Using a Vibration Damper in Relation to Sensitive Electronic Equipment Types

You might be shocked to think of vibration as a problem with certain types of electronic items, including your computer, whether it is a desktop or a laptop computer or your camera. Regardless of the device, virtually everything has some issue with vibration and the energy that is created by that vibration. With sensitive electronics, excessive vibration can cause parts to wear out too quickly or may cause the component to be louder than it needs to be. It may cause the item to work far more slowly than it was designed to and may eventually cause the whole thing to stop working.

Certain parts of the machine or electronics can be protected with the use of an isolator like a vibration damper that will absorb some of the shock and redirect that impact so that it is not as much of a danger to internal parts and does not play such a role in how it works. An example of this is with the computer. All computers are made of various components including a hard drive, a cooling fan and more. When the hard drive kicks in during various processes, it can be loud and may even shake the computer. As the computer gets older, that shaking might become even more noticeable. In a laptop computer, the shaking can be enough to be physically unpleasant for the computer user.

Vibration Damper and an Airplane Mounted Camera

There are many times that a camera can be mounted in either an airplane or a helicopter. In addition, the camera might be used by a photographer who is holding it while in flight. Because these are usually specific and difficult to obtain shots, it is important to consider the reaction of the camera to the motion of the plane. Vibration occurs not only because of the person who is holding it but because of the environment it is in. First, there is the altitude that the plane is flying at. The higher the plane is, the more air pressure can be felt. If you have ever flown, then you know that it is not perfectly smooth. There is turbulence that causes bumps and jolts, some harder than others. Second, there is the vibration of the plane’s motor. The larger the plane, the larger the engine and the greater the vibration that it creates. All of the various types of vibration add up to a blurred photograph in some situations. While the photographers can adjust for some of this vibration by using different lenses or different shutter speeds, that is not always enough to reduce all vibration and can lead to photos that look grainy or out of focus. In other words, you give up quality in either case. To reduce some of these grainy or blurred photo issues, you must use a vibration damper that absorbs and dissipates some of the vibration, including a specifically designed camera mount. The system that is used should be able to adapt and account for not only the vibration of the engines themselves but the wind as well, especially in a case of a camera that is mounted outside of the plane or the helicopter.

Additional Problems with a Vibration Damper and the Plane Mounted Camera

There are a number of vibration damping systems that can be used, however, there might be some problems that make them less than perfect. One that is too rigid will only absorb a minimal amount of vibration, while one that is too soft may contribute to too much of the movement as well by allowing the camera and mount to bounce. The better solution is one that will absorb much of the vibration and prevent such bouncing action from building up. Some of the materials that are used can also be problematic. In the case of a material that is too soft, the camera might just swing about rather freely, making it difficult to aim it toward the intended subject and to maintain that aim while you are taking the shot. As any professional photographer will tell you in this situation, it is not a matter of just point and shoot especially while up in the air.

How Sorbothane® Can Help You with Your Airplane Mounted Photography and More

Sorbothane is the perfect material to be used for a plane/copter mounted camera or similar application because it is not so soft that it loses its integrity or so rigid that it does not absorb and damp the vibrations that it encounters. It is the perfect blend of solid and liquid, hard and soft and allows for the perfect mounting system, even at high altitudes and varying conditions. Some materials can become frozen and then will break. Other materials will only last for a brief period and then will fail, leading to constant replacement and an incredible cost. Sorbothane can be bought either from a catalog of comprehensive items or custom built to suit the customer’s exact needs. Whether you are creating a mounting system that will soar above the clouds or you simply need to find a vibration dampening system for your home laptop computer, you can reach out to a design consultant at Sorbothane who can walk you step by step through the process to find the perfect solution for your needs, big or small. Sorbothane is a unique material and can be adapted to any number of uses. One of our designers can discuss your specific needs as well as possible solutions. One of the solutions that they might suggest are custom designed isolators, which are used to hold the camera in place and to minimize the vibration that affects photographic quality. If none of the isolators are the right size, these can be custom built as well. All items can be specially machined to make them work for you – part of the advantage of using Sorbothane for all of your vibration damping needs. Contact the design team today for your consultation and to learn more about our vibration solutions.

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