Posts Tagged ‘Sorbothane’

The Secret is in the Sorbothane

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

It’s no secret that the market is flooded with many different types of washing machine vibration damper pads.  There are pads of many different shapes, sizes and materials.  There are pads made of recycled tires, neoprene, foam rubber, cork, natural rubber and even complex platforms of steel and springs.  But amongst all the options today, one has stood out year after year.  That product is Silent Feet Anti-Vibration Pads made with Sorbothane.

Sorbothane is so much more than just a polyurethane rubber.  It has been designed to offer the absolute best vibration absorbing characteristics.  This means that it is actually what is called a “visco-elastic polymer.”  This fancy term means that it has characteristics of both a liquid and a solid.   Think of the ideal vibration isolation situation, it would probably involve a material that could significantly deflect and deform to smoothly absorb all impact and vibration energy, much like a thick liquid syrup.  But syrup wouldn’t work well for long because it wouldn’t hold it’s shape, so the ideal material would also need to have shape memory, like memory foam.  But all foam rubber is made with millions of tiny bubbles in it.  Over time these bubble pop and wear out causing the material to become less effective and fall apart.  So the ideal material would be a solid rubber with perfect shape memory and a fluid like feel.  That is what Sorbothane is.

If you touch Sorbothane you will notice that it feels soft like the palm of our hand.  It feels this way because it was actually modeled on possibly the best impact absorbing part of the human body, the soft flesh of your heel.  It has very similar characteristics to this natural anti-vibration pad.  When you run or walk, the impact energy of your foot on the ground is smoothly absorbed by your foot and heel.  If you took a ball of Sorbothane and dropped it on the ground it would only return one tiny bounce before coming to rest.  Compare that to a ball made of normal urethane rubber or foam which will return a bounce at least half as high as the original bounce height and then continue to bounce for a long time.

That comparison is the true secret to why Silent Feet washing machine and dryer pads continue to be the number one most effective product.  All other rubber pads no matter what material they are made of, even fancy and expensive metal platforms with springs all will cause a violent and strong rebound force.  Any time your washing machine is installed on those inferior pads the vibration will amplify and spread.  Just like if you dribble a tennis ball with a racket, the ball retains more energy than is dissipates.  So make the right choice today and install Silent Feet or Anti-Walk Silent Feet under your washing machine to see a dramatic reduction in vibration and noise.  The Sorbothane rubber in your set of Silent Feet pads will continue working just as hard 10 years from now as it will on day 1 to absorb and smoothly dissipate spin cycle vibration.

One final benefit of Sorbothane rubber is that it is made in the USA (Kent, OH) by a skilled American workforce and is comprised of materials sourced only from the USA.  The Vibration Solution supports the creation of American jobs for American workers and is committed to delivering the highest quality products to the world.

New Advanced Sorbothane Anti-Vibration Products

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Getting your hands on superior Sorbothane anti-vibration pads, bushings, grommets and

Sorbothane products from Isolate It!

Sorbothane products from Isolate It!

hemispheres has just gotten easier.  Now you can find a huge selection of these great anti-vibration products on Amazon.com and www.VibrationSolution.com.  The Vibration Solution has branched out with a new brand called Isolate It!  This new brand features a range of Sorbothane parts that is ever expanding to meet your specific needs.

Isolate It! products are designed for vast range of applications.  They can be installed on computers, appliances, lab equipment, industrial machinery, home theaters, stereo systems, monitors, measuring devices, robots, motherboards, hard drives, printers, light fixtures, cars, trucks, airplanes, boats and many other items.  Also, Sorbothane bushings and washers can be used together to create large isolation grommets and bushing isolators.

Sorbothane hemisphere sizes

Sorbothane hemispheres now in a wide variety of sizes

Sorbothane square pads, sheet stock and round pads offer users with the ability to cut and shape them to very unique installations.  These rubber isolation materials are available in a range of thicknesses and durometers to allow for specific loading to maximize vibration, shock and noise isolation.  Sorbothane sheet stock can be used to line the inside of speakers and audio equipment to focus acoustic projection and to dampen and absorb unwanted noise.

Check out these new products today and see what they can do for you.  All products are available in convenient and affordable sets for the first time.  Previously, these products were only available to wholesalers and bulk distributors but now they can be ordered in quantities small enough to fit your specific project.   All products are in-stock and ready to ship so your project will stay on schedule and you can start enjoying the peace and quiet sooner.

