Noise Control and Soundproofing

Soundproofing materials and products are sound carriers which absorb excess sound in rooms, chambers and around equipment in order to create quiet environments for worker safety, product testing, audio mixing and research. Equipment noise can not only cause distractions and poor communication in the workplace, but in heavy manufacturing settings, they may cause permanent audio damage to workers as well.

For this reason, facilities where excessive equipment noise is a concern use acoustic flooring to absorb floor vibrations or acoustic curtains to surround equipment, absorbing their sound. Sound mixing studios and theaters use acoustic foam as sound insulation on acoustic wall panels and acoustical ceilings in order to prevent noise pollution, or echoes which distort and dilute the main audio. Medical hearing facilities and product testing facilities, such as computer testing chambers, require soundproof chambers to measure decibel levels given off and affected by products.

Noise reduction installation may be as simple as installing several acoustic panels or acoustic baffles on the surface of a wall, or it may be as complex as building an entire soundproof anechoic chamber.

    Enclosures

    • Noise Enclosures for: ball mills; glass tempering lines; boiler feed-water pumps; foundry shake-outs; operator pulpits; water-jets; printing press folders and high-pressure blowers.

    Silencers

    • Sprial Type
    • Baffle Type
    • Silencers for: incinerator exhausts; intake and exhaust cooling air for diesel generator units; laboratory hood exhausts; large hp TEFC motors; baghouse exhaust stacks and high-pressure blower intakes and exhausts.

    Barriers

    • Acoustical barriers for: cooling towers; HVAC condensers and chillers.

    Curtains/Blankets

    • Noise control curtains for: punch presses; HVAC chillers; boiler feed-water pumps and shaker test stands. Solutions for every situation.

Soundproof materials work by absorbing sound, dampening vibrations, as sound barriers or as a combination of the three. Sound absorption is achieved with the use of soft, porous, open-celled foams such as polyurethane foam, which trap sound waves within the foam’s labyrinth of non-reflective cells. The higher the ratio of sound barrier surface area to open space, the greater the sound absorption; for this reason, anechoic chamber manufacturers line walls, ceilings and even floors with corrugated foam wedges, which absorb far more sound than flat foam or other acoustic panels. Product testing rooms and acoustical research centers requiring absolutely minimal noise pollution build anechoic chambers, or noise control rooms, lined with acoustic foam panels, acoustic drywall and acoustical ceilings.

Acoustic flooring is important in other types of industries for reducing noise pollution caused by walking or operating equipment on a cavernous floor. While wall panels and sound insulation absorb airborne sound waves, acoustic flooring and vibration dampening materials reduce the amount of vibration energy transmitted between surfaces constructed of rigid materials, which typically transmit vibrations at multiple frequencies. Acoustic flooring contains insulation such as gypsum board, batt insulation and vibration shock absorbing materials layered on top with thin layers of acoustic foam and porous mineral boards. Carpet and fibrous materials provide a significant level of floor soundproofing, although tiled or uncarpeted floors may be effectively soundproofed by other means.

Soundproofing is not only required for testing chambers, studios and noisy facilities, but also for smaller equipment such as computers and for consumer machines such as cars. Mufflers, grommets, shocks and vibration isolators are examples of soundproofing applied locally to equipment. Computers contain soundproofing materials, and computer workstations in offices are often housed in soundproof or semi-soundproof rooms. Sound isolation rooms, also known as audiometric booths, are available to audiologists, doctors, hearing aid specialists and hearing clinics for hearing testing.

Federal government regulations stipulate maximum noise levels in work environments, schools, offices, airports and other public buildings, often requiring these facilities to install a certain amount of soundproofing in order to remain functional and safe.