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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Facts About Industrial Noise Control In Florida

By Nora Jennings


Industrial noise in an aspect that is almost inevitable when heavy machinery is being used. It however may become a serious issue because of the potential for permanent damage to hearing of employees when they are exposed to high noise levels. Therefore, it is important for industries to have reduction strategies. These should be implemented on a constant basis. There are many strategies for industrial noise control in Florida.

Damping is one of the used methods. It is made use of in chutes, panels, hoppers, conveyors and machine guards among others. There are two techniques used with this method. The first is unconstrained layer damping that involves use of bitumastic material. This material is stuck to the surface in question. The other technique entails construction of a laminate. Constrained layer damping is more effective and rugged.

With constrained layer damping, there is either re-manufacture of steel guards or the purchase of self adhesive steel sheets. The second option makes it possible for existing components to be stuck and to cover 80 percent of flat surface areas. This results in between 5-25 dB reduction in noise. This however comes with a limitation; there will be reduced efficiency for thicker sheets. Implementation in sheets that have thickness over 3mm is not easy.

There are also instances when fan installations are the preferred option. The more efficient fans are, the less the noise that will be experienced. Thus, if there are any features of the fans that minimize its efficiency, sonic pollution will increase. Dampers and bends adjacent to fans are the most affected components. To achieve maximum efficiency, there ought to be minimum 2-3 diameters between any features which may interfere with flow.

Using ductwork gives 10 to 20 dB reduction in noises that are transmitted over the air. Instead of making use of silencers, there may be the use of lining of the ductworks using acoustic absorbents that can either be fiberglass or foam. There is also the option of constructing simple bends that are absorbent and right-angled. These can fit on the openings. Damping is used in treatment of duct vibrations.

Fan speed reductions are applied in axial or centrifugal flow fans. Fan noises are approximately proportional to the 5th power of the speed of the fan. As a result, it is possible in many cases to achieve massive reductions in noise from small drops in fan speed. This is possible by changing pulley sizes or control systems and also re-setting dampers.

Also very common and effective is the use of electric motors that are known to reduce noises massively. Most industries make use of electric motors that are employed in many devices. Most such companies are however in the dark as concerns availability of general duty motors. These are up to 10 dB quieter than the typical available units. Preferably, the motors should be fed into the system on a gradual basis such that all subsequent replacements are quiet.

In all instances of excessive levels of noise, it is a requirement that employees use earplugs and other forms of protective gear. As much as possible, they should not work too close to noisy machines. Even more importantly, they should go for regular examinations to ascertain that their hearing is not affected.




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