Anti-vibration mounts protect machinery, improve performance and extend operational lifespan. That much is straightforward. What is less straightforward is choosing the right one. Each application brings its own combination of load requirements, operating frequencies, environmental exposure and shock conditions. Get the match wrong and you can end up with resonance problems, excessive movement or isolation that looks fine on a spec sheet but fails under real operating conditions.
At AV Industrial Products Ltd, we design and supply one of the UK’s most comprehensive ranges of anti-vibration mountings.Our products have been supporting the nation’s supply chain for over 30 years and are supported by in-house engineering expertise. This allows us to provide both standardised and bespoke solutions that are tailored to real-world applications.
This guide provides an overview of our anti-vibration range, explaining how each product type works, where it is typically used and how to select the most appropriate solution for your equipment.
Understanding Anti-Vibration Mount Performance
Anti-vibration mounts are not interchangeable components. A mount that performs perfectly under a 50 Hz compressor may be entirely wrong for a variable-speed drive cycling between 15 and 80 Hz.
Their effectiveness depends on how well they are matched to the application, and that means understanding several factors working together, not any single specification in isolation.
Critical performance factors include:
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Load capacity and distribution: the static weight the mount must support, spread across all mounting points. Uneven load distribution is a common causes of premature mount failure.
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Excitation frequency: the dominant vibration frequency your equipment generates during normal operation.
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Natural frequency: the frequency at which the mount itself wants to oscillate. If the mount’s natural frequency sits too close to the excitation frequency, you get resonance, amplifying the vibration rather than reducing it.
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Static deflection: how much the mount compresses under load. Higher deflection generally means a lower natural frequency and better vibration isolation.
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Environmental exposure: oil, temperature extremes, moisture, UV and chemical contact all affect rubber compound selection and mount longevity.
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Shock and transient forces: sudden impacts or dynamic loads that exceed normal operating conditions, common in transport and mobile applications.
Incorrect selection can lead to resonance, excessive movement or poor isolation. For critical or high-value installations, we always recommend reviewing your application requirements with our engineering team before committing to a product.
Rubber Bobbin Mounts
If there is a workhorse in the anti-vibration world, it is the rubber bobbin mount. These mounts consist of a rubber section bonded between threaded metal inserts and are available in multiple configurations: male–male, male–female and female–female, depending on how your equipment needs to be fixed in place.
Bobbins are designed for effective vibration isolation in general-purpose applications, particularly where space is limited and installation needs to be quick. They excel at isolating vibration from small to medium machines, including pumps, compressors, electrical enclosures, fans, general fabrication equipment.
A standard rubber bobbin typically has a natural frequency in the 10-15Hz range, which means it provides useful isolation above approximately 20Hz. Below that range, you may not see meaningful vibration reduction.
Common applications include:
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Combustion engines
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Construction and agricultural equipment
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Generator sets
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Electrical Enclosures
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Control Panels
Captive Transit Mounts
Standard anti-vibration mounts isolate vibration. Captive transit mounts isolate vibration and control movement, preventing equipment from displacing beyond a set limit under shock loading. That distinction matters enormously in mobile and transport applications where sudden braking, cornering or impact forces can shift equipment off its mountings entirely.
Unlike conventional designs, captive mounts incorporate a fail-safe mechanism, typically a metallic stop, that engages when displacement exceeds a safe threshold. Under normal operating conditions, the mount behaves like a standard isolator. Under shock or transient loading, it physically prevents further movement, protecting both the equipment and surrounding systems.
We supply captive transit mounts to a number of industries, such as the power generation sector and industrial vehicle engines, where they protect onboard electronics, generator sets and auxiliary equipment from the constant dynamic loading. They are equally suited to off-highway vehicles, mobile plant and generator sets in transport applications. We would recommend captive transit mounts in any application in which equipment experiences sudden, unpredictable movement as part of its normal operating environment.
Captive transit mounts are best suited to:
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Diesel Engines
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Marine Engines
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Industrial Vehicles
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Generating Sets
Cone Mounts
Cone mounts are engineered to manage forces from multiple directions simultaneously. Their unique shape allows them to absorb compression, shear and tensile shock forces, providing high load capacity combined with multi-axis control. In applications that demand multi-axis performance, they earn their place quickly by protecting equipment and reducing vibration. Where both isolation and restraint are needed, they offer the best balance between flexibility and control in our range.
Typical applications include:
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Engine mounting systems
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Vehicle cabs
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Construction equipment
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Rail auxiliary systems
Hydro Mounts
Hydro mounts combine a rubber isolating element with an internal hydraulic damping system. This allows for the mount to handle a significantly wider frequency range than rubber alone. Within our range of products, they are a high-performing choice designed specifically for applications where customers require the very best reduction in vibration.
If your equipment operates at variable speeds such as a vehicle engine, Hydro mounts utilise fluid movement within the mount body to provide damping across a much broader spectrum. This allows them to absorb both high-frequency vibration and low-frequency shock loads effectively.
Hydro mounts can achieve vibration reduction in excess of 95% under optimal conditions. Real-world performance depends on system design, mounting geometry and operating conditions. A hydro mount is not a universal solution, but when properly specified for variable-speed or broadband vibration applications, it is substantially more effective than rubber.
This makes hydro mounts suitable for:
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Vehicle cabs
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Variable-speed engines
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Sensitive equipment requiring high levels of isolation
Spring Mounts
Rubber and hydraulic mounts work well above roughly 10 Hz. Below that, spring mounts become the consideration. Spring mounts achieve much higher static deflection than rubber, giving them a very low natural frequency that makes them effective at isolating slow, heavy equipment generating low-frequency vibration with higher amplitude.
One of the most common applications is within HVAC systems as these produce low-frequency excitation that rubber mounts simply cannot address effectively.
Common applications include:
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HVAC systems
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Generators and power systems
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Heavy industrial machinery
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Rail equipment with low-frequency excitation
Bump Stops and Rubber Buffers
Bump stops and rubber buffers serve a different purpose to the rest of our anti-vibration range. They are not designed to provide continuous vibration isolation, they are designed to absorb shock and limit travel, preventing equipment from exceeding its movement limits under extreme conditions.
You will find them in suspension systems, mechanical end-stops and as impact protection for moving components. They are almost always used alongside anti-vibration mounts rather than instead of them.
Typical uses include:
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Suspension systems
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Mechanical end stops
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Impact protection for moving components
Marine Engine Mounts
Originally developed for marine propulsion systems, where vibration control directly affects vessel comfort, noise levels and equipment longevity, these mounts have proven themselves well beyond the marine sector. Their combination of high load capacity, controlled deflection and long-term durability makes them suitable for any heavy engine isolation application.
We supply marine mounts for propulsion and auxiliary systems, industrial generator sets and diesel engines. .
Marine mounts are particularly effective in:
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Engine isolation
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Generator systems
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Industrial power units
Levelling Feet
Levelling feet are simple in their design and application but still play an important role. The adjustable design allows static machinery to be levelled precisely, while the rubber base reduces noise and vibration transmission into the floor structure
Any facility running large machinery such as CNC machines, milling equipment or precision manufacturing kit will have levelling feet throughout the floor. We offer adjustable designs with different rubber compounds to suit the vibration characteristics and chemical exposure of each environment.
These are commonly used for:
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Industrial machinery
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Manufacturing equipment
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Static installations
Anti-Vibration Engineering Support
Matching a mount to an application is not always straightforward, and in many cases vibration testing or analysis is needed to confirm the right specification. Our engineering team is on hand to help analyse your mount performance or find the best solution to improve your vibration control.
