Vibration Machines Make for Noisy Neighbors
Are your neighbors going to like your home model as much as you?
This problem is raising its head again and again - with one company being sued in Italy for not warning its customers about issues such as the noise and vibration that these units can create. In this case the neighbor’s bathroom tiles were cracked.
I will go through the basic potential problems one at a time and they can be discussed in more depth in the blog if needed.
Vibrations
Vibrations can travel through your building much further than you imagine. This can depend on the construction of the building and how powerful the vibrations are being sent “downwards”.
A number of things can be done to help these problems: mats, good isolators etc… but you will always get some energy being sent into the floor.
Think about this…
A typical home unit produces 3G of force. This means the object being moved becomes 3 times its own weight while being slung around by the vibration.
A typical home unit weights about 60kg.
So 3 x 60kg = 180kg
The unit running by itself is like a 180kg person jumping up and down on your floor. Yes putting a mat under the person will help, some isolators will work better, but you still have 180kg of mass jumping up and down on your floor.
But wait folks, it gets better. How much do you weigh? Add that to the equation once you get on top and start working out. Lets say you weigh 70Kg.
3 x 70kg = 210kg.
Add that to the machine and you have 390kg of dynamic mass moving around in your building. Do you think the neighbors will feel that?
Creating a noise next door…
These vibrations can travel silently under you and turn a wall 50 meters away into a speaker. If fact the machine may appear very quiet standing right next to it, so being deceived at the shop is very easy.
How does this work ? A speaker is only a flat surface being vibrated; it hits the air and causes a “sound wave” to hit your eardrum and you “hear” the change in air pressure.
Think about an old record player (gramophone). It has a small needle running over little bumps and this causes a “vibration” which is then amplified into a horn so it is loud enough to hear.
If you are vibrating someones wall next door you are effectively playing your machine into their living room.
My advice: talk to the sales staff before putting one in your house - if they do not know any of this stuff - walk away.
52 Comments
It was concrete flooring. Sorry dont know about down south dealers.
- Tim
May 17th, 2008The “expert” I spoke to, I just found out, is the managing director of Power Plate in Sweden.
Regarding Vibro-Gym and Power Plate, he admits there is a connection. The sports coach, Guus van der Meer, who is an incredible visionary, is the inventor of Power Plate. Unfortunately he is not a good businessman. His partner, the engineer, tried to raise the price of the Power Plate machine when he saw what an enormous demand Guus had helped create. Extortion.
Guus had to choose other partners and create a new design.
This is history and should be irrelevant to me (Tim). Today Power Plate International is owned by Whitney, an American company. Whitney also has North Face and Brooks in its portfolio. Power Plate is the third largest producer in the global fitness industry.
We are constantly being slandered by others with fake stories. If they can´t do better than this, keep it coming. The fact is Power Plate alone is 3 times bigger than all the competition together. We not only lead the market, we set the standard.
- Tim
May 17th, 2008Regarding a test I showed him (showing a Power Plate at 50Hz only producing between 38 and 39Hz), he said:
This test was made in April 2005. The only explanation I can think of is the following. For a short time (2004/2005) there was a model produced in Switzerland. The engines were tested and they weren´t good enough when being pushed. Only a few of these machines hit the market. The production of this model was immediately stopped. The factory is no more.
The units that did not work came from China ( I unpacked them ) , and I personally watched the tests. Power Plate was never honest about the situation and fought me over the tests conclusions , I have legal papers to prove this. They recalled none of the units and hundreds if not thousands where sold while they tried to cover it up. Some where directly marketed to the disadabled. No recall notice was ever given.
But they are now after 3 years admitting I was right ?
Note: Any corrections made where forced onto them by me , Power Plate never corrected anything voluntarily that I know of. I have had to fight them since 2004.
Not exactly the actions of a visionary company ?
Invention….The fact is the first Power Plate was a better designed Nemes unit that had already been released. So Power Plate invented nothing. They just copied Dr Boscos work but made it look more marketable. Which is why when asked to actually do some inventing , Power Plate failed and began building units that didnt work.
A simple question that will always be asked , if Power Plate are so good then why all these lies. So many lies over such a long time.
I really hope the….
” We not only lead the market, we set the standard.”
Is not true.
Because if selling more machines means they also have to be #1 in unethical behaviour and dishonesty , then good on them.
I will continue to fight them because I dont believe it is right.
Just to drive it home…
I was asked to go and sell a machine to the local blind institute.
The day after we had a meeting about the machines not functioning.
I will never forget that.
- Tim
May 17th, 2008How could one forget? That is truly very disturbing.
I wonder why no one from Power Plate comments all of this at this forum.
Because they cant deny any of it , which would put then in a position of putting their name to it and having to defend their own endorsement of such behaviour.
They are all far too cowardly to do that .
But thats Ok , every day they dont “front up” makes our agruement stronger and them weaker. I am sure they talk alot about the sales they made , but I wonder how many they lost ?
To make it clear why I wont stop going after Power Plate…..
Power Plate has to be crucified publicly over what they have done .
The reason….
If we dont we risk them setting the standard so low the industry is never respected and it will never reach its true potential. I really think this technology can help fight obesity and is the reason I got involved in the first place and put so much effort in . I truly believe it can change the way people look after themselves.
I will never forgive Power Plate for asking me to lie for them , and cheapening what we are trying to do.
- Tim
May 18th, 2008I will see if I get a response from Swedish Power Plate.
Hallo Lloyd
You suggested to use
Two layers of material to stop the noise problem.
(1) A hard rubber ( similar to tyres ) mat.
(2) A soft foam mat of the same size.Can you please tell me the thickness the two layers must have ?
And can you please tell me where can i buy those materials ?
Do you have any website link ?Best Regards
Jason20mm each.
You will need to find a local source .
May 16th, 2008
HI Lloyd,your solution of “sticking two mats together” to damper/stop the noise/vibration occuring.Was this done on wooden floors or onto concrete.As we have carpeted wooden floors & it shakes like anything.Do you recommend any company down here in ChCh that sells hard rubber mats?