Cast Polyurethane Isolators

In the simplest of terms, a vibration is a back-and-forth type of movement. The natural frequency of a system, combined with the frequency of an impacting vibration, results in a situation where vibration waves build on one another. When these waves build on one another in ever-increasing amplitudes, the result is called “a resonance frequency,” which is often a harmful form of vibration.  A system that fails to take resonance into account will wear out quickly.

Sometimes, components can be designed in such a way that their natural frequency and resonant frequency do not match up (thus no harmful vibration). At other times, such engineering is nearly impossible which is when vibration dampeners, like urethane isolators, come into play.

In many workplaces, vibration exposure is inevitable, either for heavy machinery or for the workers operating the machinery. Harmful vibration can decrease machine and appliance life, ruin delicate electronics, damage optical elements, and degrade sound in audio equipment. More importantly, harmful vibration can lead to serious medical conditions in workers who experience long-term vibration exposure, like degenerative disc disease.