Vibration Control

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Vibration control has become an unlikely hot topicdevelopment.
these days. Making a name for itself in the news,The Vibro-Insulator® line of vibration control
vibration control has even become the subject of afail-safe mounts with interlocking metal designs can be
recently published report titled “Active Controlused on static or dynamic loads. These competitively
of Structures.” This pamphletpriced vibration control devices sell through distributors
“introduces active vibration control through thearound the world. Over the years, numerous patents
use of smart materials and structures (such as MRhave been awarded for these full-featured vibration
ER fluids, shape memory alloys and piezoelectriccontrol mounts.
materials), semi-active control devices, and a variety ofA decade into the Vibro-Insulator® line’s
feedback options. Examples employed includelaunch saw a rededication by the manufacturer
telescope vibration control and bridge cabletoward an improved metal-to-rubber bonding and
damping,” according to a press release issuedvibration control product line expansion. During the
by the publisher.1990s, the Vibro-Insulator® product line tripled in size,
What puts such an overlooked topic so suddenly in theadding many new customers who were seeking to
spotlight? Vibration control has become a pertinentfind better ways to improve their products while
issue across many industries. For instance, its methodsreducing their costs.
and devices are a key element in civil engineering,That decade witnessed controlled rapid growth in both
where active, passive and semi-active vibrationscustom molding and the Vibro-Insulators® product
control is used in the damping of civil structures.line. A reformulation of many of the neoprene and
Buildings and bridge towers that people encounternatural rubber compounds used to make the vibration
every day make use of vibration control. Especially incontrol Vibro-Insulators® lay at the foundation of
Japan’s civil structures, where space is at suchthat rapid growth. By improving the tensile strength of
a premium, vibration control technology takes a frontthe various elastomers, and the overall rubber-to-metal
row seat. There, vibration control has been settingbond of the vibration control product line, the
recent trends. The damping of vibrations in theVibro-Insulators® producer achieved its goals.
country’s cable-stayed structures is particularlyDesign improvements also increased the strength of
active.the metal hardware used in the Vibro-Insulators®.
“New types of vibration control methods andEnter the 21st century and active vibration control has
devices, including the newly developed reduced-orderbecome a state-of-the-art process in terms of its
physical modelling method for structural control,”theory, design and application. The main difference
are a central focus of the pamphlet. Since 1970, thetoday is that active vibration control can be explained
Vibro-Insulator® product line of noise, shock, andthrough the use of smart materials and structures, as
vibration controls has served as the main focal pointwell as semi-active control devices.
for one producer’s custom-molded rubber and