Mechanical Engineering Design Solutions and Sorbothane

When a designer starts looking for a way to build a machine of any kind, there are several things to consider. All mechanical engineering design solutions look to solve a problem with previous designs, to improve on their performance and to make them better in every way.

All machines or buildings or anything else that is put into use will eventually fail. They all have an expected life and usefulness. For some items, use is ceased before an actual visible break occurs because it is not safe to wait until damage is seen. For these items, the engineers might know that an item will last for one year under ideal conditions so it will only be used for nine months or less to be safer. It will still require inspections, especially when situations are not considered ideal.

Every material has its pros and cons. For instance, metal is very durable but it can also be inflexible or overly rigid. That may mean that it will break under certain situations, especially when exposed to additional stress or higher weight loads. The designer will look for ways to alleviate some of the stress of the load as well as to give the metal a little more give. Plastic, which is often lighter and more flexible, does not usually have the same level of strength as metal, so the design solution would have to solve that problem: how to keep the lightness and flexibility of the plastic while making it stronger and durable.

There are forces that can be damaging to the materials, regardless of whether they are in motion or lying dormant. Exposure to the environment, excessive motion and additional weight are all problems that the designer will have to work around. For some machines or machine parts, it may be impossible to know what kind of environment it will be used in, so designing for any type of specific situation will be impossible.

Sorbothane is one of the materials that is used as part of many design solutions because it can be used in such a versatile way. It is often used to reduce noise or to help eliminate or reduce vibrations, which can protect delicate equipment and extend the useful life cycle of a component. But it is frequently used to assist in other considerations as well. No matter what kind of machine or item is being designed, the end result of that machine is simplicity. It is meant to make something easier for the person who is using it in the first place.

We drive cars because it is a faster and easier way to get to where we are going. Making sure that the car is going to stay running properly is one of the main goals of the design solutions. It is the same with all other machines and products that we buy. Reducing the potential damage or fatigue caused by excessive vibration is key and one of the best ways that Sorbothane can be used.

Want to learn more about Sorbothane’s solutions? Contact us today for additional information.