As electrification of the global vehicle fleet continues, OEMs are expanding the integration of battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology to new vehicle classes and platforms. Unlike most existing unibody BEVs, larger vehicles like pick-ups and commercial vehicles tend to use body-on-frame (body-on-chassis) designs, which introduces significant challenges when it comes to safe and durable battery pack integration.

The battery is often the most expensive component of these larger BEVs and protecting it from unwanted loads and vibrations is a critical NVH objective. One of the primary concerns with body-on-frame vehicles is the torsional bending forces within the vehicle chassis. While this can deliver advantages for things like manufacturing simplicity and offroad performance, a battery pack that is rigidly mounted can be subject to potentially damaging torsional loads. Beyond the safety implications, there are also passenger comfort considerations that necessitate a well-engineered isolation solution.

Vibracoustic uses multiple mounts comprised of a stamped steel housing, elastomer dampers and an extruded aluminum core. Each unit has been designed for peak loads – like those experienced during a pothole impact – of 50-60kN. For larger battery packs, the number of mounting points can be increased to optimize NVH performance and battery pack durability. The current design can cope with all common battery packs normally weighing between 500 to 800 kilograms.

The system has already seen success in OEM hybrid applications and is now available globally for manufacturers looking to electrify larger, body-on-frame vehicles.

About Dampers & Decoupling Systems

Isolators and mass dampers are ideal for solving a wide variety of vibration-related challenges transmitted into the chassis from the road surface. Linear dampers are a strategic design element to counteract unwanted noise and vibrations – especially in lightweight structures.


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Mass dampers are ideal for use in applications where vibrations need to be balanced with opposing inertial forces. In these configurations, an additional spring-mass system with the same frequency, but opposite amplitude, acts on the vibrating structure, effectively eliminating its vibrations. The way mass dampers work means they can be used in a wide variety of scenarios: transmissions, steering wheels, and even whole convertibles are just some of the applications that make use of this indispensable system to prevent Noise, Vibration and Harshness issues.

Active mass dampers are another way of improving comfort even further. They use a sensor placed on the vibrating structure and an ECU (Electric Control Unit) that controls a solenoid which is able to accelerate the absorber mass. This way, active mass dampers not only come with a design that weighs less and takes up less space than their conventional counterparts, but they are also able to adjust to variables such as additional cargo load, road surface excitation, and temperature.

Decoupling solutions for auxiliary components can address new NVH challenges especially in electric vehicles. Here auxiliary systems like coolers, pumps and compressors are not belt-driven anymore and auxiliary noise and vibrations are significantly more noticeable due to the lack of the masking noises of the combustion engine.