How to find the right Mechanical Vibration Damping Mounts AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Mechanical Vibration Damping Mounts
- Load per mount
- Divide the equipment weight by the number of mounts, accounting for an off-centre centre of gravity. Each mount should sit within its rated load at its design deflection. Overloaded mounts bottom out and transmit vibration, while underloaded ones are too stiff to isolate.
- Natural frequency vs forcing frequency
- Isolation only begins above about 1.4 times the mount system's natural frequency. Aim for a forcing frequency several times higher than that. Near resonance, a mount amplifies vibration instead of reducing it.
- Mount type
- Use rubber sandwich or cylindrical mounts for light, higher-frequency loads, and spring isolators for low-frequency or heavy equipment. Elastomers cannot reach the large static deflection that low-speed machinery needs.
- Thread and orientation
- Match the stud or tapped thread and the loading mode, because shear and compression ratings differ. Mounts loaded in an unrated direction tear or creep.
- Fail-safe design
- Use captive or interlocking mounts for suspended, mobile or safety-critical equipment. Plain bonded mounts can separate completely if the rubber fails.
- Elastomer compound
- Choose neoprene or nitrile where oil is present, and natural rubber for best damping in clean, moderate-temperature settings. Oil swells natural rubber and shortens its life.
Brands that matter
- Parker LORD: Long-established elastomer mount maker for industrial and aerospace use.
- Barry Controls: Industrial and equipment isolators, including fail-safe designs.
- Mason Industries: Spring and elastomer isolators for building HVAC and mechanical equipment.
- Kinetics Noise Control: Building-services isolators and spring mounts.
- Trelleborg: Industrial rubber-metal mounts across a broad load range.
What to avoid
- Choosing mounts by thread size without checking load rating and deflection
- Mixing mounts of different stiffness under one machine
- Unrated generic rubber mounts on rotating machinery near its operating speed
- Rigid bolts or conduit that short-circuit the isolation
Questions
Why did vibration get worse after fitting mounts?
The system's natural frequency is likely too close to the machine's operating frequency; a softer mount or greater deflection is needed.