The Latest Generation of Anti-Vibration Pads Has Arrived for Washing Machines

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
Stack of 4 Ant-Walk Silent Feet washer pads

The compeition just doesn't stack up against the amazing results of Silent Feet pads.

3 years ago the first generation of Silent Feet were sent to the test labs.  Just a few months after that they made history as the number one anti-vibration pads for washing machines and dryers.  Today, we are proud to bring you the next generation of Silent Feet pads.  To engineer and build this latest appliance accessory we had to take our design back to the drawing board and totally re-created it.  We started with the same superior Sorbothane rubber as the primary vibration isolating material, but this time added a second top layer of stiff rubber.  This second layer of rubber provides a second wall of vibration resistance to the pads.  Then we added unique ridges to the top of each pad to help lock your washing machine in place.  After installation, the rubber ridges deform slightly allowing for a custom fit on every installation.  Finally we polished our molds and finished them with the highest grade of Teflon coatings to give every one of our products a clean, brilliant shine to accent the high gloss finish on modern washing machines.

Never before has there been an anti-vibration pad that offers all of these benefits and looks this stunning.  In fact, these new Silent Feet make all other washing machine pads look like, big ugly blocks of rubber.  Just like before, our Original Silent Feet offer easy installation and can be installed in most applications in less than 5 minutes.  Also like before, our Anti-Walk Silent Feet offer the best solution to eliminating unwanted appliance movement and “walking” without using any glue or adhesive.  All of this has been provided at the same great price as before.  And just like before, all of our washing machine pads carry a 10 Year Limited Warranty against defects and material failure.

Silent Feet anti-vibration appliance pads

The 2nd generation of Silent Feet pads makes our product line-up even better than before.

Still not convinced that we’ve outdone ourselves?  Then give our products the greatest test of all.  Install them in your home and if you’re not completely satisfied that they have solved your washing machine vibration and noise problem, simply return them.  We’re so convinced that you will love them that we still offer our 100% satisfaction guarantee.  Take this opportunity to try them out today.  You’ll see and hear the difference one the first load of laundry and on every load after that for years and years.

Consumer Reports Tests Silent Feet Anti-Vibration Pads

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

A posting on the Consumer Reports website has officially confirmed that Silent Feet as well as other anti-vibration pads

for washing machines are in the labs for testing. This marks the first official independent comparison of vibration isolation pads. The washing machine anti-vibration pad industry is only a few years old. The Vibration Solution was one of the first companies to really begin putting significant funding towards research and design on washing machine noise and vibration reduction. Prior to 2007, most R&D was done internally at major appliance manufactures like Maytag, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG and General Electric. However, as the front-loading washing machine market expanded, it became clear that the major manufactures were falling behind on providing noise and vibration protection products.

The Vibration Solution began product development in 2005 when the company discovered a loud consumer outcry for a real anti-vibration product that worked for washing machines.  Prior to the release of Silent Feet, consumers were forced to resort to a wide range of cleaver but not always effective alternatives.  Some examples included tennis balls cut in half, rolled up gym socks, cow and horse mats, anti-fatigue mats, rolled up towels and our favorite, sitting on the washing machine.  None of these really solved the problem of washing machine noise and vibration.  Our company, realizing that no regular rubber would provide enough vibration dampening, contacted Sorbothane. Sorbothane had already developed cutting-edge solutions for NASA, the U.S. Military and NASCAR.  Together our engineers developed Silent Feet Anti-Vibration Pads.  After 2 years of exhaustive testing to ensure that every Silent Feet pad would withstand years of use and abuse without degrading, Silent Feet were officially released.

Now, just a few years later and with a market now filling with knock off imitations, Silent Feet have officially been recognized by Consumer Reports as one of the leaders in the industry.  Check out the August issue of Consumer Reports Magazine and Consumer Reports Online for full details of the tests.

