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History Of Sorbothane In 1975 – materials scientist Dr. Maurice Hiles was working on the development of a synthetic material that could absorb harmful shock.  Dr. Hiles embarked on a series of bold and fascinating human experiments. He had electrical probes surgically implanted into his own leg thus becoming a human test subject. These probes […]

Sorbothane® is a material that has been used for a variety of shock and vibration solutions. The definitions in this post are essential for understanding how Sorbothane works and how it has helped a number of products and applications around the world. We have successfully assisted engineers and entrepreneurs in various industries to create custom […]

How can the Sorbothane Engineering Design Guide help engineers? This guide was developed to provide engineers with a practical, hands-on approach for designing components and products using Sorbothane® material. The guide provides detailed information about using Sorbothane material for shock and vibration solutions. About the Guide It’s important to note that the guide is advisory […]

What is Durometer? Durometer is a measurement of relative stiffness and is used to compare polymers.  Sorbothane is softer than rubber and most other polymers. Sorbothane is measured on the Shore “00” scale. Most types of rubber and other polymers are specified using the Shore “A” or Shore “D” scales. In comparing stiffness, be aware of the scale […]

Sorbothane, Inc. offers an extensive line of standard Sorbothane parts. These parts are featured in the Standard Products Guide have been selected for their specific shock absorbing and vibration isolating applications. Determine the load (weight) of the unit that requires isolation. Divide the weight of the system by the number of isolators to be used. […]

What Is Shock? To understand what types of materials are best for shock absorption, one must understand shock, why shock absorption is important, and how shock energy is absorbed. What is shock? Shock is the effect on an object caused by the energy delivered to it by a force, usually an impact force, over a short time period. […]

Consider These Questions about Damping Material To identify what material is best for damping, consider these questions: What Is Damping? Damping is the reduction or elimination of the amplitude of an electrical or mechanical energy’s wave. In most cases, damping converts electrical or mechanical energy into thermal energy. In layman’s terms, damping reduces or eliminates […]

Why Is a Material That Can Store Energy Important? Usually when we ask the question, “What material can store the most energy?” we’re attempting to find a material capable of absorbing energy. Energy absorption is important for applications in which the force transferred between two objects or between an object and an individual has the potential to damage […]

Why Is It Important to Reduce Vibrations? Vibration can cause problems and damage in many industrial applications—heavy machinery, vehicles, equipment, and tools. The repeated metal-to-metal contact in heavy machinery, for example, has the potential to damage parts and expose workers to unsafe conditions. The vibration created by vehicle engines, buckets or blades, or by travel […]

What Two Properties Does the Best Anti-Vibration Material Possess? According to the seminal article by J C Snowdon in a 1958 issue of British Journal of Applied Physics, a good anti-vibration material “…should possess a high damping factor which does not increase greatly with frequency, and secondly, that [sic] it should be free from any major increase […]