This paper was an attempt to present a theoretical analysis of the vibration transmission property of spacer fabric as a vibration isolator. To this aim, a novel nonlinear single degree of freedom model for the spacer fabric prompted by harmonic motion of the support was developed. The nonlinear second-order differential equation of the motion was solved using multiple scales method, and a closed form relation was obtained for calculating the transmission coefficient of the vibration. Compression-force displacement characteristics of six different spacer fabric samples were obtained experimentally and the transmission coefficients for these samples were calculated. The results revealed that for all of the samples under study, with increase in isolator mass, the amplitude of the steady state vibration decreased. Moreover, for the fabrics having hardening force–displacement behavior, with increase in the excitation level, the maximum amplitude of the transmission coefficient did not vary and proved to be independent from the excitation level.

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