Sorbothane Bumper Hemispheres For Electronics, Small Appliances and Audio Equipment

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Sorbothane non-skid bumper hemispheres are now available on Amazon.com.  Sorbothane rubber bumpers are pressure-sensitive adhesive-

Measuring Scale Protected by Sorbothane Pads

Protect your delicate equipment with superior Sorbothane bumpers

backed hemispheres that can be used as feet, stops, spacers and protectors in many applications. Each rubber pad features aggressive, high-tack pressure-sensitive 3M 200MP adhesive with a release liner, making application fast and easy. The unique Sorbothane urethane is a durable, resilient, polymer that provides outstanding vibration isolation and non-skid properties. Installation is quick and easy with no need for drilling, riveting or press fitting push-in feet. Sorbothane bumpers help absorb impact and noise and have excellent resistance to aging; they will not harden or crack over time. The smooth, clean, black urethane hemispheres serve as a modern and discreet rubber foot. Use them on trophies and desk-top items to act as a cushion and protect surfaces from scratching. Use them under audio and electronic equipment to prevent skipping and interference.

MacBook Pro protected by Sorbothane hemisphere pads

Small 3/4" Sorbothane pads fit perfectly under laptops

Primary applications include feet for small appliances, electronic equipment, phones, keyboards, speakers, desk accessories, printers, laptops, computers, monitors, multimedia projectors, DVD players and audio receivers. Hemispheres can be used as stops for cabinetry and woodworking. The rubber pads can be used as spacers/dampers for automotive computers and circuit board rigidity and vibration isolation. They also work great for separating stacked glass and metal sheets. Sorbothane hemispheres can be used as non-slip spacers on medical tabletops, electronic assemblies and lids. They are also useful as spacers to help protect delicate printed circuit boards from vibration and heat build-up.

Three Sizes Available Now:

3/4″ For laptops, computers, speakers and audio equipment (Load 1 – 1.8 lbs per pad)

1 1/4″ For small appliances, multimedia equipment and medical applications (Load 5 – 10 lbs per pad)

2″ For small to medium appliances, tower computers, lab equipment and automotive applications (Load 17 – 24 lbs per pad)

A pair of Sorbothane bumpons with 3M pressure-sensitive adhesive
Sorbothane bumpers are available with pressure-sensitive adhesive for easy installation

Installation: Simply remove the protective backing liner, position the Sorbothane rubber hemisphere and press it into place. The unique urethane material won’t crack, dry, scratch or mar surfaces. It will last for years to protect and isolate your valued possessions.

The Vibration Solution Introduces Industrial Silent Feet ~ To help minimize power equipment vibration

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

The Vibration Solution, in following with our motto: “Products for Peace and Quiet”, has created a new line of vibration dampening products geared toward the power equipment community, we proudly introduce “Industrial Silent Feet.” You may be asking yourself “Why would I need Silent Feet under my power equipment? And what possible benefits could they offer?” For some it can allow you to work a little longer, and for others it will simply give you a more peaceful workshop but for everyone they can help provide a safer working environment. Industrial Silent Feet will help reduce the noise and the actual structural vibration that your power equipment naturally puts off during normal operation. Industrial Silent Feet are sold in sets of four and all are our standard Anti-Walk feet. The reason we are selling them in sets of four is because some power equipment have four feet while others have two feet and two wheels, so we wanted to be safe and offer everyone four. Who knows maybe you can isolate two machines for the price of one, and if not you could have a back up set. The reason we went with the anti-walk exclusively for the Industrial Silent Feet is mainly for safety reasons some examples being: some power equipment tends to walk around during use and can actually pull cables out, vibration caused from power equipment may also have a tendency to knock stuff off your workbench or absolute worst case scenario have a piece of equipment fall down a few stories at a work site (we have actually heard stories about this).

We were also receiving requests for “Industrial Silent Feet” from people working on intricate projects that were disturbed by some sort of power equipment vibration that would actually result in them having to stop what they were doing or possibly resulting in a ruined project .

Other people, some of our team being in this category, use the new “Industrial Silent Feet” because we like to “burn the midnight oil” tinkering on odd projects. Although the noise from our power equipment doesn’t necessarily transfer through the house sometime that slight “Hummm” of high frequency vibration does. These feet make a significant difference by helping to reduce the vibration transferred through the structure.

So whatever your needs we hope the new “Industrial Silent Feet” will lend you a hand so you can enjoy some more peace and quiet brought to you by The Vibration Solution Team.

