Rotating machinery
Vibration Control for Pumps, Compressors, Motors and Turbines
All rotating machines generate vibrations due to imbalance, eccentricity and misalignment of rotating components. Additional vibration sources may include internal friction, contact between moving parts, as well as thermal and fluid-dynamic phenomena occurring during operation.
Typical industrial vibration sources include:
- Pumps
- Compressors
- Fans
- Electric motors
- Internal combustion engines
- Turbines
- Gear reducers
- Alternators
- Centrifuges
If not properly isolated, these vibrations can be transmitted to supporting structures, reducing system reliability and accelerating structural wear.
Isolation of Constant-Speed Machinery
Machines operating at nearly constant speed — except for short start-up and shutdown phases — and subject to moderate horizontal forces can be effectively isolated using MOPLA spring isolators.
Proper selection is based on:
- Point load
- Achieving a natural suspension frequency lower than one-third of the main excitation frequency (e.g., first-order harmonic)
This design criterion ensures excellent vibration isolation, with up to 90% reduction of vibration transmission to the base structure.
Isolation of Variable-Speed Machinery
For machines operating at variable speeds, rubber isolators often represent the optimal solution. Their higher damping characteristics help minimize issues related to temporary resonance crossing during speed variation.
Suitable Vibrostop solutions include:
- AA series (with mechanical fail-safe device)
- TSZ series
- MM series (recommended for aggressive environments or special overload resistance requirements)
In applications where exceptional shear or tensile overloads are not expected, FLEXOBLOC anti-vibration blocks may be used as a simpler alternative.
