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Sorbothane® Polymer Sheet Stock
X-Tra Flex Sheet
X-Tra Flex Sheet is molded with hemispherical bumps. The hemispheres permit the material to flex more easily and allow for soft deformation under load. Overall sheet thickness is approximately 0.185-inch. The hemispheres are approximately 0.09 high and 0.12 diameter. X-Tra Flex sheets are easier to apply to curved and irregular surfaces and provide a softer spring rate.
Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
Selected Sizes (max width = 6-inches) are offered with Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) on one side.
Die Cutting
Sheet stock up to 0.25-inch thick, with or without PSA can be die cut at additional cost. Die cut materials will have a concave edge. Consult factory on costs.
Water Jet Cutting
Sheet stock of any thickness can be water jet cut. Water jet cut materials will have a clean edge. Consult factory on costs.
Gaskets
Sorbothane is a popular material for gaskets because of its chemical resistance, conformability to irregular surfaces, low creep and reusability. Its natural tackiness makes it easy to install.
Gaskets can be knife-cut, scissor-cut, die cut, molded or water jet cut.
Special Sizes, Colors and Thicknesses
The factory can pour special shapes, colors and thicknesses. Tooling costs can be as low as 500 USD per mold. The tooling charge is normally less than your internal fabrication costs for special work except for the smallest volumes.
Sheet Stock for Vibration Applications
In designing your own vibration mounts from sheet stock keep the following in mind:
- More is not better. A large, lightly loaded sheet will have a high spring rate and will not deflect enough to provide good isolation. Over compression will lead to short service life. The proper compression range is 3 to 20 per cent depending on the "Shape Factor." Shape factor is the ratio of contact surface (one side) divided by perimeter area. See page 11 for calculation of shape factors.
- Geometry matters. Small circular pieces and rings "bulge" better than squares and rectangles. "Bulgeability" makes for better isolation. Use many small discs rather than a few large rectangles for best vibration isolation performance.
- Thickness matters. The thicker the sheet, the lower the natural frequency. You need a sheet at least one-inch thick to get your natural frequency down to 10 Hertz. (10 Hertz is your target natural frequency for a 900 RPM motor.)
- Do not "bolt through" your Sorbothane sheet. The bolt will carry the vibration to the base. Use the natural tackiness of Sorbothane, or apply adhesives to glue the Sorbothane to metal plates on both sides, or consider a custom design with molded-in stud mounts.
- Use vibration-rated connections. Where bolted connections are used, use high-quality (thread deforming) lock nuts or doubled jam nuts to prevent connections from vibrating loose.
To order: Specify part number, durometer, color, and quantity. Standard colors are black, gray or royal blue. Special colors quoted upon request. Dimensional variations are available by special order. Durometer tolerance: ±5 units.
Factory direct purchases subject to 100 USA dollar minimum per color, per durometer and per class.
