Acoustic enclosures
It is almost always cheaper to contain a noisy machine than to treat every room it disturbs — provided the enclosure can still be ventilated and maintained.
Related
Generators, chillers, compressors, pumps, presses and test rigs are point sources. Putting mass and absorption around the source deals with every space it would otherwise reach, and usually costs less than treating those spaces one by one. The engineering is in doing it without cooking the machine or making it impossible to service.
What an enclosure has to solve at once
- Mass in the walls and roof, sufficient for the reduction required.
- Absorption inside, so the enclosure does not become a reverberant box that leaks louder than it should.
- Ventilation — attenuated inlet and outlet sized for the machine's heat rejection, not for the space available.
- Access — doors and removable panels that seal, and that maintenance staff will actually close.
- Vibration — isolation at the base, so the structure is not fed instead of the air.
- Services — fuel, power, control and exhaust penetrations sealed without bridging.
Types we build
| Full enclosure | The machine completely contained, with attenuated ventilation and access doors. |
|---|---|
| Partial enclosure or barrier | Where full containment would prevent operation; reduces noise on the critical side. |
| Plant room treatment | The room itself becomes the enclosure — lining, door sets, attenuated openings. |
| Canopy | Close-fitting covers for a machine that must remain accessible. |
| Screens | Around roof-mounted plant, where the neighbours rather than the building are the concern. |
Ventilation decides the design
Every enclosure is a compromise between sound and air. Attenuators and acoustic louvers resist airflow; the fan has to overcome that resistance, and a larger opening is usually cheaper than a deeper silencer. We size the openings against the machine's airflow and heat rejection with the mechanical engineer, and we would rather enlarge an opening than deliver an enclosure that is quiet and overheating.
An enclosure that traps heat or blocks maintenance will be propped open within a month, and then it is not an enclosure at all.
What we need to quote
- The machine: make, model, rating, and its sound data if available.
- Heat rejection and required airflow.
- Duty cycle — when it runs, and for how long.
- What is nearby, and how quiet it needs to be there.
- Maintenance access required, and how the machine was installed.
- Whether the enclosure is indoors or exposed to weather.
Where the machine also feeds vibration into the structure, see vibration isolation; for the openings themselves, see acoustic louvers.
Tell us the room
Send dimensions and intended use. You get back an indicative acoustic treatment, a systems outline and a budget range.