Grundfos - industrial soundproofing

High noise levels lead to a decrease in the employee concentration and productivity 

Grundfos is a Danish company providing a wide range of equipment and solutions designed specifically for use in the water, wastewater and industry sectors.

In a workshop of the company located on the territory of Republic of Serbia, intended for the production of metal parts for water meters, have been measured noise levels above 82 dB / A. Although the sound level is below the maximum values 85 dB / A, the factory's management has noticed that operators around the machines are making more repetitive mistakes and consequently more production waste. After a lengthy study, it is concluded that at these high noise levels operators are more difficult to concentrate and therefor they make more mistakes.

Looking for a solution to the problem

It has been decided the two machines to be soundproofed. The factory's management invites a leading German company in the field of industrial sound reduction solutions. They respectively offer a classic solution - around the machines to be built barriers with opening doors. The disadvantage of this solution is that it makes the work around the machine harder and operators stay again in areas with high sound pressure.

The factory's management is giving up on this decision and this time it is seeking assistance from Slovenian acoustics experts. They also fail to offer a satisfactory solution and the management is on its way to abandon the noise reduction project.

The last desperate attempt to find a solution was sought by the Faculty of Electronics in Nis, Serbia, working together on various projects with DECIBEL, Bulgaria. After measurements and localization of the main noise zones, Decibel engineers offer an effective 8 dB noise reduction solution at cost 4 times lower than the budget amount. A number of calculations and simulations have been carried out to accurately predict the final result. Precise sound insulating elements are made directly onto the machine, which do not hamper the work process, provide visibility to the processes in the machines and meet the requirements for fire safety.

Positive results from the project implementation

After all the soundproofing measures have been performed, measurements are taken to report the results. An average sound level of 7.6 dB was reported after the machine treatment.

Upon completion of the soundproofing work, a two-month monitoring of the operator's work was carried out and a marriage decrease of 38% was reported on average. There is also a reduced use of hospital workers by workers.