Tag Archive for: Solution

A sound insulation concept from LK Metall - reduction of the sound insulation level by around 50%

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.
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.
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.

Vision: CO2-neutral - Interview with Harald Wimmer

Environmentally friendly industrial plants – for the sake of the climate!

An interview with Harald Wimmer

Even before the 2021 federal election, sustainability and environmental protection were dominant topics in politics, society and business. The industry faces the major challenge of converting its plants to be environmentally friendly or switching to completely new systems. LK Metall from Schwabach is a specialist for environmentally friendly and climate-friendly systems and a partner in demand throughout Europe in various fields.

“We focus on sound insulation, water treatment, process technology and hall heating,” says Marketing Manager Harald Wimmer, explaining the company’s core competencies. “In this context, hall heating is our most important area,” the marketing manager continues. “Here we are innovative and individually positioned. We are able to tailor our solutions to the needs of the customer.

Harald Wimmer

“We want to be CO2 neutral in a few years.”

Harald Wimmer
Sales Manager, LK Metall


HALL HEATING
Just recently, LK Metall equipped a company with the world’s largest milling center, where, among other things, gear wheels for wind turbines are machined, with two RBW warm air generators with condensing boiler technology. “The challenge here was that the temperature difference from roof to floor could not be higher than a maximum of two degrees,” says Harald Wimmer. “We developed a special distributor head for this purpose, a Thermovent mixed air distributor, which uses fans to take the temperature cushion and incorporate it into the heating flow. Via this solution, we were able to reduce the temperature difference to 1.5 degrees.”

SOUND PROTECTION
In the field of sound insulation, LK Metallwaren focuses mainly on wire drawing machines. The interweaving of metal wires creates a significant volume. LK Metallwaren is able to reduce the noise level to 70 to 80 dBA, allowing employees to converse at the machines at a normal volume.

WATER TREATMENT
With its solutions for water treatment, the company is particularly in demand among automotive suppliers. “The process wastewater generated must be cleaned,” says Harald Wimmer. “Politicians are imposing ever stricter rules here, for example in what degree of purity the water may be discharged. This is where we can help. In addition, we also offer a complete service around the clock for the plants.”

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
In process technology, LK Metallwaren focuses primarily on solutions for painting and drying, and supplies well-known manufacturers of powder coating and painting systems with supply and exhaust air systems. Air filters with three stages complete the portfolio of LK Metallwaren. The filters are available in dust, activated carbon and H14 stages, which filter out 99.995% of viruses and bacteria from the air.

Leading in process technology
“We are at the forefront of the market in process technology, and we are also in the top third of the market in the segments of water treatment, hall heating and sound insulation,” says Harald Wimmer, explaining the company’s market position. “We have customers from a wide range of industrial segments, for example from the automotive sector or machining, but we have also equipped event and trade fair halls. In the process, we work for companies of all different sizes, for small automotive workshops as well as for corporations.”

LK Metall is positioned throughout Europe, particularly strong in the DACH region. In the coming years, the company intends to consistently expand its international market presence. “Customers get exactly the systems they need from us, not off-the-shelf solutions,” says Harald Wimmer, explaining the company’s success. “This is our big advantage over competitors, who in most cases can only offer standard solutions.” LK Metall trains skilled workers itself and has sound know-how.

Security and social benefits
The company invests heavily in the training and further education of its employees and relies on state-of-the-art technologies. For example, since 2019 they have been operating a fully automated swing bending center. “It is important to us that our employees can work under optimal conditions and feel comfortable with us,” says Harald Wimmer. “That’s why we place a high value on safety and offer good benefits.”

In the coming months, LK Metall will combine the RBW warm air generators and the REKU ventilation system with heat pumps. In addition, the further development of the combustion chambers as well as the hall heating systems with EC motors are an important topic in order to be compliant with the ERP and the climate protection laws.

CO2 neutrality
LK Metall’s vision is clear: “We want to be CO2-neutral in a few years and run our plants on hydrogen,” says Harald Wimmer. “We hope that politicians will move more strongly and that the industry will be even more responsive to process heat. Overall, we are confident about the future.”

The interview was conducted by the Economic Forum.