The paintball challenge

Our anti-vibration components are no stranger to automotive or military applications. But recently, we were challenged to develop an anti-vibration mount for a tank of a different kind – one that fires paintballs.

If your idea of paintballing is something that happens on foot, then it’s probably time you climbed back into the camouflage gear and strapped on the face mask, because paintballing has changed. Today, paintballing isn’t just about hiding in a bush and waiting for an unlucky enemy to wander into your line of sight. Now, you can charge the enemy in your own paint-firing armoured vehicle.

Paintball Battle Tanks has taken real world vehicles like the Scorpion Tank, the Willy’s Jeep and the Armadillo, miniaturised them and turned them into paintballing combat vehicles – but as with their full size counterparts, isolating vibration is a key issue.

All terrain anti-vibration

It’s important that every vehicle gives drivers a fun ride. Here, that means ensuring engines are mounted in a way that doesn’t cause vibration that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience (not to mention compromising shooting accuracy). And this being paintball, eliminating that vibration is made all the more challenging by the all-terrain nature of the combat.

We explored a number of mount options for the vehicles before recommending a cone mount which would allow the engine to move in all directions safely (axially, radially and conically) without any risk of it separating from the chassis.

The mounts also offer a fail-safe solution when installed with the supplied washers, but the existing assembly would require some modification to accommodate them.

Tailoring the solution

We partnered with the client to explore installation methods and settled on a modification which would require shifting the position of securing holes and the centre hole. The centre hole would also need to be chamfered to accept the mount.

With all modifications completed swiftly at our Italian HQ, the parts are now in place on the paintball tanks and are helping to ensure that paintballing remains a high octane but low vibration experience.

Have a vibration challenge you need help in resolving? Call Fibet today on 01282 878200 or contact us.

Useful links

> View our range of engine mounts
> View our range of anti vibration mounts

> Download Our Replacement Engine Mount Guide (PDF)