What is a Good Type of Energy Absorption Material?

Sources of Unwanted Energy

Impact force, vibration, compressive stress, and acoustical shock are all sources of unwanted energy. This energy can cause damage, loss, and injury when not properly controlled. As these various types of forces impact your machinery, materials, products, and workers, they transfer energy to the impacted entity(s). This energy is what causes damage to metal machine parts slamming together, cartons of product that are jostled when a transporter hits a nasty pot hole, and the hearing of your workers.

How you can protect against unwanted energy

Clearly, the unwanted energy that originates from impact forces, vibration, compressive stress, and acoustical impact, causes damage and injury and, ultimately, rework, waste, and down time. This unwanted energy is causing undesirable consequences that will negatively impact your bottom line. To remedy this situation, you must find a way to safely and effectively absorb this energy before it impacts your products, equipment, or workers. What is a good type of energy absorption material? Sorbothane®, it is the most efficient energy absorbing material on the market. The use of Sorbothane is the best protection against damage, loss, and injury due to unwanted energy.

What is Sorbothane and how does it protect against unwanted energy?

Sorbothane is a unique proprietary viscoelastic polymer. Viscoelastic means that Sorbothane exhibits properties of both liquids (viscous solutions—ones that can flow) and solids (elastic materials). Sorbothane flows like a liquid when it is under a load (experiencing impact force, vibration, compressive stress, or acoustical shock). It acts like an elastic solid by returning to its original shape after forces are removed. Unique to viscoelastic materials, Sorbothane disperses absorbed energy, in a safe and controlled manner, outward from the source of impact in the form of heat, protecting materials, products, machinery, and workers. In many applications, Sorbothane has achieved shock absorption energy of near 95%, and accomplishes this efficiently for millions of cycles. It can also withstand the broad range of temperatures encountered in workplace and shipping environments without hardening, melting, becoming sticky, or losing its effectiveness. In short, you need to know—just what is a good type of energy absorption material? Sorbothane is specified by engineers worldwide for its energy absorption properties. You will find that Sorbothane is the finest energy absorption material available.

Standard Sorbothane products and customization

The Sorbothane line includes standard products that will protect against unwanted energy. Our Sorbothane Bushings and Washers, available in a variety of sizes, are essential for absorbing shock and vibration in machinery. When used together, they create a floating bolt that isolates the unit from damaging metal-to-metal contact. When shipping containers of sensitive hardware, optics, or electronics, protection from impact forces is supplied by Sorbothane Pallet Isolation Rings—rings that will absorb shock before it reaches your delicate cargo. In addition, your workers can benefit from our unique products, such as our Sorbothane Soft-Blow Mallet. Our mallet is often used for auto body and fine carpentry applications, since it conforms to irregular surfaces for maximum contact, without denting or marring. And, because the impact from the blow is dissipated within the Sorbothane material, hand jarring and impact shock is virtually eliminated for your workers. Sorbothane also functions as a sound deadener in machines and appliances to protect hearing. To meet your specific vibration and shock absorption needs, Sorbothane Strips and Sheet Stock are offered. Customization is also available by contacting our engineering staff.

Sorbothane can fulfill your unique energy absorption needs

Since its introduction in 1982, Sorbothane has been used in many energy absorption applications. Our engineers partnered with NASA to design a unique Sorbothane isolator that protects the vital shuttle cameras during launch. The 270 foot high Air Force Memorial could not have been successfully constructed without Sorbothane dampers helping to displace wind energy and prevent destructive oscillation of the distinctive stainless steel spires. Contact Sorbothane for further information on our standard products or to find out how our engineers can work with you to develop a unique solution for you.