Anti-Vibration Mount - Why an Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Utilizing a high-quality anti-vibration mount system offersalso directly impact the quality and value of the
a number of significant advantages for manufacturers.products the manufacturer produces. In fact,
This is because an anti-vibration mount is designed toexcessive vibration in an industrial environment can
protect equipment and the environment from thecause sensitive equipment and machinery to operate
excessive vibrations inherent in most industrial orat less-than-optimum levels. Unfortunately, even minute
manufacturing settings. If left unchecked, thesechanges in how certain machinery operates can
vibrations can lead to several challenging andtranslate into expensive production mistakes. Perhaps
expensive issues that can cause the entire operationmore importantly, equipment that is not operating
to be less efficient and profitable. Most notably,correctly could present serious safety issues for
unmitigated noise and other vibrations can causeworkers. Excessive vibrations in the environment can
extensive and sometimes irreparable damage toeasily throw a piece of equipment off balance and
equipment, plant output and human beings. Therefore,lead to serious or life-threatening injuries and accidents.
care must be taken to minimize these effects in orderTherefore, it is imperative that steps be taken to avoid
to create a safe and efficient working environment.these unnecessary and often-avoidable outcomes.
Most industrial equipment and machinery consists of aPerhaps the most important reason to use an
variety of moving parts and systems which produceeffective anti-vibration mount system on machinery is
friction and vibrations as part of their normal operation.that excessive noise and vibrations in the environment
Over time, the cumulative effects of this can lead tocan cause significant health problems for exposed
excessive wear and tear on the equipment in question.workers. For example, high levels of noise or other
Without safeguards like an anti-vibration mount touncontrolled vibrations can cause ringing in the ears,
offset these effects, the end result could includeprofound hearing loss, and severe headaches. In
time-consuming and expensive maintenance andaddition, scientific research has demonstrated that
repairs, production delays and/or the need to replaceexposure to high levels of unmitigated noise (and the
the equipment sooner than expected. Of course, eachvibrations associated with it) can also have a negative
of these outcomes carries a high price tag in terms ofimpact on the psychological and emotional well-being
decreased productivity and higher operating expenses.of those who work under those conditions. This impact
However, the strategic use of anti-vibration mountsoften manifests itself in the form of higher stress
could minimize the cumulative effect of excessivelevels, lower employee morale and more frequent time
friction and vibration on the system. In this case, aoff work. Therefore, any investment made to mitigate
better maintenance strategy at the outset couldthis problem can be viewed as an important step
translate into much greater cost savings in the longtowards protecting any company's most valuable
term.resource: its employees.
Beyond maintenance issues, anti-vibration mounts can