Vibration Reduction with Rubber-Metal Cab Supports

This paper investigates the possibility of improving the vibration isolation of a tractor cab by changing the stiffness of its rubber-metal supports. A spectral analysis of the vibration isolation properties of these supports is presented. The research was conducted on a BELARUS 1221 tractor at idling, at the maximum engine speed, with no load. The cab was mounted on rubber-metal vibration absorbers of serial design with different rubber hardness. Measurements were made with a first class certified Oktava 101VM instrument with registration of RMS acceleration values, expressed in dB, in the frequency range of 8-1000 Hz. The instrument was set in “local vibration” mode. The AR2082M probe was attached to the respective measurement points using adhesive. Mathematical relationships are given to optimize the work on the development of a new and upgraded design of the rubber-metal supports in use. It is shown that varying the stiffness of the rubber-metal supports has different effects in the low and high frequencies of the spectrum. A stiff support is effective in damping low-frequency vibrations but degrades the support’s properties in damping high-frequency vibrations, and vice versa. A soft support is more effective at higher frequencies and reduces the effectiveness of the support at lower frequencies.