| According to the National Aeronautics and | | | | shopping around for vibration control |
| Space Administration, "In 2008, NASA will | | | | products is a company that offers an |
| continue to plan how best to transition any | | | | exhaustive line of isolators and mounts for |
| needed Shuttle workforce and infrastructure | | | | the control of noise, vibration and shock. |
| to the Constellation program. The | | | | Regardless of whether one's vibration |
| Constellation program includes funding for | | | | isolation needs are of the one pound or the |
| the Orion and Ares projects, as well as for | | | | one ton variety, such companies will have the |
| ground operations, mission operations, and | | | | right type of mount to the fit application. |
| extravehicular activity projects and a | | | | The variety of styles and sizes that |
| dedicated in-house effort for systems | | | | Vibro-Insulator vibration isolators come in |
| engineering and integration." To gear up for | | | | are designed to handle most vibration |
| the implementation of that plan, NASA is in | | | | isolation problems. The reputable company |
| the process of making infrastructure | | | | that produces Vibro-Insulators also offers a |
| improvements at many of its centers. Among | | | | product guide showing all the different |
| those improvements will be "modifications to | | | | styles of mounts it has available for |
| the Space Power Facility (SPF) at Glenn | | | | purchase. This way, the vibration control |
| Research Center's Plum Brook Station (Ohio) | | | | seeker can see all of his or her options in |
| in support of Orion environmental testing, | | | | one convenient place. Produced with either |
| enabling the SPF to perform vibration and | | | | natural rubber or neoprene elastomers, |
| vibro-acoustic testing." To that end, in | | | | depending on the application, |
| November 2007, NASA chartered the Thrust | | | | Vibro-Insulators' mounts are designed to be |
| Oscillation Focus Team to precisely define | | | | used in either the compression or shear |
| the frequency spectrum and oscillation | | | | direction. Typically, natural rubber is a |
| amplitudes that the five segment (Ares) motor | | | | good choice for most industrial applications |
| is expected to produce. In parallel, the team | | | | but is affected by oil. Neoprene, on the |
| is evaluating vehicle structural assessments | | | | other hand, is resistant to oil. Still |
| in order to provide additional vibration | | | | feeling like you need a rocket scientist at |
| isolation to critical launch vehicle systems | | | | your disposal to make the right vibration |
| and uncouple the vehicle's natural frequency | | | | isolation and control decision? Well, there's |
| from motor induced loads." The rocket | | | | no need to contact NASA for assistance. Step |
| scientists at NASA may have the brain power | | | | by step instructions on how to select the |
| to figure out their vibration control needs | | | | proper Vibro-Insulator for a specific |
| on their own-and they definitely have the | | | | application are also provided by the company |
| brain power to realize how important | | | | that produces them. For those who are math |
| vibration isolation is to their Constellation | | | | phobic, an example calculation is even |
| program. However, not every organization that | | | | provided to show you exactly how to crunch |
| needs vibration control has a team of rocket | | | | the vibration isolation numbers. |
| scientists on staff to turn to for such | | | | |
| computations. That's where having a vibration | | | | Karman Rubber is a world leader in Noise |
| control expert at one's disposal comes in | | | | Anti-Vibration & Shock Control Products. |
| handy. The first thing to look for when | | | | |