Vibration Isolation

January 30, 2015

What is Vibration and Why Does it Matter?

Vibration Isolation

Vibration can be defined as motion generated by any mass or force acting on that mass. In some instances, vibration can be the main cause of serious damages that can destroy a machine or can lead to a human’s discomfort. Because of these issues, there are always many ways to provide vibration isolation, which means to lessen the impact of the vibration or to provide vibration control so that damage is minimized.

This is frequently accomplished by using a vibration damper which can be a specific part meant to absorb the energy caused by the vibration or a modified vibration isolator that takes into account the design, the use and the materials already in use.

What Can You Do About Vibration?

In most cases, the design itself will take vibration into account and make adjustments into parts for vibration reduction. There are several options but the one that is used will have to be right for the application in terms of size and heat resistance if that is applicable. After all, you cannot just apply any vibration pad if they are not going to work in the item you are adding them too. For instance, in high-powered motors, vibration can be a problem along with heat and friction so any type of vibration suppression system would have to be heat resistance and thin enough to not add to the friction being created.

The more delicate parts that are included in a machine’s design, the more dangerous vibration can be. But, it is not always machinery that can be damaged by vibration. People can also find themselves troubled by unnecessary movements, causing them to look for personal use vibration solutions as well. A prime example is a shooter with his shotgun to his shoulder. The energy from the gun is transferred out the barrel but the recoil is sent directly into the shoulder, causing pain and in some cases may interfere with accuracy as well. In a lengthy shooting competition, that discomfort can become real, disabling pain.

How Sorbothane Can Be Used for Vibration Damping

Sorbothane is a unique material, having a combination of properties. Although it is technically a solid, it flows under the load when it is placed in use, giving the advantage of a very malleable, highly customized vibration damping system that can be made as thin as it needs to be to both function and fit into the area it is being placed into. For instance, Sorbothane can be used in a shoe to absorb the vibrations generated from the force of the foot making contact with the pavement.

Why Sorbothane Can Be Your Perfect Solution

Sorbothane can be used for a wide variety of applications, offering both standard and custom parts for anything that you could possibly need. Want to learn more about how Sorbothane can work as a solution for your product or application? Contact us today to learn more.