Programming noise control in a small caliber munitions manufacturing plant

Program costs for the implementation of plant‐wide noise control through retrofit of existing equipment were developed for a high‐volume munitions manufacturing facility. Noise reduction costs were estimated by defining workable approaches for the control of all noise sources. Involved were over 1200 machines and some 37 different manufacturing operations. The principal noise sources were punch presses, parts hoppers, parts feed chutes, conveyor lines, tumblers, and other automatic metal‐forming and transfer machines. The most prevalent generating mechanisms were the part impacts during transfer and part impact and surface vibration at the punch presses. The goal was to reduce the existing conditions, reaching 110 dBA in certain locations, to below the U. S. Army's 85 dBA non‐time‐weighted hearing conservation criterion. The level of design detail of the noise control developed was limited to that required for cost estimation. Design detail for fabrication was not provided since the principal objective was to provide management with program cost data. This crucial information can now be factored into the capital equipment planning function along with traditional projections such as economic equipment life, future production requirements, and equipment modernization schedules.