Plate dimensions: 17″X23″
Plate thickness: 0.188″
Weight: 2.3 Lbs

The Polymagnetic Laser Plate comprises two plates; an instrument mounting plate and a base plate.  Correlated  magnets are embedded in each plate.  These ‘smart’ magnets are attractive until passing through a predefined transition point.  Then they become repulsive.  CAD-based CNC production methods allow for precise matching of plate attributes, holes, pins and magnet locations.

Magnetic field density is based on the weight of the instrument directly above it. It should be noted that while these magnets interact strongly with each other, the fields do not extend far enough to interfere with nearby electronics or sensors.

In operation the suspended plate will float in a ‘happy’ zone only a fraction of an inch above the base plate.  Its motion will be damped magnetically in both directions on the vertical axis according to the inverse square law.  Keepers at the ends of the guide rods prevent the two plates from separating in an extreme event.

Idea mockup in SketchUp

Template in ProtoCase:

3D view showing holes for M6 flat-head screws and alignment guide posts: