Minimise Vibrations in Machines Using Rubber Mounts
13 March 2020Regardless
of their purpose, machines vibrate on some level. While a minimum amount of
vibration is not an issue, an abnormal amount of it will cause problems, such
as friction, excessive noise, imbalances and even complete failure. As a
result, industries that heavily rely upon machines need to address the problem
of vibrations to be able to perform their operations smoothly day after day.
Before you can know how to accomplish this for your own company, though, you
must understand the causes of vibrations as well as how to minimise them.
Causes of Machines Overly Vibrating
1. Misalignment of Parts
Machine parts must be in proper alignment for the machines to work with as
little vibration as possible. When such parts as the rotator shafts are out of
alignment, the machines will overly vibrate and can cause damage if not
addressed. Misalignment can happen due to thermal expansion, assembly error or
daily wear.
2. Loose Connections
Fasteners can loosen over time just through normal use of the machines. Also,
bearings will loosen once they show signs of wear or if they are not securely
mounted. Either of these situations cause machines to vibrate sufficiently to
damage components when serious enough and are left unchecked. Other elements of
the machines also can develop loose connections.
3. Axis Imbalance
One crucial part of a machine that must stay in balance to prevent abnormal
vibrations from occurring is an axis. The imbalance can happen due to dirty or
malfunction fan blades, manufacturing defects or other reasons. It is important
to address this issue quickly since the vibration can increase the faster the
machine runs.
4. Normal Wear
Another cause of abnormal vibrations is that machine parts will suffer normal
wear from daily usage. Wear is from numerous operational stresses including
thermal expansion just for one example.
One Effective Method for Controlling
Vibrations
The use of specially designed rubber mounts is an effective way to minimise
vibrations in machines, regardless of the cause for them. These mounts also
provide shock protection. Rubber mounts resist oil and grease to last for a
long time, and they offer an adequate level of isolation efficiency. You will
be able to easily fit these into your operating budget too since they are
highly affordable. A wide range of rubber mounts are available today to address
numerous situations and machines. Standard ones are made with chloroprene
rubber to ensure that they stand up to grease and oil. Other types of rubber
are available upon request to suit other environmental conditions. They also
offer protection of all three axes, which makes them ideal for use in
compressors, mobile generators and other machines.