Keep Noise Out & Safety In – Vibration Isolation and Passive Fire Protection All in One

Vibration isolation refers to procedures that prevent sound from transferring from one area to another. It aims is to reduce or block acoustic emissions such as machine or traffic noise.

Special vibration isolation materials like foams or elastomers (e.g., REGUFOAM FR) are used to reduce sound waves. Vibration isolation is especially important in areas where noise is disruptive, such as in residential buildings or trains.

The natural frequency is the inherent vibration frequency of a material or object. It plays an important role in vibration isolation because materials can be tuned to specific frequencies so as to better reduce vibrations and structure-borne sound. When a material like Regufoam FR is tuned to its natural frequency, it can effectively isolate vibrations, particularly in the affected frequency range. This means that disruptive noise is captured before it can spread through the structure.

Structure-borne vibration is a form of sound that spreads through solid materials such as walls, floors or metal structures. It occurs when vibrations, caused by mechanical impact—such as footsteps, machine operation, or the movement of trains—are transferred into a structure. These vibrations spread through the solid material and can be perceived as disturbing noise at other locations, often far from the source.

Structure-borne vibration decoupling is a method used to prevent or minimise the transmission of vibrations through solid structures. In this process, the direct contact between vibrating components (e.g., machine parts or tracks) and solid structures (such as walls or floors) is interrupted by special elastic materials like REGUFOAM FR. These materials act as buffers preventing the sound from spreading. This breaks the transmission of structure-borne vibration and significantly reduces noise, leading to greater comfort and less acoustic disturbances.

The density (RG) describes the mass of a material per unit volume in kilograms. The adjustment capability of REGUFOAM FR allows the material to be optimally tuned for acoustic performance in different constructions.

EN 45545 is a European standard that defines fire safety requirements for materials and components used in railway vehicle construction. It specifies the properties a material must have to ensure the safety of passengers and staff in the event of a fire. The standard also specifies tests for flammability, smoke generation, toxicity and heat releases, categorising materials into different Hazard Levels (HL1, HL2 and HL3) depending on their intended use and the safety requirements in the train. The highest classification, HL3, requires a material to exhibit exceptionally robust fire protection properties and qualifies it for use in safety-critical areas.