Why A Vibration Damper is Vital

In any mechanism, there is the potential for extraneous energy to be created beyond what is needed. In some systems, this energy might be stored and used later but in most systems, that excess energy becomes a problem. Typically, the energy that is created becomes vibration, which can cause damage to the internal structures to the point of stopping the mechanism completely.

Although it is typically suggested that a shock absorber be used but that is a fallacy because there is no real such thing. In general physics terms, there is no real need because energy cannot be created or destroyed within a system. Instead, the real system uses a vibration isolation system to convert the energy that is generated into heat which is then dissipated.

Finding the Right Vibration Damper For Your Needs

Not every machine is created the same. The internal working of a jet airplane is very different from a counter-top blender but in both, vibration can be a major problem. Excessive motion can cause accelerated wear and tear and may lead to frequent breakage of certain parts. (more…)

Fundamental frequency can be defined most simply as the lowest frequency at which a system is able to vibrate freely. In physics, there is vibration that is fixed- as in the movement is only allowed in certain areas of a piece of machinery – and then there is free vibration, which can come from any angle or from any component. Vibration is typically used to describe up and down motions of any speed, however, when people think of vibration, it is very rapid movement that they are thinking about.

Vibration is often a requirement for certain actions to occur. For instance, when you are creating sounds of any kind, the vibration is important for the sound to be made and for it to be heard. The way we hear the sound depends on the way that it travels from its origination spot and to the ear. Vibration is also responsible for sounds that we do not want to hear as well, however. In some machines, excessive vibrations are usually the start of minor damage that can cause additional sounds from the motor. These sounds are usually the first signals that something catastrophic is about to happen. There are mechanics who can diagnose the problem with some machines just by the sound they are hearing when it is in motion. (more…)

When a designer starts looking for a way to build a machine of any kind, there are several things to consider. All mechanical engineering design solutions look to solve a problem with previous designs, to improve on their performance and to make them better in every way.

All machines or buildings or anything else that is put into use will eventually fail. They all have an expected life and usefulness. For some items, use is ceased before an actual visible break occurs because it is not safe to wait until damage is seen. For these items, the engineers might know that an item will last for one year under ideal conditions so it will only be used for nine months or less to be safer. It will still require inspections, especially when situations are not considered ideal.

Every material has its pros and cons. For instance, metal is very durable but it can also be inflexible or overly rigid. That may mean that it will break under certain situations, especially when exposed to additional stress or higher weight loads. The designer will look for ways to alleviate some of the stress of the load as well as to give the metal a little more give. Plastic, which is often lighter and more flexible, does not usually have the same level of strength as metal, so the design solution would have to solve that problem: how to keep the lightness and flexibility of the plastic while making it stronger and durable. (more…)

September 14^th – 2011

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September 10th – 2011

Cleveland, OH – Rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the participants at the 18^th Annual Susan G. Komen Northeast Ohio Race for the Cure. Held September 10, 2011 at the Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University – over 20,000 women, men and children of all ages and athletic abilities were expected to participate. Many RX Sorbo/Sorbothane employees, friends and family members ran or walked in the event. Susan G. Komen For The Cure® continues to be the global leader in the fight against breast cancer. (more…)

In the world of physics, there are three basic types of resonance that are studied: phase resonance, amplitude resonance and natural resonance. Regardless of type, all resonance shares some of the same qualities, including the ability to both store and to transfer energy between two different forms of storage mode. All energy when transferred from one mode to another will suffer a loss, which is referred to as damping. This phenomenon occurs during the cycles of transfer from one mode of storage to another.

Everything, from machines to people, has the ability to create and then to use energy. There are certain motions that can cause more vibrations than others, especially when there is an increased amount of speed. The faster an object is moving, typically, the more vibration that it creates in the process. That increased vibration can in turn speed up mechanical failure by causing increased damages in the form or bending or pitting. Most materials are made to be pliable and to absorb some of the vibratory energy, however, eventually, all materials will succumb to damage and will fail. (more…)

All materials, whether they are plastic or metal, can be subject to failure and eventually will succumb to fatigue failure. Thinner, more brittle materials may break more quickly, while thicker more flexible materials can take more weight or movement before breakage occurs. In the case of all materials, failure typically refers to damage that prevents the material and components from working correctly or to complete breakage.

The more movement between working parts, the more heat and friction can be built up. Metal tends to absorb energy from a load it is bearing and then expands under the pressure. When the load is removed from its surface, the metal will return to its normal position. Eventually though, the load will expand the metal beyond its normal capacity, which means that it will not be as able to return to its original condition any longer. This might result in small pits along the surface of the metal, which can weaken it, or in larger fractures that will eventually lead to a complete break. (more…)

During the building procedure, whether it is a small item or a huge building, there are several things that have to be considered. The materials that are used have to be strong enough to perform under the specified stresses but flexible and cost effective. They also have to be reliable under the expected conditions that they will be used under.

Every type of material performs in expected ways under different types of situations. That is one of the ways that experts choose the types of materials that will be used to build a machine, a building or anything else.

Fatigue is one of the keys to predicting how long an item can be expected to be useful. For instance, will fatigue cause failure in a certain metal or other type of material faster in certain temperatures or will additional weight or shape change how long the item will last? These are all things that are considered during the design process. And the answers are never just guessed at numbers or hoped for results. Instead, the designer uses fatigue analysis to determine how long an item will possibly last. In the past, the analysis was done by using difficult to understand, tedious formulas.

In the modern era, fatigue analysis is done by using computers and specially designed software. While it may take some of the work out of the process, it does not change its importance at all. You still have to consider how long the material will last and how effective it will remain for that life cycle. (more…)

Impact force is described as a force that delivers a shock or a high impact, typically for a short period of time. Impact force applies when something falls or is dropped from above or when two or more bodies collide with one another. The effect of the impact force might depend on a number of factors including the relative velocity of those bodies to one another. The faster the bodies are moving, the higher the impact’s force will register.

When two materials collide with one another at normal speeds, one will absorb most of the impact by deforming and then dispelling the energy in the form of heat and/or sound energy. For example, when a hammer is used to pound in a nail, there are several short term impacts that are exerted to the head of the hammer and transferred to the nail head. The impact then forces the nail to push through the material that is being nailed. If the hammer is swung without sufficient force, the nail may not penetrate cleanly and will instead twist or may even bend and then fall to the ground. Using a nail gun though, increase the rate of the impact of the nail which means that it penetrates the wall or other surface much faster with far less damage and distortion. (more…)

Whenever anything is built, there are several tests that have to be performed. These tests are not only meant to prove safety of the material, machine or component, but its effective and expected life in general as well. All materials, regardless of their components will eventually wear out, leading them to break or become destroyed. This damage is the direct result of fatigue.

A fatigue test is done in several ways and may depend on the exact nature of the material or the machine involved. In most cases, the item is repeatedly exposed to the same type of motions that it would be exposed to while in regular use in a cycle until the item finally fails. If the item is used in an up and down motion, for instance, then it would be moved in an up and down motion until it failed. The more separate pieces and components to a machine, the longer the fatigue testing may take as each piece may have a different level of fatigue wear that it can handle before damage occurs. (more…)