Shock and Vibration Isolation for HVAC Systems

Buildings with mechanical equipment often experience unwanted vibration and noise. This is because of the transmission of vibration from mechanical equipment to the building structure. Those who live and work in such buildings experience unpleasant disturbances causing air- and structure-borne noise.

Acrefine provides seismic and passive isolation system products for MEP systems. These include anti-vibration mechanical springs, rubber pads or sheets, and even seismic shock mounts.

What is Vibration Isolation in HVAC?

Vibration isolation (sometimes referred to as vibration insulation) involves isolating the source of vibration from an object, for example, heavy machinery and connected piping.

Mounting machines like a fan, pump, chiller, cooling tower or generator to structures results in vibration transmissibility. A passive vibration isolation system reduce the transmission, suppressing unwanted vibrations.

It is possible to isolate equipment, machines and piping with different isolation systems. Our complete line of vibration isolation systems enable noise control.

Why is Vibration Isolation important?

Vibration isolation is important to dampen high vibration levels. People living or working in buildings with HVAC equipment as source of the vibration, benefit from vibration isolation. It can help them have an improved quality of life.

Vibration hangers and isolators are easy to install, and don’t take much space. They also don’t affect how machinery or equipment functions, but they increase comfort and result in less noise.

What are Vibration Isolators in HVAC?

Three distinct categories of Acrefine vibration isolators are pads, elastomer isolators, and springs. Elastomer and pad isolators are like vibration dampers or absorbers. But spring isolator’s provide negligible vibration dampening.

However, they offer a greater load range and more deflection, allowing for low frequency. If the natural frequency of the system which vibrates is low, then springs are must.

How to do Vibration Isolation with Spring?

Spring isolators were an original form of isolator, but they are still highly effective. The spring absorbs the vibration and releases it in another direction. Acrefine uses compression springs designed to reduce vibration. In addition to the spring, there is an elastomer cup or base that eliminates high frequency vibrations.

The springs have an overload capacity of 50% with greater lateral spring stiffness than vertical stiffness. This assures lateral stability, which is critical for the proper installation and operation of equipment and machinery.

How do you isolate vibration with Rubber Mount or Isolation Pad?

Acrefine natural rubber isolators achieve isolation and somewhat vibration absorption. Pad isolators come in varied sizes and shapes and may be double or single layer. They are flexible and easy to install for virtually every project. Just like spring isolators, rubber isolators absorb the energy and release it in another direction.

What are Vibration Hangers

Spring vibration hangers have a compression spring made from coiled steel. This provides deflections between 10 mm and 100 mm. Acrefine makes both housed and open spring hangers. Open hangers have a single spring and a limited load capacity.

Housed hangers can have several springs in a single housing allowing for higher load capacities.

Rubber vibration hangers achieve vibration isolation by using a rubber compound with excellent damping characteristics. As a result, they effectively dissipate the energy from vibrations. Acrefine produce two types of rubber hangers: housed, and open.

An open rubber hanger has a limited load capacity because of the single rubber element used. For higher loads, housed rubber hangers are necessary. They have versatile capacities as they can have several rubber elements in one hanger.

Installation of Vibration Hangers

Ducting, piping, and equipment suspended from a ceiling requires vibration hangers. Acrefine vibration hangers come in three types: Rubber hangers, spring hangers, and combination hangers.

Rubber hangers have damping characteristics while spring hanger’s damping is negligible. They do, however, have a greater load range and deflection for improved vibration isolation efficiency. Combination hangers are best if a wide vibration frequency range needs isolating.

Please visit our YouTube Channel to see installation and product videos.

Vibration Control with Inertia Base

Not all pieces of equipment have a base that is sufficient or suitable for installation with isolators. In those cases, structural or inertia bases are ideal. Made from basic steel load-carrying sections like C-channels or I-beams, structural bases are best for less stiff isolators.

Inertia bases allow for an extra mass between one or two times of the equipment’s weight. Large fans and various pump types usually require the use of an inertia base.

Acrefine Type of Vibration Isolation products

Acrefine is a specialist in vibration isolation technology for the MEP industry. We offer an extensive product range that is ideal for a wide variety of essential uses. Thanks to our years of experience in the industry and our innovative technology, our vibration isolation products are outstanding. When reducing noise and vibrations from machinery is essential, our vibration isolators and vibration hangers fit the bill.