Here are some examples of how sorbothane has integrated anti vibration solutions:

Protection of the human body

Sorbothane® brings a superior level of comfort when used to protect the human body. Sorbothane® palm pads provide protection in anti-vibration gloves for example. We produce these pads for several glove manufacturers who assemble them into their premium gloves, SorboGelT, a translucent version of Sorbothane® is also offered as a lighter weight alternative to Sorbothane®. SorboGelT is usually applied when minimum weight and maximum protection are desired in an application.

Vibration Isolation in extreme conditions

Formula One engines have anywhere between 600-1000 horsepower and they can put out about 12000-19000 rpm. For extreme situations like this, Sorbothane® anti vibration iisolators absorb axial and lateral forces generated at speeds in excess of 180 mph. Shock and vibration are minimized so that the on-board camera can focus cleanly. Shock absorption and vibration isolation in the same material.

In high value electronics where you need a great anti vibration solution, Sorbothane® works.

Anti vibration protection for products

Sorbothane® is a castable polymer material that can be shaped and colored to meet your needs. Its unique, liquid solid properties make Sorbothane® the material of choice forshock and vibration solutions related to electronics. Anti vibration protection for disk drives and many other types of electronics devices is an important part of a successful product. Sorbothane® mounts create lower system natural frequencies and guard against resonance to create a superior performing product.

Since 1982 Sorbothane has designed and engineered a very diverse list of anti vibration and shock control solutions. We’ve accomplished everything from transporting the Liberty Bell to protecting the feet of athletes and everything in between. Sorbothane combines over a century of tested experience in the design and manufacturing of anti vibration components that protect the integrity and performance of your product. Engineers worldwide choose Sorbothane® for their anti vibration applications. Let us help you next.

Our anti vibration pads as well as our sheet stock and other standard products are made with Sorbothane®, a  highly-damped, visco-elastic, polymeric solid that “flows” like a liquid under load. Sorbothane® is a thermoset, polyether-based polyurethane that combines ultra high energy absorption with amazing memory to produce a highly effective pad.

Sorbothane® anti vibration pads are manufactured in a durometer range from 25 to 85 Shore 00 Scale and  Sorbothane’s liquid-solid properties allow it to simultaneously absorb shock and vibration energy and make it preferable to one dimensional materials like rubber and other polyurethanes.

Note: Shore Durometer is the international standard for the hardness measurement of rubber, plastic and other non-metallic materials. Durometers are described in the American Society for Testing and Material specification ASTM D2240, which is the recognized specification for the instrument and testing procedures. Select the correct thickness, durometer and the number of pads required for the load from the chart at the bottom of this page.

Sorbothane® is a popular material because it has a low creep rate, superior damping coefficient over a very wide temperature range. All in one amazing material, Sorbothane anti vibration pads combine shock absorption, good memory, anti vibration control and vibration damping characteristics – all into one powerful pad.

You can order from our standard products guide or our factory can pour any shape that you need for your custom anti vibration pads and we can make them in any color or thicknesses. Tooling costs can be as low as $500 per mold.

Regarding the control of vibration, the chart at the right shows Sorbothane’s damping superiority over other elastomers. Low transmissibility means less damage to sensitive components. Isolation at large frequency ratios also shows Sorbothane’s capacity to isolate vibration.

Most vibration pads that you’ll find will adequately absorb machine vibration. Eventually though, time, moisture, grease, oil, solvents and water take their toll as ordinary pads breakdown and deteriorate to the point where you need to replace them. For most pads this deterioration takes anywhere from a week to several months, costing you time and money in parts replacement and downtime of your equipment. Sorbothane on the other hand with it’s unique, liquid solid (Visco-elastic) properties makes a great solution for shock and vibration applications and pads and can continue to absorb for millions and millions of cycles.

You can expect the following from Sorbothane®:

• Controls Vibration
• Long Fatigue Life
• Excellent shock absorption and memory
• Easy Installation and customization
• Reduces Overall Maintenance Costs
• Adds life to Machinery and Parts
• Practically Indestructible
• Reduces Noise
• Very Economical
• Unaffected by Grease, Oil and Water

For more information about Sorbothane, our anti vibration pads and polymer sheet stock and our other standard products please feel free to contact us or visit these additional sections of our website.

Sorbothane Standard Products Guide – Anti Vibration Pads

Silent Feet Win the 2009 Design News Golden Mousetrap Best Product Award

Silent Feet use unique Sorbothane visco-elastic polymer that absorbs and isolates noise and vibration better than any rubber on the market. This is the first application of Sorbothane to a consumer large appliance application.  By incorporating Sorbothane into The Vibration Solution’s products like Silent Feet, these anti vibration pads are able to stop up to 94.7% of washing machine vibration.  No other mat, pad or isolator for clothes washers and dryers can provide these same benefits for a reasonable price.  Silent Feet have been sold all around the globe and are trusted by thousands of customers and appliance owners who experience their benefits every time they do their laundry.  Now is the perfect opportunity to experience this award winning product in your home.

