and favorable
results. The actual design in 10 times smaller in size. Results obtained from

57

testing conducted on the actual design may differ from the results obtained
from the model.
2) The fabrication of the model was done using 3D printing technology and not
the desired manufacturing process, which is injection molding. 3D printing
may alter the structural characteristics of the design, as it may not be very
precise. Other unforeseen factors during the manufacturing process may
produce a model that is far from desirable.
3) During calculations, the damping ratio was assumed to be 0.01, based on
literature review conducted. In order to obtain more accurate results, the
damping ratio should be found experimentally.
4) The software that was used may not produce accurate results and the
performance of the actual prototype may vary.
Various recommendations were suggested to improve on this design. These
recommendations should be implemented in the future to further optimize the design
so it can be ready for industrial use. One of the main areas where more research
should be conducted will be on the choice of material. Materials such as ABS plastic
and MDPE yielded very positive results during simulation. Yet, other materials may
provide better results if they are tested extensively.
During optimizations it was evident that the length of the beams had a huge impact
on the natural frequency of the device. More simulations and testing should be
conducted to identify other variables in the design that may affect the natural
frequency of the vibration isolator. All these optimizations should be conducted
while maintaining the micro sized dimensions of the system. Another area of
research needed is the manufacturing process for this isolator. Injection moulding
was chosen in this project as the manufacturing process as results during simulations
proved that the process was energy efficient and also sustainably friendly.
To conclude this project, a circular vibration isolator was created and tested
extensively to reach the desired standards and proved to be a worthwhile design that
can be implemented into future devices. With additional research and development,
this unique and novel design could be used in several applications and considered as
a next generation vibration isolator.
58

10 References
Abolfathi, A, Waters, TP & Brennam, MJ 2011, 'Passive Vibration Isolation Using
Axially Loaded Curved Beams,' 18th International Congress of Sound & Vibration,
1-8.
Benaroya, H & Nagurka, ML 2010, Mechanical Vibration: Analysis, Uncertainties
and Control, 3 edn., CRC Press.
Braman, T & Grossman, O 2006, 'Designing Vibration and Shock Isolation System
for Micro Electrical Machined Based Inertial Measurement Units,' IEEE/ION
Position, Location and Navigation Synopsium (PLANS), pp.400-404.
Frankovich, D n.d, 'The Basics of Vibration Isolation Using Elastomeric Materials',
pp. 1-5.
Gaul, L 1999, 'The Influence of Damping on Waves and Vibration', Mechanical
Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1-30.
Hsu, TR 2008, MEMS and Microsystems - Design, Manufacture and Nanoscale
Engineering, 2nd edn., John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Inman, DJ 2000, Engineering Vibrations, 2 edn., Prentice Hall.
Kim, SJ, Dean, R, Flowers, G & Chen, C 2009, 'Active Vibration Control and
Isolation for Micromachined Devices', vol. 131, pp. 1-2.
Liu, Y, Du, H, Holden, LKH & Mingfeng, N 2012, 'Compact Vibration Isolator for
Protecting MEMS Oscillator and Sensitive Electronic Devices,' 15th International
Conference on Experimental Mechanics, pp.1-5.
Rao, SS 2011, Mechanical Vibrations, 5th edn., Pearson.
Thomson, WT & Dahleh, MD 1998, Theory of Vibration with Applications, Prentice
Hall.
What is Von Mises Stress?, 2012, viewed 1 Dec 2014,

59

Yoon, SH, Roh, JE & Kim, KL 2011, 'Shock Isolation of Micromachined devices for
high-g applications', in E Suhir, DS Steinberg and TX Yu (eds), Structural Dynamics
of Electronics and Photonic Systems, John Wiley & Sons.
Yoon, SW 2009, Vibration Isolation and Shock Protection for MEMS, thesis,
Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, pp. 13-21.
Yoon, SW, Lee, SW, Perkins, NC & Najafi, K 2007, 'Vibration Sensitivity of MEMS
Tuning Fork Gyroscopes,' IEEE SENSORS 2007 Conference, 115-119.
Abolfathi, A, Waters, TP & Brennam, MJ 2011, 'Passive Vibration Isolation Using
Axially Loaded Curved Beams,' 18th International Congress of Sound & Vibration,
1-8.
Benaroya, H & Nagurka, ML 2010, Mechanical Vibration: Analysis, Uncertainties
and Control, 3 edn., CRC Press.
Braman, T & Grossman, O 2006, 'Designing Vibration and Shock Isolation System
for Micro Electrical Machined Based Inertial Measurement Units,' IEEE/ION
Position, Location and Navigation Synopsium (PLANS), pp.400-404.
Frankovich, D n.d, 'The Basics of Vibration Isolation Using Elastomeric Materials',
pp. 1-5.
Gaul, L 1999, 'The Influence of Damping on Waves and Vibration', Mechanical
Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1-30.
Hsu, TR 2008, MEMS and Microsystems - Design, Manufacture and Nanoscale
Engineering, 2nd edn., John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Inman, DJ 2000, Engineering Vibrations, 2 edn., Prentice Hall.
Kim, SJ, Dean, R, Flowers, G & Chen, C 2009, 'Active Vibration Control and
Isolation for Micromachined Devices', vol. 131, pp. 1-2.
Liu, Y, Du, H, Holden, LKH & Mingfeng, N 2012, 'Compact Vibration Isolator for
Protecting MEMS Oscillator and Sensitive Electronic Devices,' 15th International
Conference on Experimental Mechanics, pp.1-5.

