PrivacyShield® Dual-Sided Absorptive Soundproofing Blankets surround a TCO workcell to comply with OSHA standards
The industrial space is the beating heart of every great economy, combining some of the largest and most complex machinery and control systems ever built with a precisely diligent workforce to see factories maintained and effective. While the wonder of industrial plants never ceases to amaze, the intensity of sound created by them is often overlooked, except by those who work there!
The magnificent machinery involved in industrial settings are large and heavy, meaning their operation is going to create equally “heavy” sounds. Since industrial factories and plants require a workforce just as much as they need such equipment, it is a critical priority to protect employees from sounds that can be significant. Sounds that reach a certain decibel level are annoying and uncomfortable, and at a certain point become seriously dangerous. And while ear protection can deliver a certain level of safety to workers, wouldn’t it just be better to reduce the intensity of the sounds?
A recent customer called thinking just that, realizing that while her factory had solid ear protection protocols, it would be ideal to optimize the industrial facility by reducing the loud sounds to craft a better work environment for her employees. She knew that while they were protected, those sounds were still fairly loud and might be negatively affecting the efficiency of the workforce.
When it comes to working with large, complicated, and often massively expensive machinery, there is little room for error, so any advantage given to the workers has a great return on investment. We worked together to pinpoint the sources of the sounds and noise and developed a plan on how to reduce them so that the workplace environment could be acoustically optimized. She made sure to task her managers to ask for feedback from the factory’s workforce and they found that indeed they were positively affected by the reduction in noise, proving that this consideration could have powerful success in boosting morale and thus efficiency.
In this article, I’ll examine industrial noise, detail the most common types, and describe how to use acoustical materials and strategies to provide relief from intense noise to craft a more hospitable sonic environment for increased efficiency.
Understanding the Types of Industrial Noise
Industrial factories and settings cover a large swath of machinery and processes that can generate powerful noise that needs to be protected against. Power plants, manufacturing facilities, mines and quarries, and transportation hubs are but four examples to show how different industrial settings can be, and likewise how diverse the associated equipment and machinery is. That said, there are four general types of noise created in these environments:
The 4 Types of Industrial Noise
Generally speaking and no matter the machinery and processes involved, industrial noise can be categorized by the following noise-types.
1. Airborne Noise
Airborne noise is the most commonly understood noise-type and can be the most intense and represents sounds that travel through the air from a point source. This can be anything from the humming of engines and motors on heavy machinery and aircraft turbines, the clang of metal on metal, and the smashing of rock.
2. Structure-Borne Noise
Structure-borne noise has to deal with the vibrational energy of heavy equipment passed through walls, the floor or other physically attached materials to then become airborne noise. Examples include heavy machinery on a factory floor that imparts vibrational energy through the floor to create structural noise, often a deep, dull, and constant sound.
3. Fluid-Borne Noise
Fluid-borne noise represents sounds generated by the movement of liquid and gas through pipes and other plumbing modules. If you’ve ever seen an oil refinery, you’ll understand from the awe-inspiring complexity and mass of pipes how such sounds can combine to create a cacophony. Whether the gurgling of liquid or the hiss of gas, these types of sounds aren’t so bad on their own, but in many settings can add up quickly.
4. Elasticity Noise
Elasticity noise is one noise fairly unique to industry. This type of noise is created by the deformation and/or movement of materials under severe mechanical stress. When thinking about metal manufacturing, for example, the materials involved expand and contract as they are worked into a finished product, and this can be a source of very loud, sharp sound.
All four of these noise types can be experienced in three different ways, either as continuous noise, intermittent noise, or as impulsive noise:
Continuous noise describes industrial noise that is continuous, such as the hum of electrical generators.
Intermittent noise describes sound activity that alternates between loud and quiet.
Impulsive noise describes abrupt noise, like explosions at a quarry.
Understanding the Negative Effects of Industrial Noise
The deleterious effects of loud industrial sounds are many, and can impact anything from acute health effects in workers, lapses in safety protocols, and decreases in productivity.
Health Effects
The most commonly understood health effect from loud industrial noise is the possibility of hearing loss. This can happen slowly over time or quickly, depending on the intensity of sound. Other health effects include tinnitus, or persistent ringing in the ears that can be temporary or permanent, increased levels of stress/decreased mental health, problems with sleeping, and even cardiovascular due to increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Safety Issues
Unrestrained loud sounds can negatively affect the processes at industrial facilities by making communication difficult, as well as making it harder to hear important alarm bells. These are critical aspects of any factory or industrial site to maintain proper safety for both workers and machinery
Efficiency Issues
Loud industrial noise that even ear protection can’t eliminate fully can have severe consequences to efficiency by reducing the ability for workers to concentrate. This can also lead to increased fatigue, making the possibility of workplace accidents increase, as well as increasing the turnover rate, which can have severe implications for the bottom line.
