Active Damping based on Decoupled Collocated Control

High-precision machines typically suffer from small but persistent vibrations. As it is difficult to damp these vibrations by passive means, research at the Drebbel Institute at the University of Twente is aimed at the development of an active structural element that can be used for vibration control. The active structural element, popularly referred to as ‘Smart Disc’, is based on a piezoelectric position actuator and a piezoelectric force sensor.