60

Rao, SS 2011, Mechanical Vibrations, 5th edn., Pearson.

Thomson, WT & Dahleh, MD 1998, Theory of Vibration with Applications, Prentice
Hall.
What is Von Mises Stress?, 2012, viewed 1 Dec 2014,
Yoon, SH, Roh, JE & Kim, KL 2011, 'Shock Isolation of Micromachined devices for
high-g applications', in E Suhir, DS Steinberg and TX Yu (eds), Structural Dynamics
of Electronics and Photonic Systems, John Wiley & Sons.
Yoon, SW 2009, Vibration Isolation and Shock Protection for MEMS, thesis,
Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, pp. 13-21.
Yoon, SW, Lee, SW, Perkins, NC & Najafi, K 2007, 'Vibration Sensitivity of MEMS
Tuning Fork Gyroscopes,' IEEE SENSORS 2007 Conference, 115-119.

61

11 Appendix

Figure 1 Sustainability study

Figure 2 Environmental impact of using steel as the isolator material. Die

casting is the manufacturing method

62

Figure 3 Dimensions of beam

63

Figure 4 Dimensions of plate

64

Figure 5 Proposed Gantt Chart

65

(The following coding was obtained from Processing Forum,

http://forum.processing.org/two/discussion/8246/processing-code-to-display-ampedvisualizer/p1)

Programs used for Arduino (micro-controller)

Motor Program
void setup()
{
pinMode(6,OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{

digitalWrite(6,HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(300);
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
delayMicroseconds(200);

66

Pulse Sensor Program One

/*
>> Pulse Sensor Amped 1.2 <<
This code is for Pulse Sensor Amped by Joel Murphy and Yury Gitman
www.pulsesensor.com
>>> Pulse Sensor purple wire goes to Analog Pin 0 <<<
Pulse Sensor sample aquisition and processing happens in the background via Timer 2
interrupt. 2mS sample rate.
PWM on pins 3 and 11 will not work when using this code, because we are using Timer 2!
The following variables are automatically updated:
Signal :
IBI :

int that holds the analog signal data straight from the sensor. updated every 2mS.
int that holds the time interval between beats. 2mS resolution.

BPM :
int that holds the heart rate value, derived every beat, from averaging previous 10
IBI values.
QS :
reset.

boolean that is made true whenever Pulse is found and BPM is updated. User must

Pulse :
boolean that is true when a heartbeat is sensed then false in time with pin13 LED
going out.

This code is designed with

"PulseSensorAmped_Processing-xx"

output

serial

data

to

Processing

sketch

The Processing sketch is a simple data visualizer.

All the work to find the heartbeat and determine the heartrate happens in the code below.
Pin 13 LED will blink with heartbeat.
If you want to use pin 13 for something else, adjust the interrupt handler
It will also fade an LED on pin fadePin with every beat. Put an LED and series resistor from
fadePin to GND.
Check here for detailed code walkthrough:
http://pulsesensor.myshopify.com/pages/pulse-sensor-amped-arduino-v1dot1

Code Version 1.2 by Joel Murphy & Yury Gitman Spring 2013
67

This update fixes the firstBeat and secondBeat flag usage so that realistic BPM is reported.

*/

// VARIABLES
int pulsePin = 0;

// Pulse Sensor purple wire connected to analog pin 0

int blinkPin = 13;

// pin to blink led at each beat

int fadePin = 5;

// pin to do fancy classy fading blink at each beat

int fadeRate = 0;

// used to fade LED on with PWM on fadePin

// these variables are volatile because they are used during the interrupt service routine!
volatile int BPM;

// used to hold the pulse rate

volatile int Signal;

// holds the incoming raw data

volatile int IBI = 600;

// holds the time between beats, must be seeded!

volatile boolean Pulse = false;

// true when pulse wave is high, false when it's low

volatile boolean QS = false;

// becomes true when Arduoino finds a beat.

void setup(){
pinMode(blinkPin,OUTPUT);

// pin that will blink to your heartbeat!

pinMode(fadePin,OUTPUT);

// pin that will fade to your heartbeat!

