Sound control has been a growing field for the last few decades. With the growing concern over health problems linked to prolonged exposure to loud noises, acoustic technicians and noise assessments have become the norm in industrial settings. With the burgeoning noise control industry, technological advances have taken huge strides in helping to control dangerous noise levels. One of those technological advances has been in the use of sound barriers. These include industrial sound curtains. Unlike panel treatments which deflect the sound waves, industrial acoustic curtains block the sound. They are portable and can be used in a variety of applications.
Sound Concerns
Everyone has been a victim of noise. We have been in a restaurant or a social gathering where the general noise level is so loud it makes it difficult to converse. It can make us feel anxious and unable to relax. It can also affect our productivity with regard to work when we operated in a noisy work environment. That’s when noise reduction equipment comes into play. There are various methods to controlling sounds. The two basic ways to control sound are through the following:
- Acoustic Barriers
- Acoustic Absorbers
Both of these are employed to control sound in noisy areas such as:
- Classrooms
- Restaurants
- Recording Studios
- Meeting Rooms
- Auditoriums
Acoustic Barriers
Acoustic barriers help diminish unwanted sound by covering reflecting surfaces which can defect the unwanted sound. These are designed to stop unwanted noise. They are typically made from the following material:
- Cotton
- Metal
- Wood Fiber
- Foam
- Polyester
- Fiberglass
Acoustic Absorbers
These types of barriers are typically softer in nature and are designed to not block the sound like an acoustic barrier but to absorb the sound. These are typically made from softer material which allows the soundwave to penetrate the material before absorbing it and diminishing the power of the sound. One of the most popular acoustic absorbers are industrial acoustic curtains.
How Industrial Soundproof Curtains Work
Think of industrial sound curtains like sandbags used to block flooding water. The blankets are weighted and dense. They stop sound waves from passing through the material. They can be used in various ways:
- Suspended From Portable Frames
- Suspended From Floor Mounted Frames
- Hung From the Ceiling
They are designed to attack the source of the sound and stop it from deflecting off of flat surfaces. While the blankets themselves are dense, they are filled with fiberglass to absorb the sound wave energy. This means it can block directional noise and also absorb any sound reflected from another surface. These can be used in any industrial or residential application.
What Are Industrial Sound Curtains Made of?
While the outer covering of the commercial sound curtains is soft, the interior of them is a bit denser. It needs to be in order to be a good sound absorber. Fiberglass is typically the batting insulation inside of an industrial sound curtain. It is usually two inches thick. As the sound wave penetrates the curtain, the batting material will absorb approximately 75% of the sound wave that would bounce off the surface without the curtain in place. There is also another batting or deadening material which is mass loaded vinyl. This membrane is another primary method of the sound curtain damping the sound.
Noise Control Blanket Rating
There are various ratings for sound control blankets. The number assigned to a sound barrier curtain is relational to its ability to absorb noise. The rating is known as an STC value which stands for Sound Transmission Classification. The higher the number, the better the blanket performs in sound absorption.
It is important to match the rating of the industrial sound curtains to the frequency of the noise you are wanting to block. Employing IES-2000 acoustic technicians can ensure the proper matching to maximize the damping of any and all unwanted sound.
Installing Industrial Acoustic Curtains
Utilizing modular construction, the curtains are able to be installed in a variety of ways. They can be overlapped or doubled to increase the sound reduction ability as well. They all have grommets across each edge allowing for hooks to be employed to hang them. They also have Velcro fittings along the entirety of the edges. This allows multiple soundproof curtains to be attached together to make a single noise absorption barrier.
Other Uses of Noise Control Blankets
While we have been talking about covering flat, reflective surfaces, to dampen sound, they can also be placed in other places. Every structure with windows and doors has an inherent weak spot in sound absorption.
When using them to cover a window, it is important to leave an overlap to secure to the wall for maximum sound reduction.
Most acoustic curtains used for doors, have a cutout for the door handle. They also should be large enough to overlap the edges of the door jambs where sound can leak through.
In Conclusion
Sound control is a real concern for businesses and commercial properties. Certain areas that have high noise or even dangerous noise levels should be addressed. This helps to maintain a safe workspace for employees to address possible health issues as a result of overexposure to dangerous noise levels. This improves productivity, the lifespan of the structure and equipment used. It could be as simple as installing industrial soundproofing curtains in key areas. Reach out to IES-2000 today for details on noise solutions.
