With the demanding conditions that off-highway vehicles tackle on a daily basis, operating efficiency and performance is vital. Being prone to high levels of mechanically induced shock and vibration puts excess stress on your vehicle’s equipment. This in turn leads to accelerated wear and tear, a decline in performance and a shorter lifespan.
At AV Industrial Products, we understand these challenges, and provide tailored solutions proven to mitigate the issues faced.
The Consequences of Vibration in Off-Highway Vehicles
Excessive vibration within off-highway vehicles has implications that extend beyond component wear. Continuous exposure to high-frequency vibration and mechanical shock can compromise structural integrity, accelerate fatigue of components and increase premature equipment failure. Powertrain systems, hydraulic equipment and electronic control units are particularly susceptible to vibration damage
Not only does vibration affect the vehicle itself, but from an operator’s perspective, vibration directly affects health, comfort and concentration. Prolonged exposure to vibration and low-frequency oscillation can be linked to reduced alertness, a decline in performance and even have negative effects on the operator’s health.
The indirect consequences are equally significant. Increased downtime, more frequent maintenance and reduced machine lifespan all raise the cost of owning and using these vehicles. In industries such as construction and mining, vehicles are subject to strenuous use and the financial implications of vibration-induced failures can be substantial. By addressing vibration at the source using solutions such as anti-vibration mounts, these risks can be mitigated to maximise performance and efficiency.
How Anti-Vibration Mounts Control Vibration
Anti-vibration mounts are rubber-engineered components that isolate and absorb vibrational energy between machinery and vehicle/machinery structures. Their performance is determined by several key parameters including: mounting natural frequency, damping ratio, stiffness, and disturbing frequency.
Elastic Isolation:
The Rubber element absorb vibrational energy by converting kinetic energy into heat. The mount’s natural frequency is tuned to be at least half of the excitation frequency. This ensures effective isolation, whilst preventing resonance amplification. For off-highway vehicles, mounts typically target both engine frequencies and transit frequencies (typically in the 12Hz to 100Hz range) , which primarily contribute to structural fatigue and operator discomfort.
Damping Mechanisms:
Hydraulic mounts incorporate fluid-filled chambers or calibrated orifices to dissipate transient shocks and high-magnitude vibrations. The damping coefficient is tuned to specific vehicle dynamics, allowing mounts to absorb both vertical shocks due to off-highway movement, whilst allowing for a relatively soft Rubber Element to reduce vibration transmission. This ensures sensitive components such as powertrain assemblies and electronic control units remain protected.
Directional Control:
Advanced mounts, including cab and cone-style solutions, provide tailored stiffness along multiple axes. By controlling lateral, longitudinal and vertical movements. Static deflection (δ = Load / Stiffness) and multi-axis stiffness parameters are evaluated during the design phase to optimise isolation while maintaining operational stability.
Testing and Validation:
Mount performance can be confirmed through a combination of 6 Degree of Freedom Analysis, finite element analysis (FEA), and on-site vibration testing. ISO 10816 and ISO 2631 standards ensures both operator safety and structural integrity are maintained under real-world operating conditions.
Matching the Right Anti-Vibration Mount to Your Application
Selecting the appropriate anti-vibration mount requires an evaluation of both the vehicle and its operational environment. The effectiveness of a mount depends on its ability to balance isolation, stiffness and load capacity.
1. Define Operational Requirements: Consider whether the priority is operator comfort, structural protection or equipment longevity. Different applications demand tailored vibration solutions.
2. Assess Load and Frequency: Your anti-vibration mounts must be able to accommodate static and dynamic loads while matching the vibration frequencies of the machinery.
3. Mount Selection: Anti-vibration mounts come in all shapes and sizes. The specificity of your demands and equipment will determine which solution is best. Give our expert team a call to discuss exactly what you need.
4. Testing and Validation: Vibration testing and analysis assesses mount performance under real-world conditions. Our on-site laboratory testing confirms that selected mounts deliver the intended isolation and damping, protecting both operator and machinery.
For off-highway machinery that confronts severe vibration and shock loads, precision-engineered anti-vibration mounts are vital for sustained performance and efficiency.
At AV Industrial Products, we provide tailored, OEM-grade solutions that deliver results. Our anti-vibration mountings can be designed to accommodate the toughest of off-highway applications. For more information, get in touch or take a look at our products!
