Effective noise protection in a confined space at a height of 3.5 m
Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH has commissioned a new 600 t hydraulic press equipped with various temperature control technologies for lightweight components in its pilot plant. The press is used for processing fiber composites, metallic and foamed materials.
The processing of the materials involves thermoplastic composites treated at a temperature of up to 450 °C. In order to achieve maximum freedom in the working area of the press, the hydraulic unit was placed directly under the roof of the hall. This positioning favors the unhindered propagation of sound emissions throughout the hall. This would result in a high noise exposure that would be hazardous to the health of employees at the hydraulic press and surrounding workplaces. In order to protect employees from the stresses, it was particularly important for Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH to comply with the legal requirements and to reduce the sound pressure level at the workplaces concerned to below 80 dB(A) during operation.
The feed pumps on a 600-ton hydraulic press are a potential source of noise.
After rebuild measures: The machine enclosure from LK Metall reduces noise.
Reduce noise at the source
In order to use effective noise protection measures in such a plant, it was necessary to completely enclose the feed pumps. A site inspection revealed that the space required for an enclosure was extremely limited. It was also necessary to ensure that the electric motors of the feed pumps continued to receive the necessary fresh air for cooling. Therefore, a soundproof enclosure with a wall thickness of around 50 mm was installed to reduce noise emissions. An additional built-in fan in the cabin continues to provide fresh air to the engines.
Soundproofed ducts cover the required supply and exhaust air openings. Special supports underneath the hydraulic unit enabled space-saving installation of the enclosure. “We were able to reduce the sound level of the feed pumps from 88 dB(A) to 77 dB(A) in working mode and from 81 dB(A) to 64 dB(A) in stand-by mode,” said Carsten Schröder, technical sales at LK Metall. Compactly built Thanks to an individual sound insulation concept and a compact design of the enclosure, the customer’s requirements were met more than expected. LK Metall reduced the subjective noise pollution at the hydraulic press by more than 50%. A meaningful contribution to the protection against health-endangering noise pollution in the workplace.
