Using A Vibration Pad To Protect Sensitive Lab Equipment

Laboratories are hubs of a lot of activities and actions. Inside of every lab there are many things happening, usually all at the same time. Lab techs are walking up and down aisles of machines, desks and tables. Phones are ringing, computers are being used and the lab machinery are performing delicate computations and running tests of various kinds. From medical labs to research labs, the need for precision and exact results is vitally important. Tests are expensive to run and in many cases the results are time sensitive. A person’s life could be hanging in the balance as the medical team awaits answers so that they can take the next step in that person’s care. Lab tests that are being performed must be done correctly and carefully or the patient will not get the right diagnosis in time and may not be able to make a meaningful recovery. A lab machine that is off by just a tiny bit can be a machine that is giving completely worthless results. In research labs around the country and the world, the potential cure for some of the world’s most serious and deadly diseases can be at hand but may be lost forever because of the slight disturbance in the equipment that is being used. Just a tiny disruption can destroy months or even years worth of work in an instant. Lab techs wear gloves, lab coats and hair nets to protect the specimens they are working with from contamination. However, another issue they might have is with vibration. A number of the lab machines and equipment cause vibration because of their moving parts. The more parts that move or the faster those movements go, the more likely there is to be some vibration issues. But, it is not just the lab equipment itself that causes this vibration. For instance, outside forces can cause vibrations as well. One example is the traffic from the road outside of the building, including cars pulling in and out of the laboratory parking lot as the techs come in or leave. In some labs, patients are also arriving to have blood work and other tests performed. In a lab that is multilevel, elevators can also cause vibrations. Thunder, a natural occurrence can also cause vibrations that may disrupt the delicate processes. Even the simple act of walking up to the machine can cause enough vibrations to disturb the most delicate processes. Some of these sources of vibration can be eliminated while others cannot. Even in the best of situations, there are some problems that may always exist.

Introducing a Sorbothane® Based Solution for Laboratory Use.

Using a vibration dampening pad in many applications can reduce the direct and indirect vibrations at the site as well as from the surrounding areas. The first solution covers the machines themselves. Each lab machine makes some level of vibration from the smallest of meters to huge, spinning and rattling, room size pieces of equipment that are not only loud but very powerful as well. The small, table type machines can be set directly on a specialized surface that absorbs their own generated vibration, reduces the amount of refractory vibration from other machines in the area and the vibration from the lab tech walking near it. Sorbothane, the vibration pad used for that surface is specially designed to absorb vibration without creating stress on the machine that it is holding. Because of the properties of this unique material, there are some adjustments that need to be made to make it even more viable in the lab setting. Sorbothane is tacky, which can provide added security for the lab machine however if they need to be moved it would be necessary to physically lift it up and then move it. With some equipment this can be tricky at best, especially if it is very heavy or very delicate or in some cases, both. It is recommended that the Sorbothane in this application be treated with a urethane coating so that the machine or equipment can slide along the surface with relative ease. This does not affect Sorbothane’s performance as a vibration damping pad. In addition to vibration control, Sorbothane is resistant to chemicals which is also important in the lab setting where the potential for spills is increased. It can also be waterproofed if that is necessary in the application that it is being used for. In most cases if you are worried about chemical spills you might also be concerned about non chemical spills, including water.

Why Sorbothane is the Choice That You Should Make

The solution that you choose for your labs vibration pads is simple. It has to be effective, it has to be safe and it has to be durable. It has to be able to deal with all of the possible circumstances that it might face as well. That means that you must use Sorbothane which is the best of both possible worlds. Foam based pads can break down under the weight of heavy machines and may tear when the machines are moved (whether they are moved on purpose or through vibration based creep). Many chemicals will eat right through foam as well. Other solutions, such as more elastic materials may also have problems with the chemicals or may not provide quite enough cushioning for the equipment it is meant to be protecting. Because Sorbothane is the blend of both properties it provides a wider range of applications and uses. In addition to the many Sorbothane products that are listed in our standard products guide, the ability to custom create a working prototype for new designs based on specialized needs and specifications is also a possibility. It only takes one call to the design specialists who can help take an unmet need and turn it into the right Sorbothane based solution at a much more affordable price than you might have imagined. The right product is either a phone call or a mouse click away, whether it is a standard item or something custom designed and made. Contact Sorbothane today for more information.