From Defense Engineering to Scientific Discovery, Kinetic Systems Stabilizes Breakthroughs

Lab environments (from university research cleanrooms to cutting-edge semiconductor fabs) demand rock-solid stability. Since Maurice Gertel founded Kinetic Systems in 1968, the company has transformed how engineers, physicists, and lab managers conquer vibration. What began as a breakthrough pneumatic spring isolator for carrier-based photonics instruments has grown into a comprehensive portfolio of patented optical tables and isolation platforms trusted to safeguard the most sensitive experiments on the planet. Three decades of industry-first innovations, each protected by patents, mean that when you choose Kinetic Systems, you get the original technology, battle-tested reliability, and performance your most critical measurements depend on.

The Origin Story: From Carrier Decks to Cleanrooms

After leaving the Navy at the end of World War II, Gertel applied his top-secret defense engineering expertise to civilian applications. In the 1950s and 1960s, he worked on systems to guide aircraft safely onto moving carrier decks. During that work, he discovered pneumatic air springs, which were initially designed to cushion heavy loads under harsh shocks, and saw their potential for precision photonics and laser equipment. At Allied Systems, he helped develop the VIRBRAPLANE platform, employing these air springs for vibration isolation. That innovation inspired him to found Kinetic Systems in 1968, and the company’s first product was a pneumatic spring isolation table specifically designed to support lasers and other vibration-sensitive instruments. Today, that original design underpins the company’s patented isolation platforms, delivering the same unmatched stability Maurice first envisioned.

Five Patents That Defined an Industry

1. Honeycomb-Core Table
   U.S. Patent 5,061,541 (Inventor: Maurice Gertel; issued October 29, 1991)
   Before 1991, optical tables were prone to sagging over time, particularly under the weight of heavy instrumentation. Kinetic Systems solved this by laminating alternating layers of rigid corrugated sheets and honeycomb core. This honeycomb-core sandwich offers exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratios, ensuring the table surface remains flat and free from resonance even under substantial loads, all of which are critical for long-term experiments requiring unwavering planarity.
2. Reduced-Horizontal-Stiffness Isolation
   U.S. Patent 5,348,266 (Inventors: Maurice Gertel; Robert G. Haynes; issued September 20, 1994)
   Traditional isolators tackled only vertical motion, leaving lateral disturbances unchecked. This patent introduced gas-spring assemblies coupled to external pivots that decouple horizontal compliance from vertical support. The result is up to ten times better lateral isolation, enabling scanning probe microscopes and other delicate instruments to operate jitter-free under heavy vertical loads.
3. Spill-Resistant Optical Table Core
   U.S. Patent 5,962,104 (Inventors: Maurice Gertel; Hamid Shaidani; Steven F. Shedd; issued October 5, 1999)
   In optics labs, even minute amounts of spilled solvents or water can corrode internal structures or misalign critical components. Kinetic’s spill-resistant table features an inner rib-and-channel network beneath prestressed apertures; any liquid passing through the tabletop drains harmlessly away from the honeycomb core and fasteners, safeguarding both the integrity of the isolation system and the precision of mounted optics.
4. High-Damping Sandwich Structure
   U.S. Patent 6,001,451 (Inventors: Jeffrey A. Zapfe; Hamid Shaidani; Steven F. Shedd; issued December 14, 1999)
   Achieving high vibration damping traditionally meant sacrificing static stiffness. Kinetic Systems’ breakthrough was a partial-coverage viscoelastic layer bonded within the sandwich structure, which dissipates vibrational energy effectively while maintaining continuous load paths through the honeycomb core. The outcome is superior broadband damping without compromising the table’s capacity to support heavy or asymmetric loads—a must for cutting-edge metrology.

Why These Patents Matter to You

• Solving Core Lab Challenges
  Each patent was born from a specific pain point, such as sagging tables, lateral jitter, corrosive spills, or the need for biocompatible positioning. These are proven solutions in thousands of laboratories worldwide.
• Decades of Field Validation
  Early adopters at top research institutions validated these designs under the most challenging conditions, from semiconductor fabs to medical research centers. That longevity matters when your experiments cannot wait for replacement parts or ad-hoc fixes.
• Modular, Scalable Design
  Whether you are retrofitting an older Kinetic table with a high-damping core or scaling up to a 2 × 4 m lithography platform, the same patented principles apply. Backward-compatible upgrades mean your investment grows with your research needs.
• Quantifiable Performance Gains
  Independent transmissibility measurements show a reduction of up to 70 percent in vibration transmission at resonant frequencies compared to non-patented tables. Faster settling times translate directly to higher throughput and more reliable data.

Partner with the Originator

When your measurements demand the utmost precision, compromise isn’t an option. Trust the original innovators – Kinetic Systems, Inc., whose patented designs have defined the industry standard for over thirty years. Discover the full catalog of vibration-isolation solutions at kineticsystems.com and see why engineers, physicists, and lab managers continue to choose Kinetic as their partner in precision.