Active microvibration control systems are becoming necessary in high-technology fields, such as semiconductor manufacturing and microgravity experiments in space, to provide superior control performance to passive systems. In this study, an active system using a giant magnetostrictive actuator was tested using test apparatus designed for one-dimensional horizontal vibration control. The actuator consisted of a giant magnetostrictive rod with a 50 mm length and a 6 mm diameter surrounded by a driving coil. A control law was adopted, which could allow almost the same performance as sky-hook systems by feedback of only absolute acceleration of the isolation table. Vibration control experiments were carried out with satisfactory results in isolation performance against micro-floor motion, damping performance against direct disturbance and robustness of the control system.