Damping. A common approach to vibration suppression is adding damping. Vibration damping dissipates some of the vibration energy by transforming it to heat. By selecting the right vibration damping material you can suppress or eliminate noise and vibration in industrial, electronic, structural and ergonomic applications caused by vibration and damaging resonance.

In a lightly damped system when the forcing frequency nears the natural frequency the amplitude (the maximum displacement of a vibrating particle or body from its position of rest) of the vibration can get extremely high. This phenomenon is called resonance and this is what we’re trying to suppress. If resonance occurs in a mechanical system it can be very harmful – leading to eventual failure of the system.

Isolation is often an effective means of vibration suppression when there is a limited path for transmission from a vibrating structure to a sensitive component, or from a noisy component to the rest of the system. Vibration isolation is how you isolate an object, such as a piece of equipment, from the source of the damaging vibrations. A vibration isolator takes mechanical energy out of the system so it’s no longer a concern – therefore suppressing vibration and potential damage to the system.

A properly implemented vibration isolation material also lowers the natural frequency of a system to below the excitation frequency to eliminate the potential for resonance. When you keep these frequencies “out of sync” it will greatly reduce the potential for vibration. Resonance can potentially cause catastrophic failure so using a good vibration isolation material to suppress vibrations is very important.

Sorbothane combines shock absorption, good memory, vibration isolation and vibration damping characteristics. While many materials exhibit one of these characteristics, Sorbothane® combines all of them in a stable material with a long fatigue life that’s made in the U.S.A.

For more information about Sorbothane’s Vibration Suppression Solutions please contact us anytime.

Vibration pads are also called vibration isolation pads which means that damaging energy is removed by the material and not transferred on to the machine or body. Vibration isolation is the process of isolating an object, such as a piece of equipment, from the source of damaging vibrations. A good vibration isolator takes energy out of the system so it’s no longer a concern.

Vibration Isolation pads are part of our standard products guide and you may choose the thickness, durometer and any quantity. For example, you might need to support  a 3800 pound load (70 durometer) with a .25×4x4 pad or maybe you don’t need to support quite that large of a load so a 30 durometer pad of the same size might meet your needs. Of course our vibration pads also come in many different colors to meet your needs. Please view our standard products guide or contact us for more information.

Sorbothane is a castable, visco-elastic polymer material that can be shaped and colored to meet your vibration pad needs. Its unique, liquid solid (Visco-elastic) properties make Sorbothane® the material of choice for shock and vibration applications and pads.

An example of how our pads have been utilized can be shown in the Silent Feet product by Vibration Solution. Anti-Walk Silent Feet were specifically designed to handle the increased movement and vibration problems associated with stack-able washers and dryers.

This is only one application out of thousands that are perfect for vibration pads. Let Sorbothane be your solution of choice for vibration pads and vibration isolation.

To order: Specify part number, durometer, quantity, color. Color black is standard. Other vibration isolation pad colors and dimensional variations are available by special order.

What is damping?

Damping is the energy dissipation properties of a material or system under cyclical stress. It is the conversion of mechanical energy into thermal energy. The amount of energy dissipated is a measure of the material’s damping level.

How does vibration damping work?

Damping materials work by changing the natural vibration frequency of the vibrating surface and thereby lowering radiated noise and increasing the transmission loss of the material. Many applications and products are subject to vibration from internal, as well as external sources. The effect of this vibration can range in severity from an computer owner’s perception of the quality of their noisy hard drive to the actual failure of a mechanical system due to a high-cycle fatigue.

Do you have examples?

Electronics, laptop computers, car navigation systems, mobile phones, and many other types of advanced electronic equipment are subject to vibration from internal and external sources such as shipping and accidental dropping. Vibration damping is a crucial requirement when designing electronic systems as it is a common source of damage to electronic components and connections. Sources for concern are soldering connections becoming weakened, loss of data or damage to disk drives, inefficient operation and performance.

With the rise of mobile phones and PDAs like the iphone and Blackberry, vibration damping is extremely important because of the frequency in which users drop them and abuse them. These devices need to handle extreme shock well. Choosing the ideal vibration damping material to fit the job should be a top priority.

Thin metal parts and structures easily transmit noise when impacted or by natural resonance when excited by acoustic energy. This vibrating metal is also a common problem in many industrial and commercial applications and the problem is easily solved with the right vibration damping material.

