The noise from die header machines and tableting machines (tablet presses) used to manufacture hard sweets, tablets and other products in the food and pharmaceutical industries can often be as high as 95 – 101dB(A). The conventional approach is to fit them with high-cost acoustic enclosures that cause serious access problems and make cleaning difficult.
Even where enclosures are fitted, noise levels are often still very high. There is a more effective and lower-cost alternative approach.
Diagnosis and good engineering solutions
Accurate diagnosis provides the detailed information required to determine the precise engineering techniques that can be used to reduce the noise at source. The next step is to reduce vibration transmission and radiation without compromising hygiene, operation or maintenance. This trace shows a typical tablet press noise signature, dominated by the 36Hz tooth comb at the die passing frequency.
In this particular example, our solution was based on a very precise analysis of the source of the noise energy. This allowed us cut the noise at source by 50% - 70% (3dB - 5dB) by developing a re-designed cam that significantly extended the life of the cam and reduced operating costs.
Coupled with hygienic close shields, this reduced noise levels by 10dB or more at a fraction of the cost of a conventional enclosure - and without the operational drawbacks...
