We’ve used TMC air tables for years with good results. We’re working on purchasing a scope that will be integrated into an automated platform. In this case, the automation engineers much prefer to use automation tables rather than an air table for setting up the hardware. We’re considering a benchtop isolation platform as an alternative whether anyone has experience with this sort of setup for widefield epi work. The air tables we currently use are definitely overkill for our environment in a building where there’s not a lot of vibration. Are simple isolation platforms good enough in others’ experience? Other than smoothing out the sorts of routine vibrations that happen in a lab (e.g. someone shutting a door nearby), it’s important that we have a system that reliably returns to a reliable position relative to the underlying automation table so that the connected robotic arm is placing labware in the right location.
Edit to update with the Newport platform that Nikon offers: BT-1620 Isolation Platform
Vibration isolation specs are provided but honestly cryptic to me!