The open circuit ringdown waveforms in Fig. 6 illustrate the
modeled damping (Fd)for each configuration. The graphs show that
the acrylic device with guide rail has lower damping than the device
without the guide rail. In fact, the damping force (Fd) was reduced
by almost 50%. Additionally, changing the material to Teflon further
reduced damping as was expected due to its lower coefficient
of friction. Therefore, in order to optimize the device performance,
it is recommended that the designer reduce the levitating magnet
contact area with the box while also using a low friction material
such as Teflon. The main drawbacks of Teflon are that it is generally
more expensive and not as easy to manufacture compared to other
plastics.