Solving Structural Vibration from a Centrifuge in a Singapore Skyscraper

Introduction

Vibration problems become especially sensitive when they occur in premium commercial environments. One AVMR project involved a high-end restaurant at the top of a skyscraper in Singapore, where a centrifuge was creating vibrations that travelled through the structure of the building and disturbed neighbouring occupants.

In a setting like this, even relatively localised vibration can become a major operational issue. The equipment may be essential to the business, but if it creates disturbance elsewhere in the building, the consequences go beyond engineering and into customer experience, reputation, and neighbour relations.

The problem

The centrifuge was transmitting vibration into the building structure. That vibration could be felt through the surrounding fabric of the building and was affecting nearby occupiers. For the restaurant, this meant a clear need for isolation that would solve the issue without compromising the use of the equipment.

The challenge in cases like this is that the problem is not limited to the machine itself. It is the interaction between the machine, the support arrangement, and the structure. Effective isolation has to address that whole pathway.

AVMR’s approach

AVMR designed a solution using its SW-R sandwich mounts. This product family is well suited to applications where compact, effective vibration isolation is needed and where the practical realities of installation matter just as much as the theoretical performance of the mount.

The goal was straightforward: interrupt the vibration transmission path and stop the centrifuge from exciting the structure in a way that could be felt elsewhere in the building. As with many successful vibration solutions, the strength of the result lay in selecting the right approach rather than overcomplicating the fix.

The outcome

After the solution was delivered, there was a period of silence from the customer. That naturally created concern that the result might not have met expectations. When feedback eventually arrived, it was overwhelmingly positive.

The customer confirmed that no noise or vibration could be heard or felt anymore. The solution had worked exactly as intended. Even more significantly, the customer later purchased more of the same product to help a friend who had the same issue.

What this project shows

This project highlights an important truth about vibration engineering in commercial buildings: if the problem is solved properly, the improvement is obvious to everyone involved. There is no ambiguity in an outcome where vibration can no longer be heard or felt.

It also shows the value of practical, proven product design. The answer did not require a radical reinvention of the equipment or the structure. It required the right mount, applied with the right understanding of the problem.

The AVMR difference

For AVMR, the real success in this project was not just that the product worked, but that it solved a highly visible problem in a demanding environment. The customer’s decision to purchase more of the same solution is strong evidence of confidence in both the product and the engineering thinking behind it.

That is a recurring theme in AVMR’s work: not simply supplying mounts, but delivering solutions that customers trust enough to recommend and reuse.