Penyerap hentakan merupakan bahagian penting pada sistem gantungan kereta dan motorsikal, gear pendaratan kapal terbang, dan sokongan bagi banyak mesin industri. Penyerap hentakan besar turut digunakan dalam kejuruteraan struktur bagi mengurangkan kecenderungan struktur pada kerosakan gempa bumi dan getaran. Penyerap hentakan melintang, dikenali sebagai penyerap yaw, membantu menghalang gerabak kereta api dari beralun melampau ke kiri kanan dan adalah penting dalam kereta api penumpang, rel komuter dan sistem aliran ringan kerana ia menghalang gerabak dari merosakkan pelantar stesyen. Kejayaan teknologi pemampan pasif bagi mengurangkan getaran digambarkan oleh saiz pasarannya—sekitar US $4.5 bilion.

Gantungan kenderaan

In a vehicle, shock absorbers reduce the effect of traveling over rough ground, leading to improved ride quality and increase in comfort. While shock absorbers serve the purpose of limiting excessive suspension movement, their intended sole purpose is to dampen spring oscillations. Shock absorbers use valving of oil and gasses to absorb excess energy from the springs. Spring rates are chosen by the manufacturer based on the weight of the vehicle, loaded and unloaded. Some people use shocks to modify spring rates but this is not the correct use. Along with hysteresis in the tire itself, they dampen the energy stored in the motion of the unsprung weight up and down. Effective wheel bounce damping may require tuning shocks to an optimal resistance.

Spring-based shock absorbers commonly use coil springs or leaf springs, though torsion bars are used in torsional shocks as well. Ideal springs alone, however, are not shock absorbers, as springs only store and do not dissipate or absorb energy. Vehicles typically employ both hydraulic shock absorbers and springs or torsion bars. In this combination, "shock absorber" refers specifically to the hydraulic piston that absorbs and dissipates vibration.

Structures

Applied to a structure such as a building or bridge it may be part of a seismic retrofit or as part of new, earthquake resistant construction. In this application it allows yet restrains motion and absorbs resonant energy, which can cause excessive motion and eventual structural failure.

Electrical Generation

It may eventually be possible to generate useful energy from the displacement of the fluid in a shock absorber.[1]