Serial.begin(115200);
interruptSetup();

// we agree to talk fast!

// sets up to read Pulse Sensor signal every 2mS

// UN-COMMENT THE NEXT LINE IF YOU ARE POWERING The Pulse Sensor AT
LOW VOLTAGE,
// AND APPLY THAT VOLTAGE TO THE A-REF PIN
//analogReference(EXTERNAL);

68

void loop(){
sendDataToProcessing('S', Signal);
if (QS == true){
fadeRate = 255;

// send Processing the raw Pulse Sensor data

// Quantified Self flag is true when arduino finds a heartbeat

// Set 'fadeRate' Variable to 255 to fade LED with pulse

sendDataToProcessing('B',BPM); // send heart rate with a 'B' prefix

sendDataToProcessing('Q',IBI); // send time between beats with a 'Q' prefix
QS = false;

// reset the Quantified Self flag for next time

ledFadeToBeat();

delay(20);

// take a break

void ledFadeToBeat(){
fadeRate -= 15;

// set LED fade value

fadeRate = constrain(fadeRate,0,255); // keep LED fade value from going into negative
numbers!
analogWrite(fadePin,fadeRate);

// fade LED

}
void sendDataToProcessing(char symbol, int data ){
Serial.print(symbol);
coming
Serial.println(data);

// symbol prefix tells Processing what type of data is

// the data to send culminating in a carriage return

69

Pulse Sensor Program Two

/*
THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH PulseSensorAmped_Arduino-xx ARDUINO CODE
THE PULSE DATA WINDOW IS SCALEABLE WITH SCROLLBAR AT BOTTOM OF
SCREEN
PRESS 'S' OR 's' KEY TO SAVE A PICTURE OF THE SCREEN IN SKETCH FOLDER
(.jpg)
MADE BY JOEL MURPHY AUGUST, 2012
*/

import processing.serial.*;
PFont font;
Scrollbar scaleBar;

Serial port;

int Sensor;
int IBI;
int BPM;
int[] RawY;

// HOLDS PULSE SENSOR DATA FROM ARDUINO

// HOLDS TIME BETWEN HEARTBEATS FROM ARDUINO
// HOLDS HEART RATE VALUE FROM ARDUINO
// HOLDS HEARTBEAT WAVEFORM DATA BEFORE SCALING

int[] ScaledY; // USED TO POSITION SCALED HEARTBEAT WAVEFORM

int[] rate;
float zoom;
float offset;

// USED TO POSITION BPM DATA WAVEFORM

// USED WHEN SCALING PULSE WAVEFORM TO PULSE WINDOW
// USED WHEN SCALING PULSE WAVEFORM TO PULSE WINDOW

color eggshell = color(255, 253, 248);

int heart = 0; // This variable times the heart image 'pulse' on screen
// THESE VARIABLES DETERMINE THE SIZE OF THE DATA WINDOWS
int PulseWindowWidth = 490;

70

int PulseWindowHeight = 512;

int BPMWindowWidth = 180;
int BPMWindowHeight = 340;
boolean beat = false;
is advanced

// set when a heart beat is detected, then cleared when the BPM graph

void setup() {
size(700, 600); // Stage size
frameRate(100);
font = loadFont("Arial-BoldMT-24.vlw");
textFont(font);
textAlign(CENTER);
rectMode(CENTER);
ellipseMode(CENTER);
// Scrollbar constructor inputs: x,y,width,height,minVal,maxVal
scaleBar = new Scrollbar (400, 575, 180, 12, 0.5, 1.0); // set parameters for the scale bar
RawY = new int[PulseWindowWidth];

// initialize raw pulse waveform array

ScaledY = new int[PulseWindowWidth];

// initialize scaled pulse waveform array

rate = new int [BPMWindowWidth];

zoom = 0.75;

// initialize BPM waveform array

// initialize scale of heartbeat window

// set the visualizer lines to 0

for (int i=0; i<rate.length; i++){
rate[i] = 555;

// Place BPM graph line at bottom of BPM Window

}
for (int i=0; i<RawY.length; i++){
RawY[i] = height/2; // initialize the pulse window data line to V/2
}
71

// GO FIND THE ARDUINO

println(Serial.list());

// print a list of available serial ports

// choose the number between the [] that is connected to the Arduino

port = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[0], 115200); // make sure Arduino is talking serial at
this baud rate
port.clear();

// flush buffer

port.bufferUntil('\n'); // set buffer full flag on receipt of carriage return

}

void draw() {
background(0);
noStroke();
// DRAW OUT THE PULSE WINDOW AND BPM WINDOW RECTANGLES
fill(eggshell); // color for the window background
rect(255,height/2,PulseWindowWidth,PulseWindowHeight);
rect(600,385,BPMWindowWidth,BPMWindowHeight);

