What is a Damper Plate?
A damper plate is a critical part of any machine. They are designed to absorb noise and vibration keeping your unit working perfectly, while also reducing nuisance and pollution. However, the noise-cancelling ability of a damper plate can be decreased over time, as they wear down and become less effective. But making sure your damper plates are working perfectly, means you can then enjoy a smooth and quiet running machine while also cutting down the amount of noise pollution. Decreasing the vibration in your machine will also help any delicate components stay in place while it is in operation.
Preventing Damper Plate Damage
In order to prevent damage to your damper plates, you should keep your machine clear of any debris and in as clean an environment as possible. Dirt and grit can get into your machine and cause a breakdown, as the tiny particles disrupt how the machine is working. If you are using your machine in a dirty environment, or where there are large amounts of dust and debris, you need to make sure you are regularly cleaning your unit inside and out to prevent it from breaking down.
Also, your damper plate needs to be secured properly so it doesn’t wobble and add to the vibrations. If you allow prolonged exposure to vibrations, then you run the risk of cracking the damper plate, which will require a replacement part in order for your machine to work properly again.
Why is it Important to Replace Damper Plates?
A damper plate is often exposed to a lot of pressure. They are literally the buffer between a noisy, clunking machine and the outside casing. If you don’t maintain your damper plates correctly, you will find the machine could completely fail or at best it will become noisy. If you leave a worn damper plate in place too long, you can risk damage to other, more sensitive components in the machine as the vibration will not be decreased as effectively. In order to avoid machine malfunctions and breakdowns, educate yourself on how long these parts live, how to maintain them, and when to replace them so that you can recognize and act on a problem before it gets out of hand.
How to Tell if Your Damper Plates Need to be Replaced
There are many ways you can tell if your damper plates are failing. One method is to listen for noise. An increase in noise is one of the main giveaways that your damper plates are beginning to break down. This might now be noticeable to you since it happens gradually. So to check for an increase in noise, try asking another person to listen or move it to another area of the room to double check. You can also use a mechanic’s stethoscope to listen for exactly where the noise is coming from on a large or complex unit.
Damper Plate Maintenance
As mentioned above, making sure your damper plates are well maintained can prevent catastrophic (and inconvenient) machine failure.
Here is a step by step guide to maintaining most types of damper plates:
- Remove the power supply from your machine if it has one.
- Unscrew the outer casings and strip back your machine to the inner workings. Again be very careful if any part of your unit is live and read through the manual before removing any parts. Some units are protected under warranty which becomes void if you attempt repairs, so check beforehand if that is the case with your model.
- Remove your damper plate and any bolts or screws.
- Wipe down the damper plate with a clean, soft cloth and thoroughly inspect it for any dents, cracks or imperfections.
- If you have a smaller damper plate, you may want to use a magnifying glass to check for any cracks.
- Clean it thoroughly and then add grease or any lubricant if required.
How to Replace Damper Plates
Before you attempt anything on your machine, make sure you have read and understood the instructions and have all the tools you need to hand.
Here is a list of tools you will need for damper plate replacement:
- Screwdriver
- Damp, clean cloth
- Torch
- Gloves
- Instruction manual
- Any spare washers or bolts
Follow this step-by-step guide to replacing the damper plates:
- As with all maintenance, make sure you have switched off any power supply the unit may have before you start.
- Unscrew the outer casing of the machine carefully until you can access the damper plate easily.
- Carefully detach the existing damper plate. Be wary of this if you suspect it has broken or warped through use, as it may have jagged edges.
- Remove the damper plate completely from the unit. Use this time to inspect it and make sure it is complete and you have removed all of it.
- If your damper plate has cracked or sheared into parts, then carefully look around the interior of your unit with a torch to make sure you retrieve any bits of debris left over from the breakdown.
- Take a clean cloth and run it around the parts attached to the damper plate. This will ensure any debris or particles left from the old plate as it broke have been removed.
- Check the existing screws, bolts and washers that are attaching your damper plate to the unit and make sure they are all intact.
- Take your new damper plate and remove any packaging.
- Using the existing bolts, or new ones if they have become worn, affix your new damper plate to the unit itself.
- Check the damper plate is aligned perfectly – remember any misalignment could mean you have more noise and vibration leading to breakdown.
- Carefully reassemble your unit cleaning each part as you reattach it to the unit.
- Switch on the power supply or test the mechanism to ensure it is now quieter and smoother. If you discover any problems at this point, remove the casing and investigate immediately, as continuing to use a faulty damper plate can cause malfunctions.
When replacing damper plates, you should be careful and methodical. Any issues now, like screwing your plate in too tight or not aligning it properly, could damage your machine overall.