Vibration isolation solution for the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz
Walraven has been involved in the new Academy of Music campus in Bydgoszcz, Poland, since the design phase began in…
How to select anti-vibration mounts and supports
Selecting the right anti-vibration mount is essential to ensuring reliable system performance, reducing noise transmission, and protecting equipment from excessive vibration. Factors such as equipment weight, operating speed, vibration frequency, and installation environment all influence the best solution for an application. In this guide, we explain the key considerations for choosing anti-vibration mounts and how to identify the most suitable option for your project.
What influences the choice of anti vibration mounts?
Equipment specifications
Different types of HVAC equipment will require different solutions. You need to consider the size and weight of the equipment or pipework and its structural attachment points. Check the bolt and hole sizes for securing the equipment and any foundation requirements. This will give you an idea of how many mounts you’ll need, and the size of those mounts.
Location of equipment
The location and support surface of the equipment can affect which types of isolator are required. For example, is it ceiling mounted or floor mounted on a slab in a basement? There are different types of anti vibration mount for suspended equipment versus floor-mounted equipment.
Vibration excitation of the equipment
The rotational frequency (revolutions per second) of the machinery contribute to the levels of vibration. The forces and couples generated will influence the isolators required to dampen the vibrations.
Type of building
The type and use of the building can significantly impact the choice of the isolator. Different building types, such as hospitals, apartment complexes, entertainment centres, or industrial facilities, serve different purposes and consequently have different isolation requirements or expectations.
Environmental Considerations
Consider whether the equipment will be installed indoors or outdoors, as this can significantly affect the requirements. In all cases, assess environmental factors such as the level of corrosivity and the minimum and maximum ambient temperatures around the equipment.
Special requirements
Last but not least, you need to check if there are any special requirements. For example, are there electrical, pipework or ducting connections that might modify the mechanical response of the mounting system? Other special requirements can include externally applied forces or moments; minimum or maximum clearance requirements between equipment and foundation; alignment requirements; or dynamic loads.
How to evaluate the suitability of anti-vibration mounts or supports
Once you have a comprehensive overview of all relevant environmental and external factors, you need to select the anti vibration mounts that offers the most efficient solution. Vibration can be isolated or reduced to a fraction of the original force by placing isolators between the equipment and the supporting structure.
When selecting an isolator, you need to consider three values. The static deflection – this refers to how much your anti-vibration mount will compress under the weight of the equipment, the natural frequency of the isolator, and the running frequency of the equipment mounted on them.
You can use the tables and instructions in our Technical Datasheets for each Walraven VibraTek® isolator (which can be found on the product pages) to assess whether it is suitable for your application. Or contact us for advice!
Learn more about Walraven’s anti vibration solutions
Our brochure contains a useful matrix of products and applications to give you an initial idea of what type of vibration isolator might be suited to your project. It also contains all the charts for each product to help you decide which product would suit your installation, and even more detail is in the Technical Datasheets for each product – available online.
In the Walraven portfolio, you can find a complete range of spring and rubber mounts, spring hangers, rubber absorbers and anti vibration pads. View the product range.
Find out more about dealing with vibration in HVAC applications or read about the Walraven VibraTek® product line.
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