For operators, a more quiet day at the office

New materials that reduce weight and new strategies that control vibration are finding their way into heavy equipment. The result is a bit more agility and efficiency.

Following a path well-worn by their counterparts in aerospace and automotive design, off-highway engineers seem to be readying themselves to replace metal with thermoplastics. A primary reason is to reduce weight, and a key secondary reason is for controlling noise and vibration.

With more than a half century of application in aerospace (and nearly as many years in automotive), reinforced and rigid engineering plastics have produced a track record for reducing weight and cost. During the same span, foams and elastomeric polymers have found widespread application in absorbing vibration and noise. (For basic types and applications, see SOHE June/July 2009, p. 32, “Plastics expand their range.”)