Elastic damping materials are using for a lot of things. The same material may be a good solution for multiple applications. Damping materials are used to reduce excessive vibration, dissipate increased heat, or reduce the strain and stress of using a machine for the operator. Of these things vibration is the most common and can typically cause the most problems. Elastic materials are used because they return to their original shape after absorbing shock or vibration. Viscoelastic materials are commonly used because they turn the energy from the displacement to heat released and return to their original shape. This is a desired effect in most applications.

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CD drives are a big part of our lives. We use them in our computers, stereos, game systems, and stand-alone players for music, games, file storage, software installation, and more. These drives are fragile and require protection from bumps and drops. CD drives also vibrate from spinning which can cause unwanted noise and shakiness. This not only interferes with the sound quality, but also can cause tracking errors on the drive. The vibration and bumps need to be addressed.

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Elasticity is the tendency of solid materials to return to their original shape after being forces are applied on them. When the forces are removed, the object will return to its initial shape and size if the material is elastic. What are viscous materials? Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. A fluid with large viscosity resists motion. A fluid with low viscosity flows. For example, water flows easier than syrup because it has a lower viscosity. High viscosity materials might include honey, syrups, or gels – generally things that resist flow. Water is a low viscosity material, as it flows readily. Viscous materials are thick or sticky or adhesive. They don’t flow easily. Heating reduces viscosity. (Warm syrup flows more easily than cold.)

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Damping material is used in a wide range of applications. Each use is unique, but that does not mean that the same material cannot be used in multiple types of situations. In the simplest of terms, damping material either reduces excessive vibration, dissipates increased heat, or reduces the strain and stress of using a machine for the operator. Of these things, vibration is the most common and can typically cause the most problems. Elastic damping materials return to their original shape after absorbing shock or vibration.

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Audio and electronics are very sensitive to vibrations and noise. They can not only interfere with sound quality, but also cause tracking errors or skipping or interference with other components. Whether you are dealing with laptops, towers, video game systems, your stereo, TV, or automobile audio systems, vibration needs to be addressed. The control of vibration is important for two reasons: firstly, personal comfort, health and safety may be adversely affected if humans are subjected to excessive vibration. Secondly, equipment suffering from external vibration may not perform as required, or a piece of vibrating equipment may cause adjacent machinery or equipment to perform in an unsatisfactory way.

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A really good elastic polymer material has good damping properties and can be used in a variety of applications to absorb shock, dissipate heat, isolate vibration, or damp noise. It will have a high damping coefficient, indicating that the material will bounce back or return energy to the system. It needs to be work in a wide range of temperatures and environments, including exposure to chemicals. It must conform to any shape or size or thickness without adding bulk or weight to the item. The material should be easy to cut in order to custom fit it to the desired location. It must be cost effective and readily available.

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A proprietary visco-elastic polyurethane offers design engineers unique opportunities to dampen vibrations and noise in mechanical systems. Sorobothane® is a thermoset, polyether-based polyurethane solid that flows like a liquid under load while retaining excellent memory.

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The purpose of this experiment was to discuss the conditions of individuals with flat feet and fallen arches and to investigate the effects of arch support orthotics on those individuals. Evidence from previous research, as well as in this experiment, does suggest that arch supports do improve comfort for wearers. By comparing various brands and using a controlled amount of shoe types the study was applied to two users who had either low arches or none at all on their feet. The student researcher considered ergonomic approaches to the problem including the anthropometric measurements, the biomechanical approach, and Frederick Taylor’s adaptation of the scientific management methodology.

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Sorbothane was developed in Ohio in the 1980s. It is a viscoelastic material that uses many of the same properties of others in that genre. Viscoelastic materials were first developed in the late twentieth century and used for a wide range of applications. The list of items that can be made with viscoelastic materials would cover the whole gamut from tiny (ear plugs) to enormous, (mechanical applications used in factories) and everything in between. It is a material that has applications not only for companies big and small but for individuals as well.

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If you think of the human body as a very complex and rather delicate machine, the need for certain types of protection becomes more obvious. For instance, protecting humans from heat, cold or wetness is the role that is assumed by clothing, by outerwear and by shoes. It is important to keep the basic needs of humans in mind when developing new products. For the most part, everything that they buy has to provide protection of some kind, make something easier or provide comfort. In some cases, products or parts of products are meant to do all of the above.

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