The vibration of metal panels, housings and enclosures is a common source of high intensity noise. Vibration isolators eliminate or reduce vibration at the source. Airborne noise is produced by any solid vibrating machinery component which pushes and pulls against the air causing pressure changes that radiate in all directions. Through the use of vibration isolators, the vibrating member is disassociated from the force causing it to vibrate by interposing a compressed “springy” material such as ribbed neoprene between the two. Vibrations Isolators are selected by determining the weight to be supported, the deflection required, and the lowest frequency of the unit to be isolated.
Passive vibration isolation is the most common and is achieved through the use of rubber pads or mechanical springs.
Active vibration isolation systems contain, along with the spring, a feedback circuit which consists of a sensor a controller, and an actuator. As a result, a considerably stronger suppression of vibrations is achieved compared to ordinary damping. Active vibration isolation is used in precise manufacturing and research applications where structures smaller than a millimeter have to be measured.
