Every machine by its very function of operation creates a vibration or shock of varying intensity or amplitude.

The requirements for isolating this vibration depend upon the local conditions of installation. Three principle factors control the selection of an isolator for a particular machine. The first is the weight to be supported, the second is the disturbing frequency of the machine and the third is the rigidity of the structure supporting the machine.

fn =

1 2

Here Fn gives the natural frequency for a system with equivalent mass m and equivalent stiffness K. A vibration isolator in its most elementary form may be considered as a resilient member connecting the equipment and foundation. The function of an isolator is to reduce the magnitude of motion transmitted from a vibrating foundation to the equipment or to reduce the magnitude of force transmitted from the equipment to its foundation. The essential features of an isolator are resilient load-supporting means and energy dissipating means. In certain types of isolators, the functions of the load-supporting means and the energy-dissipating means may be performed by a single element, e.g., natural or synthetic rubber. In other types of isolators, the resilient load-carrying means may lack sufficient energy-dissipating characteristics, e.g., metal springs; then separate and distinct energydissipating means (dampers) are provided. When a vibration source such as a stepper motor is mounted to a solid structure, it is common for vibration to be transmitted from the motor to the connected structure. This vibration often radiates from the structures surfaces as sound, which forms the basis for many noise problems in mechanical systems. Incorporating a vibration isolation system into the motor mounting scheme often provides the most effective way to reduce transmitted vibration levels in a structure. By definition, an isolation system must allow relative motion between the vibration source and the supporting structure. This is typically accomplished with some type of resilient connection between the two. In a properly designed isolation system, this resilient connection supports the static loads generated by and imposed on the vibration source while filtering the dynamic forces (Shaking Force) generated by the source.