Vibration isolation 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 the right isolator
To select the correct isolator, you must have an overview of the vibration situation at hand. Below are some of the key external factors that should influence your selection
Equipment specifications
Check the type of equipment to isolate, along with its dimensions, structural attachment points, and location within the building. Also review the installation and foundation requirements, as well as specifications such as bolt and hole sizes for securing the equipment.
Location of equipment
Determine the installation environment, whether indoors or outdoors, as this can significantly affect the requirements. Then evaluate environmental factors such as corrosivity levels and the minimum and maximum ambient temperatures around the equipment.
Vibration excitation of the equipment
Rotational frequency forces and couples are important considerations here. The forces and couples caused by reciprocating masses can influence the isolation requirements.
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.
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. Consider electrical, tubing, piping, 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 an isolator?
Once you have a comprehensive overview of all relevant environmental and external factors, you need to select the isolator 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. These are the static deflection, the natural frequency of isolators, and the running frequency of equipment mounted on them.
Learn more about the antivibration solutions from Walraven
In the Walraven portfolio, you can find a complete range of rubber and metal vibroacoustic isolators, antivibration pads, mounts and springs to eliminate vibration problems in HVAC installations. The isolators can also be easily integrated with other typical pipe fixings, channel support or rooftop installations.
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