Vibration Control - A Four Decade Tradition

Vibration control has become an unlikely hot topicfail-safe mounts with interlocking metal designs can be
these days. Making a name for itself in the news,used on static or dynamic loads. These competitively
vibration control has even become the subject of apriced vibration control devices sell through distributors
recently published report titled "Active Control ofaround the world. Over the years, numerous patents
Structures." This pamphlet "introduces active vibrationhave been awarded for these full-featured vibration
control through the use of smart materials andcontrol mounts.
structures (such as MR/ER fluids, shape memoryA decade into the Vibro-Insulator® line's launch saw
alloys and piezoelectric materials), semi-active controla rededication by the manufacturer toward an
devices, and a variety of feedback options. Examplesimproved metal-to-rubber bonding and vibration control
employed include telescope vibration control and bridgeproduct line expansion. During the 1990s, the
cable damping," according to a press release issued byVibro-Insulator® product line tripled in size, adding
the publisher.many new customers who were seeking to find
What puts such an overlooked topic so suddenly in thebetter ways to improve their products while reducing
spotlight? Vibration control has become a pertinenttheir costs.
issue across many industries. For instance, its methodsThat decade witnessed controlled rapid growth in both
and devices are a key element in civil engineering,custom molding and the Vibro-Insulators® product
where active, passive and semi-active vibrationsline. A reformulation of many of the neoprene and
control is used in the damping of civil structures.natural rubber compounds used to make the vibration
Buildings and bridge towers that people encountercontrol Vibro-Insulators® lay at the foundation of
every day make use of vibration control. Especially inthat rapid growth. By improving the tensile strength of
Japan's civil structures, where space is at such athe various elastomers, and the overall rubber-to-metal
premium, vibration control technology takes a front rowbond of the vibration control product line, the
seat. There, vibration control has been setting recentVibro-Insulators® producer achieved its goals.
trends. The damping of vibrations in the country'sDesign improvements also increased the strength of
cable-stayed structures is particularly active.the metal hardware used in the Vibro-Insulators®.
"New types of vibration control methods and devices,Enter the 21st century and active vibration control has
including the newly developed reduced-order physicalbecome a state-of-the-art process in terms of its
modelling method for structural control," are a centraltheory, design and application. The main difference
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. No wonder then
for one producer's custom-molded rubber andthat the report's publisher predicts that "as the demand
rubber-to-metal bonded parts' research andfor high performance structural systems increases, so
development.will the demand for information and innovation in
The Vibro-Insulator® line of vibration controlstructural vibration control.