Tech Challenge - