MKS Launches Newport Vision IsoStation Plus Workstations
The optical workstations come in Scientific Grade and Precision Grade versions with long-stroke isolators rated for 1,300 lb loads.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Physics
MKS Inc. has announced the Newport Vision IsoStation Plus, a line of optical workstations available in Scientific Grade (SG) and Precision Grade (PG) versions. The workstations are shipped fully assembled and rolled into the lab.
Why it matters
The workstations are designed to provide vibration isolation and a stable working surface for optical experiments. Their assembled, ready-to-roll delivery is intended to reduce setup time in research laboratories.
The isolators are long-stroke, self-centering units with a 1,300 lb load capacity and automatic return to baseline, sitting beneath a 4.8 mm thick ferromagnetic 430 stainless steel working surface. Independent performance measurements of vibration isolation were not reported.
The players
MKS Inc.
MKS Inc. is a publicly traded instrumentation and process control company that owns the Newport optical brand and manufactures precision optical tables and workstations for research and industrial laboratories.
The details
The Scientific Grade breadboards use epoxy-sealed wood composite side panels, while Precision Grade units add modal dampers along all four sides. Both versions feature larger casters with leveling feet and a raised ergonomic front brace, and the working surface is bonded to a polymeric material that seals the honeycomb core.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: MKS Inc. announced the Newport Vision IsoStation Plus workstations.
The Tech Race
The Plus model extends Newport's earlier IsoStation line, which has long been used to isolate sensitive optical setups from floor vibration in university and industrial labs. Its modal dampers and self-centering isolators represent incremental refinements to that established design rather than a new isolation principle.
Research groups that rely on optical experiments could see reduced setup time, since the workstations arrive fully assembled. The vibration-isolation and leveling features may matter most to labs working near sources of floor vibration.
The takeaway
Laboratories evaluating optical benches should compare the Scientific Grade and Precision Grade options against their vibration sensitivity and budget. Buyers should request performance data directly from the manufacturer before purchase.
Further reading
For more on the optical research these benches support, explore our Physics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AZoOptics.
