Following a request from the end client, one of our customers recently requested acoustic shrouding be fitted to a hired PVE 40VM.
Acoustics are more commonly seen on our hydraulic hammers but this is not the first time we have been asked to fit them to a crane suspended vibratory hammer. Research and experimentation on sound attenuation for piling equipment has been going on for years and we are still trialling different methods to try and reduce the noise emissions from our equipment. Health and safety is, of course, always at the forefront of our minds as is ensuring the visibility and accessibility of the equipment for maintenance purposes. So for this particular design, we have vision of the gearbox oil sigh glass as well as full access to the gearbox externally without having to remove the shrouding.
Although most of the noise emanates from below the clamp or in the case of a hammer, the drive cap, in trials and in practice the shrouds have proven to reduce noise levels. Whilst the level of noise reduction can very from sit to sit, our clients who request shrouding tell us they must do all they can to mitigate the noise impact on the local environment. Of course, our Kowan Still Worker pressing machines are the ultimate solution to this problem but unfortunately, they are not suitable for every job.