It is clear that reducing loud industrial noise is not only an acute benefit to the worker and their safety, but the safety of the plant itself and equipment, as well as protecting and promoting improved efficiency that will literally pay dividends. Now let’s look to the modern armamentarium of acoustic materials and techniques that can make a significant if not dramatic reduction in industrial noise.
4 Effective Methods to Control Industrial Noise
1. Enclose and Contain Sound
AECOM Industrial Plant – Acoustical blanket wall using AudioSeal® blankets to block noise from equipment, reducing the noise for the employees in plant.
When looking to reduce airborne noise, the best way is to provide a measure of soundproofing surrounding noisy machinery. Depending on the machinery in question, I suggest enclosing it with PrivacyShield® Dual-Sided Absorptive Soundproofing Blanket. The Aecom Industrial Plant case study shows this in action, whereby noisy machinery was enclosed with these soundproofing blankets and they were able to impart a significant reduction in noise to create a better work environment for their employees.
While PrivacyShield soundproofing blankets can be hung readily, you can also purchase a partition system so that they can be erected rapidly and provide immediate benefit.
2. Wrap Pipes and Ductwork
AudioSeal® Duct and Pipe Wrap
As far as fluid-borne noise goes, the best solution to contain it is by wrapping pipe and ductwork with AudioSeal® Pipe and Duct Wrap. This wrap not only provides acoustic benefits, but thermal benefits as well, as factories not only deal with noise issues but need to explore any and all techniques to maintain as optimal a climate as possible for workers. AudioSeal® Duct and Pipe Lag is another great option that can be used in combination with insulation to keep fluid-borne noise at bay, and can be effectively installed with accompanying AudioSeal® Lag Tape.
3. Decrease Reverberation in Open Spaces
AlphaFlex® PVC Ceiling Banners installed in the Forsythe County School Gymnasium to improve the room acoustics.
The above solutions are working on the principles of soundproofing, also known as sound blocking, to reduce the power of sound waves as they travel through acoustic material. The other side of the acoustic coin is sound control, also known as sound absorption, whereby we are working to eliminate reverberation and echo.
Sound control is typically thought of in music and podcast studios to tone sound so that it sounds clear and as good as it can, as well as in office spaces and worship centers that tend to have tall ceilings to cut down on echo. That said, they are likely most powerful in the industrial space because not only are these facilities some of the largest structures we build, but the intensity of the sound and noise can create a mammoth wall of echo and reverb. Just eliminating these aspects of sound can go a long way in providing a more comfortable sonic environment without having to try and soundproof every single machine, pipe, and process.
For industrial noise setting, one recommendation is to utilize AlphaSorb® PVC Plastic Acoustic Sound Baffles or our PVC panels and AlphaSorb Wall Panels With this combination on the ceiling and walls, echo and reverberation from machinery can be wrangled effectively. Depending on your industrial settings, this combo might be all that you need to tamp down on unwanted noise and create a healthier sonic environment for your workforce.
These are also great options for adjacent office space and control rooms that want to reduce the echo and reverberation coming from the factory floor.
4. Decouple Machinery to Eliminate Vibrational Noise
Vibration Isolation Pad 18″ x 18″ x 3/8″ (Rubber)
The final method to provide industrial noise control is to focus on the most insidious noise, structure-borne noise. As detailed above, this type of noise comes from the vibration of machinery and vehicles that work its way into the floor and structure.
This is where we employ decoupling to provide a “gap” between the vibration and the floor so that by the time it makes contact with the floor, its energy has been reduced so that the ensuing structure-borne noise is lowered.
One way to achieve this is by utilizing isolation mounts and cup mounts with vibration isolation pads. You can also employ sound damping sheets and/or damping compounds for the toughest of vibrations from heavy machinery.
To learn more about industrial noise control solutions in the real world, take a look at the following video and the following case studies:
Acoustical Solutions Offers the Best in Industrial Noise Control Methods
As an expert in acoustics, I love to hear from facility managers in the industrial space looking for a solution to their noise problems as this is an underserved sector where truly immense benefits can be had with relatively simple and easily-installed solutions.
Reach out today and I’d be thrilled to discuss your unique industrial facility’s acoustic issues and craft a plan as to how we can help keep your workers safe by making the workplace sonic environment that much better.
To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can solve your noise control problems, use our contact form, call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742, or visit us on the web at acousticalsolutions.com.