// DRAW THE PULSE WAVEFORM

// prepare pulse data points
RawY[RawY.length-1] = (1023 - Sensor) - 212; // place the new raw datapoint at the end
of the array
zoom = scaleBar.getPos();
offset = map(zoom,0.5,1,150,0);

// get current waveform scale value

// calculate the offset needed at this scale

for (int i = 0; i < RawY.length-1; i++) {

RawY[i] = RawY[i+1];

// move the pulse waveform by

// shifting all raw datapoints one pixel left

float dummy = RawY[i] * zoom + offset;

// adjust the raw data to the selected scale

ScaledY[i] = constrain(int(dummy),44,556);
array
}

72

// transfer the raw data array to the scaled

stroke(250,0,0);

// red is a good color for the pulse waveform

noFill();
beginShape();

// using beginShape() renders fast

for (int x = 1; x < ScaledY.length-1; x++) {

vertex(x+10, ScaledY[x]);

//draw a line connecting the data points

}
endShape();

// DRAW THE BPM WAVE FORM

// first, shift the BPM waveform over to fit then next data point only when a beat is found
if (beat == true){ // move the heart rate line over one pixel every time the heart beats
beat = false;

// clear beat flag (beat flag waset in serialEvent tab)

for (int i=0; i<rate.length-1; i++){

rate[i] = rate[i+1];

// shift the bpm Y coordinates over one pixel to the left

}
// then limit and scale the BPM value
BPM = min(BPM,200);

// limit the highest BPM value to 200

float dummy = map(BPM,0,200,555,215); // map it to the heart rate window Y

rate[rate.length-1] = int(dummy);

// set the rightmost pixel to the new data point value

}
// GRAPH THE HEART RATE WAVEFORM
stroke(250,0,0);
strokeWeight(2);

// color of heart rate graph

// thicker line is easier to read

noFill();
beginShape();
for (int i=0; i < rate.length-1; i++){
vertex(i+510, rate[i]);

// variable 'i' will take the place of pixel x position

// display history of heart rate datapoints

}
endShape();
73

// DRAW THE HEART AND MAYBE MAKE IT BEAT

fill(250,0,0);
stroke(250,0,0);
// the 'heart' variable is set in serialEvent when arduino sees a beat happen
heart--;
heart beats
heart = max(heart,0);
if (heart > 0){
strokeWeight(8);

// heart is used to time how long the heart graphic swells when your

// don't let the heart variable go into negative numbers

// if a beat happened recently,
// make the heart big

}
smooth(); // draw the heart with two bezier curves
bezier(width-100,50, width-20,-20, width,140, width-100,150);
bezier(width-100,50, width-190,-20, width-200,140, width-100,150);
strokeWeight(1);

// reset the strokeWeight for next time

// PRINT THE DATA AND VARIABLE VALUES

fill(eggshell);

// get ready to print text

text("Pulse Sensor Amped Visualizer 1.1",245,30);

// tell them what you are

text("IBI " + IBI + "mS",600,585);

// print the time between heartbeats in mS

text(BPM + " BPM",600,200);

// print the Beats Per Minute

text("Pulse Window Scale " + nf(zoom,1,2), 150, 585); // show the current scale of Pulse
Window
// DO THE SCROLLBAR THINGS
scaleBar.update (mouseX, mouseY);
scaleBar.display();
//
} //end of draw loop

74

Design 1
Outer radius of beam 5mm
Inner Radius of beam 4.5mm
Height of beam 1mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1480.2 Hz
Design 2
Outer radius of beam 5.3 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4.5 mm
Height of beam 1 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1338.5 Hz
Design 3
Outer radius of beam 5 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4.5 mm
Height of beam 0.7 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1548.1Hz
Design 4
Outer radius of beam 5.3 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4 mm
Height of beam 1 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1244.7 Hz

75

Design 5
Outer radius of beam 5.5 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4.5 mm
Height of beam 0.7 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1548.1 Hz
Design 6
Outer radius of beam 5 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4 mm
Height of beam 0.7 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1656.3Hz
Design 7
Outer radius of beam 5.3 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4 mm
Height of beam 0.7 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1360.3 Hz
Design 8
Outer radius of beam 5 mm
Inner Radius of beam 4 mm
Height of beam 1 mm
Thickness of beam 0.2 mm
Diameter of platform 10 mm
Thickness of platform 0.5 mm
Natural Frequency 1456.3 Hz

76

Figure 6 MATLAB simulation of Transmissibility ratio vs. Frequency ratio

Figure 7 Pareto chart from Minitab

77