What is the most common damping mechanism?

The most common damping mechanism used to address vibration (and noise) problems is viscoelastic damping. Viscoelastic means that the material exhibits both elastic and viscous behavior. An elastic material is one that stores energy during a load and all energy is returned when that load is removed. A viscous material doesn’t return any energy. All energy is lost as “pure damping” once the load is removed. A viscoelastic material therefore stores some of the energy during a load and then the remainder is released as heat.

How can Sorbothane help?

Sorbothane is a viscoelastic vibration damping material that combines shock absorption, good memory, vibration isolation and vibration damping characteristics into one solution. In addition, Sorbothane is a very effective acoustic damper and absorber. While many materials exhibit one of these characteristics, Sorbothane combines all of them in a stable material with a long fatigue life.

Please contact us to see how we can help you.

Anaheim Convention Center – Anaheim, CA – February 9 – 11, 2010
Booth # 3530

Sorbothane, Inc. announces they will be exhibiting at The 2010 Pacific Design and Manufacturing Show.

Sorbothane, Inc. will display standard and custom molded products for applications requiring shock absorption, vibration isolation and acoustic damping.

Sorbothane® is the ultimate isolation material for absorbing shock and vibration. No other material can dissipate energy as effectively. In many applications Sorbothane® has absorbed up to 94.7% of the impact force. Engineers worldwide choose Sorbothane® for applications requiring shock absorption, vibration isolation and damping.

• RAPID PROTOTYPING
• LOW-COST TOOLING
• FAST TURN AROUND
• MADE IN USA

Sorbothane, Inc. 2144 State Route 59 Kent, Ohio 44240 800.838.3906 Email sales@sorbothane.com www.sorbothane.com

Sorbothane®…Shock and Vibration Solutions

Sorbothane, Inc., announces that KICK-EEZ® will be exhibiting at the 2010 SHOT Show. KICK-EEZ® Recoil Pads made with Sorbothane are the most popular pads on the market today. KICK-EEZ® will feature the specially engineered Dual Action Recoil Pad. This unique Dual Action recoil-absorbing pad combines two layers of Sorbothane®. The first, ultra-soft Sorbothane® layer reacts to absorb recoil for increased accuracy. The second, Sorbothane® layer dissipates energy and completes maximum recoil absorption.

According to independent testing, the KICK-EEZ® Dual Action Recoil Pad absorbed more energy than any other recoil pad.

Sorbothane® is scientifically proven to be the finest cushioning material available. In many applications Sorbothane® has absorbed up to 94.7% of the impact force. Engineers worldwide specify Sorbothane for its shock absorbing and vibration isolating properties. KICK-EEZ® recoil pads reduce more recoil and do it better than any other pad. Less recoil reduces flinching, eases sore shoulders and cheeks. Unprecedented absorption levels are possible because Sorbothane® absorbs shock waves by dispersing energy outward from the impact source. KICK-EEZ® recoil pads eliminate the rebound effect of the first shot, and therefore second shots are quicker and more accurate. Sorbothane® will not “bottom out” or “rebound” as do most common rubber materials on the market today.

Distributed By:
KICK-EEZ Products
1819 Schurman Way, Suite 106
Woodland, WA 98674
877-KickEEZ (877-542-5339)
www.kickeezproducts.com

Salt Palace Convention Center – Salt Lake City, Utah – January 21-24, 2010  Booth # 34091

Sorbothane, Inc. announces that Penguin Brands will be exhibiting at the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Show. Penguin Brands will display their complete line of Sorbothane® Performance Insoles.

Sorbothane® is the only insole material that can absorb up to 94.7% of impact shock. And unlike standard insole materials, which can bottom out and lose effectiveness, Sorbothane® performs under any condition. Durable and comfortable, Sorbothane® Performance Insoles retain their shock absorbing benefits month after month. Lightweight and antifungal, they also breathe, which makes for a much cooler insole.

Sorbothane® insoles have been highly recommended by doctors, sports medicine specialists and professional trainers for decades. Sorbothane® insoles have proven to be the best defense against foot pain, back pain and impact-related injuries such as Achilles tendonitis, runner’s knee and shin splints.

Sorbothane, Inc.
2144 State Route 59
Kent, Ohio 44240
800.838.3906
Email sales@sorbothane.com

www.sorbothane.com

Distributed By:

Penguin Brands, Inc.

2009 Elmwood Ave.

Sharon Hill, PA 19079

610.537.8828
www.run-longer.com

Sorbothane®…Shock and Vibration Solutions

Why Sorbothane is a great solution for Shock Absorption

Sorbothane®, a one-of-a-kind visco-elastic polymer that was first introduced in 1982. Since its introduction Sorbothane® has been used in many varied energy absorbing product categories. It can be – and has been – used in many different applications including everything from The Liberty Bell to the Air Force Memorial to Race Cars to the Space Shuttle. But Sorbothane is different than other shock absorbing materials like foam and rubber and we’d like to explain why.

