What is the difference between a vibration isolator and a vibration damper?
A good vibration isolator lowers the natural frequency of a system to below the excitation (or disturbing) frequency. Keeping these two frequencies “out of sync” greatly reduces the problems of vibration. A good vibration damper takes mechanical energy out of the system. Properly designed metal springs and rubber mounts can be good isolators but have almost no damping capability. Oil dampers (dashpots) have good damping capability but no isolation capability. Foam products can be good isolators but have limited life.
