A noise control directory including soundproofing, sound barriers, soundproofing material, active noise control, sound proof enclosure, soundproof wall, acoustical foam, acoustical wall panels, industrial noise control, sound absorbers, noise barriers, sound reduction, sound enclosures, and noise barrier.  

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About Noise Control

Soundproof materials are used create a variety of products, from earplugs to wall panels meeting regulatory standards for reducing noise and creating a safer, quieter environment. Two types of noise are airborne and structure borne noise. The former refers to noise radiating directly from engines, transmissions and other rotating equipment. Structure borne noise refers to vibrational energy imparted to the walls or other enclosure devices. One approach to eliminating or controlling noise is containing noise at its source by using mufflers, engineering controls, etc. Another is identifying, isolating and treating with sound barriers, absorbers and dampers the many paths along which noise travels. A third approach is reducing noise at the listener with headphones, earplugs and so forth. Soundproofing solutions typically require a combination of these approaches.

Soundproof materials can function as sound absorption, vibration damping and sound barriers. Sound absorption is achieved with the use of soft, porous, open-celled materials, such as flexible polyurethane foam and other acoustical foams, which provide non-reflective surfaces in order to reduce noise levels in applications, including machine enclosures and housings and medical and industrial equipment. Sound absorption is directly related to the amount of treated surface area (i.e. the more reflective surfaces treated, the greater the sound absorption). Vibration damping materials reduce the amount of vibration energy transmitted between surfaces constructed of rigid materials, which are typically sympathetic to vibrations at one or more frequencies. Sound barrier materials, such as flexible mass loaded vinyl, combine mass, flexibility and limpness to form a barrier between the noise source and the controlled area. Sound barriers are often combined with sound absorption materials to create truly effective noise control composites.

Soundproof environments or noise control efforts are necessary for the health and safety of employees, employers, customers and bystanders in the work place. It is important to be aware of government regulations for noise control when building a structure or manufacturing a product. Government regulations require noise to be controlled or hindered above 70 dB in a work environment. Schools, airports, offices and other buildings require a certain amount of sound reduction to be functional and safe. Work environments are a major concern when load machinery is involved. In each circumstance, airborne noise and structure borne noise need to be monitored.

Soundproof materials are necessary in nearly every industry. Aerospace applications include engine exhausts, cooling systems and diffusers. Industrial applications include fans, ducts, air compressors, mufflers, moving machinery, exhaust vents and inlet silencers. In the transportation industry, soundproofing applications include locomotive, trucking, automobile, construction and mining equipment. Soundproof services offer measurement, analysis, isolation and identification of noise sources. Treatments are recommended based on noise spectra, operating environment, weight and material cost requirements. Finally, the new installations are tested to see if noise is sufficiently reduced.

Featured Articles

"Common Soundproofing Myths: Save Time by Avoiding These Common Errors"
http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/myths.htm

“Piping and Ductwork Acoustical Lagging”
http://www.kineticsnoise.com/industrial/pdf/acoustical_lagging.pdf
 
"Control of Vibration Shock & Structure-Borne Noise"
http://www.kineticsnoise.com/industrial/pdf/shock.pdf

Images Provided by Eckel Noise Control Technologies

Types of Soundproofing

• Acoustical baffles are constructed of one or two cores of dimensionally stable medium density glass fiber and suspended vertically from a ceiling structure. Acoustical baffles are designed for areas where standard acoustical ceilings are not feasible or as an additional acoustical treatment in existing spaces.
  
• Acoustical blankets consist of polyvinylchloride outer shells and acoustical batting. Acoustical blankets can be hung from vertical uprights or attached to a frame, enclosing a piece of equipment to absorb and stop noise.
  
• Acoustical ceilings consist of a suspended ceiling grid and high sound absorption lay-in acoustical panels or tiles and provide a lightweight and attractive ceiling system. Acoustical ceilings, which are quickly installed, can be used to control the quality of sound effectively in a specific space.
  
• Acoustical enclosures are used when sound must be prevented from spreading from one area to another. Acoustical enclosures include recording booths, industrial enclosures of all kinds, highway walls and noise barrier walls.
  
• Acoustical foams (http://www.foamfabricating.net) are used to line sound-reflective surfaces. They reduce noise by allowing the sound energy to penetrate into the material and be dissipated by its cellular or fibrous nature prior to reaching the reflective surface.
  
• Acoustical panels absorb unwanted noise.
  
• Barriers provide a high density layer used to separate or prevent noise from entering a certain area or leaving a contained area. Common uses for barriers are bulkheads, firewall treatments, cab floors and pipe wraps.
  
• Clouds are panels similar to acoustical baffles but are hung in a horizontal position from the ceiling or roof structure.
  
• Damping materials (http://www.vibration-absorbers.com) aid in the control of vibration and structure borne noise often through friction or time. This method is common with sheet metal panels, cab enclosure panels, boat hulls and deck plates and HVAC ductwork.
  
• Diffusers scatter a sound wave from a surface. Sound direction is changed so listeners may experience sound coming from different directions at equal levels.
  
• Intake silencers decrease the noise and destructive low frequency pulsations at blower inlets.
  
• Isolators (http://www.vibration-absorbers.com) can reduce vibration by having greater attenuation in one direction than the other and are often found installed under some defined load factor between two surfaces, such as generator pads.
  
• Modular acoustical panels are easy-to-use portable panel products, such as partitions, wall-mounted panels, baffles and privacy screens.
  
• Noise pollution refers to any unwanted and unpleasant sound.
  
• Reflectors are used to regulate the amount of sound that is reflected off a surface. Reflectors are often used in acoustically sensitive settings.
  
• Silencers reduce the level of sound through either absorptive, reactive or a combination of mechanisms.
  
• Sound absorbers are noise control materials and are directly related to the amount of surface area available to be treated. Sound absorbers are frequently found in machine enclosures, housings, industrial environments and medical, marine and transportation applications.
  
• Sound barriers use a walls of high density material to reduce roadway noise.
  
• Sound proofing refers to the methods used to reduce the intensity of sound.