 

industrial-silent-feet-generator1

Industrial Silent Feet Under Generator


silent-feet-industrial-feet

Industrial Silent Feet

So Enjoy

 

The Vibration Solution

www.VibrationSolution.com

Stop Washing Machine Vibration The Vibration Solution

The Vibration Solution has released Silent Feet in TWO NEW COLORS ~ Maintaining our mission to help minimize the effects of washing machine vibration

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

The Vibration Solution due to many request has released Silent Feet in two new colors first is “Crimson Red Silent Feet”, and “Crimson Red Anti-Walk Silent Feet”. The second color is the “Ocean Blue Silent Feet” and “Ocean Blue Anti-Walk Silent Feet”. These new colors are designed for two reasons first is to blend in with the popular new colors of washing machines that are now available on the market or to just add a little color under your washing machine, a little spice for your laundry room.

The “Crimson Red Silent Feet” are designed to blend better with the new red washing machines for example the “Maytag Crimson Red Performance Series Front Load Washer (MHWE300VW)” is complemented by either of the Crimson Red Silent Feet.  Other washing machines that are out there to complement the Crimson Red Silent Feet is the “Electrolux Front Load Washer with IQ-Touch™ Controls EIFLW55IRR”

The “Ocean Blue Silent Feet” are designed to blend in better with new blue washing machines on the market for example the “Maytage Epic-Z front loading washing machine (MHWZ600TE)” Although with the amount of washing machine vibration problems that we hear of from the Epic-Z series I would not recommend it. Another blue machine is the “Electrolux Front Load Washer with IQ-Touch™ Controls EIFLW55HMB

Both of these colors include all of the same features and benefits of our Original Silent Feet vibration isolation pads but now they will add color and style to your laundry room.  So what ever color machine you have, no matter if you are trying to have your Silent Feet blend in,  or stand out, you will enjoy the new Colored Series Silent Feet.

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crimson-red-and-ocean-blue-silent-feet1

So Enjoy

 

The Vibration Solution

www.VibrationSolution.com

Stop Washing Machine Vibration The Vibration Solution

Hello Welcome to The Vibration Solution

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Hello and welcome to our new blog. I would like to start this blog off by telling a little about our start. We started with the question I ask you, “Does your washing machine walk around your laundry room, attack you when you enter, and shake your whole house?” Mine used to until we set out on a mission to solve this problem, we needed a product that would not only solve the problem of noise caused by washing machine vibration but also stop washing machine walking. 4 years later and a lot of testing, prototypes and headaches we have the solution, we call them Silent Feet. Now us being the perfectionist that we are, we wanted the best product possible.

To start we needed a top layer that would be able to withstand a roughly 250 pound machine shaking on top of it without breaking through, so we selected polyurethane. Next was the most important part we needed to select a base layer that would actually be absorbing or well dispersing the vibration. We did not want to use a foam or a product that would lose its quality over time, not did we want just some hard rubber that anyone could find, we wanted the best. That when we settled on a product produced named , simply, “Sorbothane”. Since its introduction, 25 years ago, Sorbothane® has been used in many varied energy absorbing product categories. Sorbothane Inc. engineers supplied the NASA design team with a unique Sorbothane® isolator to protect shuttle cameras from the violent forces thrust upon them during launch. Sorbothane® has achieved shock absorption levels of up to 94.7%. Unprecedented absorption levels are possible because Sorbothane® maintains stability and damping over a broad temperature range, enabling it to isolate damaging vibrations and impact shock in varied conditions. Its near faultless memory ensures a return to original shape, even after repeated compressions, making Sorbothane® ideal for a variety of engineering design applications requiring shock absorption, vibration isolation and acoustical damping. Currently, back to NASA, NASA is using Sorbothane to vibration/shock mount electronics on the new ARES I rocket due to launch in 2012.

So now that we had a material trusted by companies such as NASA, NASCAR, and Wilson just to name a few we had the perfect material. With the perfect material selected it came down the needing the perfect engineering. For this we gathered as many great minds as we could find, calling in the top Sorbothane engineers who had designed products for NASA, NASCA etcetera, and we called in friends and family who had experience in the industry and engineering backgrounds. With the wealth of knowledge we finally created our product, the definitive way to stop washing machine vibration and stop washing machine walking,we give you Silent Feet.

So Enjoy

 

The Vibration Solution

www.VibrationSolution.com

Stop Washing Machine Vibration The Vibration Solution