Auxetic mechanical metamaterial vibration pad for household application: Washing machine

Vibration pads are one of the important functions in rotating equipment, one of which is a washing machine that has two frequency modes. This study investigates the effectiveness of vibration damping devices in the form of vibration pads installed on household washing machines by implementing two models of auxetic metamaterials geometry combinations. Comparative tests were carried out in conditions with and without damping at two frequency categories, high and low. Data processing of the test results was carried out using Matlab. In terms of displacement, a reduction of 28% when the machine is started and up to 60% during stable operation was observed. However, low-frequency testing produced less effective values. Further analysis using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) confirmed that the dominant vibration frequency ranged from 18 to 24 Hz, with consistent spectral patterns and transient behavior only appearing during the machine start-up phase. These findings underscore the potential of vibration damping in improving the dynamic stability of washing machines and highlight the importance of targeted damping system design for effective vibration mitigation in a specific frequency range.