Sorbothane® is a proprietary, visco-elastic polymer which has special properties that go far beyond the norm. Visco-elastic means that a material exhibits properties of both liquids (viscous solutions) and solids (elastic materials) so it will deform under load and transmit forces in all directions and then return to its original shape when the load is removed.

Sorbothane combines good memory, shock absorption, vibration isolation and vibration damping characteristics. In addition, Sorbothane is an effective acoustic damper and absorber. While many materials exhibit one of these characteristics, Sorbothane combines all of them in a stable material with a long fatigue life.

Where neoprene foam, polyethylene foam and other materials have been used in many shock absorption applications, Sorbothane® has a low creep rate compared to other polymers (rubber, neoprene, silicone, etc.) and unlike other materials, Sorbothane absorbs shocks efficiently for millions of cycles.

Sorbothane can be purchased with a fire retardant that allows it to meet the Underwriters Laboratory 94 V2 standard so applications where fire and heat might be a problem (like with foam), it’s no longer a concern.

If you’re looking for a solution to a shock absorption problems, consider Sorbothane over other shock absorbing foams, rubber and polymers. Sorbothane is a custom molder of our proprietary material and we also offer a line of standard products and sheet stock that are described in our Industrial Standard Products and Price Guide.

Sorbothane’s manufacturing process results in ultra-low cost tooling, short lead times and cost-effective production for custom prototypes, high volume needs and everything in-between. Sorbothane is an excellent solution when shock absorption is a top concern.

The shock absorbing pads that Sorbothane can produce in any shape, color or style provide high performance impact protection that will transmit the force perpendicularly away from the object that needs protection. Sorbothane has an elastic behavior that causes the material to return to shape quickly as it prepares for the next impact to the pad.

In the following sections we’ll describe some of the shock absorbing pad solutions that Sorbothane can, and has provided over the years.

Shock Absorbing Recoil Pads

Skeet and trap shooters around the world use KICK-EEZ® Recoil Pads made from Sorbothane®. Sold and distributed by the KICK-EEZ® Company, these are the most effective, recoil reducing pads on the market today. Each pad is custom fit to ensure maximum comfort and effectiveness,

Comfort Insoles for your feet

Sorbothane® is the only insole material available that absorbs up to 94.7% of the impact shock.  Sorbothane® Insoles combine quality components with advanced innovation, to provide long lasting comfort and protection.

A great example of our shock absorbing pads is the Performance Graphite Arch Insole that combines orthotic arch support with Sorbothane® foot strike protection. This shock absorbing insole has been designed for all activities and it retains its support and comfort with every step you take. Sorbothane® offers a full line of insoles to meet the needs of anyone who walks, works, plays sports or spends a lot of time on their feet.

Solid polymer, dimpled and honeycomb shock absorption sheets

Sorbothane® is the premier energy absorbing material and is cast into a variety Sorbothane Industrial Productsof shapes and sizes for shock absorbing pads and many other uses. View our Industrial Products Guide and see for yourself.

These shock absorbing sheets are incorporated in a range of products from knee pads to vehicle seat cushions. Our standard sheets are produced in 12″ square and 24″ square sizes and in a thickness range from 0.100″ through 1.500″ inclusive. Smaller, thinner sheets are also available. Sorbothane® cuts easily with a razor knife up to about 1/4″ in thickness and can also be diecut. Thicker sections and more complex shapes can be cut with a water jet process.

Shock absorber pads to protect the human body

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, and all body parts in between! Sorbothane® is a castable, energy absorbing polymer that can be custom molded to your requirements. Tennis racket wraps, baseball glove inserts, knee and elbow pads and rowing cushions now provide increased comfort and protection thanks to Sorbothane®. Custom shapes, in any color, are available in Sorbothane® and in our translucent SorbogelT.

Sorbothane® brings a superior level of comfort to feet and hands. Sorbothane® palm pads provide protection in anti-vibration gloves. We produce these pads for several glove manufacturers who assemble them into their premium gloves, SorboGelT, a translucent version of Sorbothane®, is offered as a lighter weight alternative to Sorbothane®. SorboGelT is particularly useful where minimum weight and maximum protection are desired.

Sorbothane® is a castable polymer material that can be shaped and colored to meet your needs. Its unique, liquid solid properties make Sorbothane® the material of choice for shock absorbing pads and vibration applications.

For more information about how Sorbothane® can help you with your shock absorbing pad applications please contact us anytime.