5/15/98


Can anyone supply me with reference(s) to consult when planning an EM

laboratory? I am particularly concerned about isolation from vibration and

climate control. Thank you.





Paul Grover

Pbgrover@aol.com


The reference to use is "Design of the Electron Microscope Laboratory" 1975

Ronald H Alderson



Vol 4 in "Practical Methods in Electron Microscopy" Audrey M. Glauert,

Editor,



Library of Congress # 73-94298





North-Holland ISBN 0 7204 4259 1



/Elsevier ISBN 0 444 10807 6



I have used it in designing 3 laboratories. If the architects / engineers

had only read the copies I gave them, all would have gone much better!





*****************************************************

Mel Dickson,

Director.

Electron Microscope Unit,

University of New South Wales.

Sydney NSW 2052 Australia



Phone (+612) 9385-6383

Fax (+612) 9385-6400

Website <http://srv.emunit.unsw.edu.au>


Our laboratory used to be in the cellar and once we got the possibility to

>participate in the planning of the reconstruction of our faculty-building I

>started very early to draw the floor-plans for our premises. I did not want

>to go back to the cellar and reserved space for us on the fourth and fifth

>floors (the supporting structure of the building is cast on-site and very

>steady).

>I had many fights with the architects etc. but got most of my wishes done.

>I have to admit that there were real fights - I had to threat them with

court.

>After all that fight and almost living in the construction site we got a

>laboratory which we have been fairly satisfied. Naturally there have been

>changes afterwards but is there any laboratory without changes during 15

>years?

>If anyone is interested you are wellcome to pay a visit to our laboratory.

>

>Regards,

>Jouko

>

>

>Jouko K. Mäki, Ph.D., Laboratory Manager

>University of Turku, Laboratory of Electron Microscopy

>Kiinamyllynkatu 10 FIN-20520 TURKU FINLAND

>Tel: +358 (0)2 333 7318 GSM: +358 (0)40 505 2521 FAX: +358 (0)2 333 7380

>http://www.utu.fi/med/em/index.html


Our laboratory used to be in the cellar and once we got the possibility to

>participate in the planning of the reconstruction of our faculty-building I

>started very early to draw the floor-plans for our premises. I did not want

>to go back to the cellar and reserved space for us on the fourth and fifth

>floors (the supporting structure of the building is cast on-site and very

>steady).

>I had many fights with the architects etc. but got most of my wishes done.

>I have to admit that there were real fights - I had to threat them with

court.

>After all that fight and almost living in the construction site we got a

>laboratory which we have been fairly satisfied. Naturally there have been

>changes afterwards but is there any laboratory without changes during 15

>years?

>If anyone is interested you are wellcome to pay a visit to our laboratory.

>

>Regards,

>Jouko

>

>

>Jouko K. Mäki, Ph.D., Laboratory Manager

>University of Turku, Laboratory of Electron Microscopy

>Kiinamyllynkatu 10 FIN-20520 TURKU FINLAND

>Tel: +358 (0)2 333 7318 GSM: +358 (0)40 505 2521 FAX: +358 (0)2 333 7380

>http://www.utu.fi/med/em/index.html


Dear list members,

I am looking for suggestions on features we should consider for an EM lab

renovation. We are currently in the design process for renovating a

building which will house two TEMS, 2 SEMs, an AES, and a darkroom. With

this opportunity to design the EM labs, we want to take all reasonable

precautions and make the necessary improvements to optimize these areas.

This includes necessities for EM operation as well as conveniences.



While this currently unoccupied building readily passes vibrational and

magnetic field tests, I am trying to minimize the impact of the labs,

offices, and electrical/ventilation systems which will surround the EM

labs. Alderson's book (suggested on the list a while back) was a great

help for the initial design stages. What suggestions do you have either

for the design of the laboratories or for the related equipment? While my

primary interest is for the TEM labs, I would welcome any suggestions for

the other EM rooms or dark room as well.



One major concern I have is with mechanical vibration isolation. We would

like to limit a priori the effects of the surrounding labs and services.

Any suggestions which would limit the effects of mechanical vibrations at

the TEMs, or reduce the level of ambient vibrations, would be particularly

helpful.



Richard Fonda



_____________________________________________________________

Richard W. Fonda Naval Research Laboratory

(202) 767-2622 Code 6324

(202) 767-2623 fax Washington DC 20375


You are right to be concerned. One difficulty is that there is no

one prescription for minimizing mechanical vibrations. If the building and

ground is very rigid, it will transmit vibrations due to traffic and wind,

so you must isolate the equipment with, e.g., a pneumatic platform, but if

the building and ground are not rigid, and do not transmit vibrations read-

ily, you might need to anchor the equipment so that, e.g., air conditioning

vibrations do not affect the EMs. Furthermore, the frequency spectrum of

the vibrations is important. Our HVEM responds greatly to 20 Hz vibrations,

but not to ~22 Hz vibrations. Sometimes a spring-mass-spring type of moun-

ting--as we use for our vacuum pumps--will lower transmission of vibrations,

and it can be tuned to damp specific frequencies. Good luck.

Yours,

Bill Tivol



tivol@wadsworth.org


Richard,



Several years ago, we were in a similar situation. The company

renovated a vacant building so all us R&D folk could play in the same

place. Of course it passed inspection - there was nothing in it. After

moving, we found that we ran into numerous problems with EM fields for a

variety of reasons. We eventually found the sources and had the

problems corrected, but with quite a bit of unnecessary expense and down

time.



If I had to do it again, I'd bring in the vibration and field experts

during the design stage.



If you'd like to, contact me at the address below and I can give you a

reference.





Harold J. Crossman

Senior Scientist

OSRAM SYLVANIA INC.

Lighting Research Center

71 Cherry Hill Dr.

Beverly, MA 01915

(978) 750-1717

crossman@osi.sylvania.com

>


Richard-

one way of isolating equipment (in AFM and other scanning probe

microscopies) which may or may not work for your situation is to suspend

the equipment from the ceiling, designing the damping system into the

suspension system...?

-Mike

merock@du.edu



Richard


most e.m. units are at ground floor or basement level so consider the risk

of flooding. This may be natural flooding (when the drains block with leaves

in autumn/fall), the lab above may often flood or someone leaves the tap on

in the darkroom. Precautions may range from a pair of wellies and sandbags

to sills and sealable doors (I've seen something like that in a London

University). But at the very least it should be possible to isolate the

electrics to microscope and lab in an emergency.



Flooding is less likely than vibration and magnetic fields but it does

happen and can be disastrous.



Malcolm Haswell

e.m. unit

University of Sunderland

UK


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