Engineering Software Tools Help Solve Vibration Isolation Challenges

The engineering teams at Parker LORD apply their exceptionally robust custom-designed software to gain an advantage when solving Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) vibration isolation and shock challenges. The question is, why wouldn’t companies who manufacture rubber to metal bonded vibration isolators employ the use of current technology to their advantage? It is more surprising to know that not every mount manufacturer leverages such technology in today’s technology-savvy world. 

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Helping you select the right vibration isolator

The why behind the use of software that correctly specifies appropriate mounts on command seems pretty obvious, so let’s jump into the how.

By how we mean how Parker LORD and their Channel Partners are able to leverage the deep materials knowledge and engineering expertise Parker LORD has developed to confidently recommend appropriate and correct mounts.

As you might expect, it’s all about the data collected and developed over decades. Well, it’s the data and a whole team of extremely talented engineers behind the scenes running the show. For this blog, we’re going to focus on the data and the software. The engineers certainly deserve screen time, so we’ll shine a spotlight on them in another blog.

The Difference Data Makes

Let’s get back to the data and the difference it makes when trying to specify the correct rubber mount the first time. The data contains information specific to each rubber compound and is used in complex algorithms designed to calculate the best mount for a specific job.

By itself, the chemical composition of the rubber doesn’t do a whole lot in terms of helping to choose the correct rubber mount. What matters most to design engineers is the performance characteristics of the various rubber compounds. They need to know how certain rubber compounds perform in dynamic situations. To put it simply, if we mix ratios of X, Y, and Z chemicals into our base polymer, will the resulting rubber compound solve my vibration isolation issue? A well cataloged and managed materials database, in addition to Parker LORD’s state-of-the-art software correctly calculates the potential effect of dynamic and static loads on Parker LORD’s rubber mounts.

Is that all there is to it? Feed rubber compound info into a software package and out pops a recommendation? Nope!  

The materials engineering and wealth of data providing the output from this notably robust software is the culmination of Parker LORD’s 90 years leading the rubber compound industry. Not only do they have the foresight to continually catalog their recipes for dependable rubber compounds, but they also capture valuable performance data from their various labs. The Parker LORD proprietary software joins the compound data and proven performance characteristics acquired from lab testing when making recommendations. Let’s just say that it’s experience, know-how and trust earned over 90 years.

Parker LORD's Channel Partners

When talking about Parker LORD, it’s important that design engineers understand that Channel Partners are literally an extension of Parker LORD. The Channel Partners use the same software tools and access the same database as the engineers at Parker LORD. The Parker LORD Channel Partners provide in-person engineering support and locally stock Parker LORD products for rapid resolution of shock and vibration isolation challenges.  

Well, all of that is cool, fun, and nice, but now what?  How about some more software engineering tools!

Your friends over here at Modus Advanced, Inc. are busy developing customer-facing software tools specifically designed to help our Partnership Accounts get it right the first time. The apps are still in beta, but it will be released soon enough.  Let’s spend a minute or two introducing them.

Modus® developed LORD mount selector using Microsoft Power Apps

The Modus® development team merged Parker LORD’s incredibly complete performance data with Microsoft’s Power Apps. The combination of Parker LORD’s data and Microsoft’s low code Power Platform provides engineers a convenient web interface to input basic application data and receive recommendations to address their challenges. Oh yeah, the new app also grants engineers the ability to actually download models of recommended Parker LORD mounts. 

By the way, a little more on our Product Realization Tool (PRT-X). We briefly mentioned the PRT-X in a prior blog, but didn't dig into details.  We're not going to say much about it today, other than the PRT-X will revolutionize how Modus Advanced, Inc. serves our Partnership Accounts. 

More to follow, so stay tuned!

PRT-X Preview