The Many Uses of a Vibration Damping Pad

Why Vibration Damping is Important

Vibration is a necessary force for life. It causes sounds that we use to communicate and creates heat that we need to eat. However, it’s also a problem when it comes to things like running, photography, and engineering. Extra vibration or the wrong type of vibration can ruin an athlete’s knees, a photographer’s shot, or an engineer’s invention. One of the best ways to control extra unwanted vibration is to use a vibration damping pad, such as the ones you can make from the proprietary viscoelastic substance Sorbothane®. This type of pad really has nearly endless uses. Here are just a few ideas of how you might use it.

Applications for Athletes

Athletes have really taken advantage of this vibration damping pad. When it’s inserted into running shoes, it can absorb some of the vibrations from the ground that travel through the runner’s legs. It is these excess vibrations that can cause the runner’s knees to ache and the cartilage to eventually break down. This is why many runners prefer jogging on grass or asphalt instead of concrete. On the former two surfaces, the actual ground absorbs some of the vibrations. Concrete, though, isn’t so forgiving. If you find yourself having to run on concrete, Sorbothane® pads can absorb some of the vibration, creating healthier, happier knees.

Capturing a Clear Shot in Photography

Photographers can also benefit from a vibration damping pad in different ways. One of the photographer’s best friends is the camera tripod. It allows you to hold the camera completely steady in a way that human hands just can’t do. If you’re leaving your shutter open for more than a split second, this type of steadiness is necessary to get an excellent shot. Unfortunately, photographers may find themselves in many situations where a vibrating tripod makes shots come out shaky or blurry. To fix this problem, all the photographer needs is a vibration damping pad. This pad can separate the camera from the tripod so that the camera doesn’t react to the slight vibrations coming through the tripod.

Smooth and Efficient Engineering Solutions

Engineers are, perhaps, the ones who have the most need for a vibration damping pad. Such a pad can help them keep their engines and inventions working more smoothly and efficiently. Vibration can cause excess noise in a machine, which is often times disruptive to workers. It can also cause parts to rub against one another, making the machine more likely to break down over time and halt production. When you use a vibration damping pad, you can isolate certain parts of a machine or absorb vibrations that could be harmful to the working of the machine.

A Wide Variety of Vibration Damping

As you can see, there are widely different uses for a Sorbothane® damping pad of this sort. The way you use it will depend on what you’re working with and what your overall goals are. These are just a few ways that Sorbothane can be useful in different applications. If you’re ever dealing with vibration that is harmful in any way, this could be just the solution you need.

Interested in learning more about Sorbothane’s solutions? Download our Standard Products Guide today.