Sandwich mounts are an imperative part of machinery and equipment. They reduce damage and keep operators comfortable by damping vibration. Sandwich mounts have many other applications beyond vibration damping. Used in a variety of industries, these important rubber components provide many benefits.
For high-quality sandwich mounts, contact RPM Industrial Rubber Parts. Give us a call at (888) 842-5668 or browse our stock of molded rubber vibration isolator parts.
Continue reading for more information about sandwich mounts and how they are used.
Industries That Use Sandwich Mounts
Because sandwich mounts are such vital parts of machinery, they are used in many industries. These are some of the industries that commonly use sandwich mounts:
- Automotive and mass transportation: motorcycles, vehicles, engines, and accessory parts
- Medical: dialysis machines, laboratory equipment, and MRI machines
- Construction and agriculture: plate compactors, forestry equipment, and utility vehicles
- Military: tanks, jets, and other heavy-duty machinery
- Mining: oil and drilling, sands and hard rock mining machinery
Sandwich mounts are used in all kinds of industries and for all kinds of applications. However, they are most important for mission-critical applications. From buses and plate compactors to high precision equipment, sandwich mounts keep equipment up and running.
Applications of Sandwich Mounts
Although specific applications of sandwich mounts are listed above, there are also more generic applications. These include vibration control, suspended equipment, load carrying, and sensitive equipment.
To determine the correct sandwich mount for any given application, the RPM Industrial Rubber Parts team conducts a single degree of freedom analysis. This utilizes the disturbing frequency and the spring rate, among other data points, to determine the natural frequency. This, in conjunction with what kind of mount you would like to use, can tell our team how efficient the isolation will be.
It’s important to understand the role sandwich mounts play when used in a variety of capacities.
Top 4 Questions We Get Asked About Selecting the Right Vibration Isolation Mount
Vibration Isolation
This is the most common use of sandwich mounts. Excessive vibration can have a substantial impact on machines and operators:
- Safety problems
- Machine and equipment damage
- Reduced mechanical abilities
- Supply issues due to damage
- Operator medical problems
- Exorbitant maintenance
- Quality problems
Without anti-vibration sandwich mounts and other vibration-damping parts, machine and equipment damage could be hugely problematic. Sandwich mounts work to compress and control energy. This is how they dampen vibration.
Think about it this way: two vibrating walls are facing each other. To lower the vibration, you place a thick and firm cushion in between them. This is the concept behind sandwich mounts. It is also why the chosen elastomer is so important. An excellent sandwich mount should contain a rubber that has high vibration resistance, such as neoprene or natural rubber.
Suspended Equipment
Suspended equipment, such as trains and subway cars, uses spring mounts to keep vehicles in the right position. These mounts are actually a type of sandwich mount, as they have the same general design. The difference is that there is a spring in the middle of the mount.
They are excellent for suspended equipment because they provide a buffer and reduce vibration and damage. This way, if a subway car hits a bump, the passengers inside do not get jostled around too much.
However, it is important to add that sandwich mounts should always be used in compression rather than tension. This means that sandwich mounts are not meant to be pulled apart, such as if a machine was hanging from them. In terms of suspended equipment, sandwich mounts are used within complex suspension systems rather than used as suspension systems.
Load Carrying
Specific sandwich mounts are excellent for load carrying. While all sandwich mounts are required to have some load carrying capabilities, the larger ones are made for this purpose. For example, square pad mounts are perfect for load carrying. Some sandwich mounts have compression static loads of up to 7,000 lbs.
This is why sandwich mounts are so often used in manufacturing for shipping containers and large equipment. Equipment in motion, such as vehicles and farming equipment, require sandwich mounts. Static equipment does as well. There are hundreds of sandwich mounts on a manufacturing floor installed on the static machines alone.
Sensitive Equipment
Although you could consider all machinery to be sensitive equipment, there are some categories of, especially sensitive equipment. These include laboratory equipment, HVAC blowers, precision equipment, and specialized motors. All of these machines require extra vibration isolation and shock control to properly function.
Precision equipment provides an apt example. A laser cutter requires a steady surface to operate. If the machine was even subtly shaking or vibrating then the laser would not be able to produce a precise piece with smooth lines. This is why sandwich mounts are so important.
Many buyers choose LORD Flex-Bolt™ Sandwich Mounts for this purpose. These sandwich mounts are specially designed from a rubber polymer to the shape of the mount. They provide optimum vibration reduction and stability so that all equipment, including sensitive equipment, can perform well.
Rubber Sandwich Mount Service
Looking for a rubber manufacturing company that provides not only parts but consulting?
RPM Industrial Rubber Parts is your partner for finding the right solution to protect your equipment and staff.
We sell LORD Flex-Bolt™ Sandwich Mounts among many other types of mounts such as:
- Square pad mounts
- Large shear mounts
- Bobbin sandwich mounts
We also offer a variety of other standard rubber molded parts and vibration control parts. These include extrusions, grommets, o-rings, and more. Our team of highly experienced engineers design and oversee the manufacturing of custom rubber parts. No matter what kind of rubber part you are looking for, we can help you get it.
RPM Industrial Rubber Parts is committed to providing high-quality parts and excellent customer service. To get in contact with one of our team members, give us a call at (888) 842-5668 or learn how to order here.
