Vibration Isolation
Buildings with HVAC systems often experience unwanted vibration and noise. This is due to the mechanical equipment’s operation that causes disturbing frequencies which transmit vibration to the building’s structures.
Those who live and work in such buildings experience unpleasant disturbances due to vibrations. Their living or working environment is often noisy which leads to a poor quality of life and low productivity. Acrefine is committed to eliminating these issues. That is why we have developed high-quality vibration isolators that minimise the effect by reducing structure borne noise and eliminate some of airborne noise. As a result, the building’s occupants can enjoy more comfortable, quieter spaces with minimal noise or vibration.
Acrefine Vibration Isolation products are divided into three primary groups:
- Vibration Isolators: These are ideal for use with floor-mounted machinery and equipment.
- Vibration Hangers: These are suited to the needs of suspended equipment and machinery systems that have a ceiling attachment. They are also widely used for installing pipes and ducts that are attached fixed to the ceiling.
- Vibration Isolation Pads: These vibration isolation products provide versatile and cost-effective solution for machinery, equipment as well as piping or ducting
Anti-vibration mounts or AVMs is the collective term for these vibration isolation products. They are very efficient at eliminating noise and vibrations from machinery, equipment, and MEP services such as piping and ducting.
How Vibration Isolation works?
Vibration isolation involves isolating a vibration source from an object, for example, machinery and connected piping. Mounting motorised equipment like a fan, pump, chiller, cooling tower or generator to solid structures results in energy transference to those structures. That energy takes the shape of vibrations which not only create noise but can also damage equipment or at least minimise its life.
To stop vibrations from equipment, machinery and piping affecting the surroundings, vibration isolators are a cost-effective solution. Special mounts absorb the movements and vibrations the equipment or machinery causes. These mounts are vibration isolators. Vibration isolators or hangers decrease the magnitude of the transmitted vibrations to the machinery. Machinery and structures have these devices between them, creating low natural frequency support systems for the machinery.
Why is it important to use Vibration Isolators or Hangers?
Vibration isolation is very important to reduce sound, provide safety, and protect machinery. People living or working in buildings with HVAC systems benefit from vibration isolation. It can help them have an improved quality of life. Vibration hangers and isolators are easy and quick to install and do not take up too much space. They don’t affect how machinery or equipment functions, but they increase comfort and result in less noise.
What are Vibration Isolators?
There are three distinct categories of Acrefine vibration isolators: Pads, rubber isolators, and springs. Rubber and pad isolators have damping characteristics whereas spring isolator’s damping is negligible. However, spring isolators offer a greater load range and more deflection, allowing for greater efficiency. Vibration frequencies over 100 Hz benefit from pad isolators while rubber isolators are best for frequencies down to 50 Hz. Spring AVMs are best for disturbing frequencies below this range.
How do we achieve Spring Isolation?
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 achieves vibration isolation using springs that are freestanding helical compression type steel springs which are designed to be laterally stable. There is also an elastomeric 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 does Vibration Isolation work with Rubber Isolators?
Acrefine rubber isolators achieve vibration isolation by using a rubber compound with outstanding damping characteristics to dissipate the vibration energy. The rubber and metal inserts are bonded together so it is easy to fix to the supporting structure or equipment base. Acrefine pad isolators come in varied sizes and shapes and may be double or single layer. They are very flexible and easy to install for virtually every project. Just like spring isolators, rubber isolators absorb the energy and release it in another direction.
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 insignificant. 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.
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What are Spring 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 spring hangers have a single spring and a limited load capacity.
House hangers can have several springs in a single housing allowing for higher load capacities.
What are Rubber Vibration Hangers?
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. Housed rubber hangers are best for higher loads and have versatile capacities as they can be manufactured with several rubber elements in one hanger.
What is a Structural or 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. In cases where better vibration isolation is needed, an inertia base is the best choice. It allows for an extra mass between one or two times of the equipment’s weight. It is the best choice for use with large fans and various pump types.
Why choose Acrefine Vibration Isolation?
Acrefine is a specialist in vibration isolation technology for the HVAC and MEP industries. 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.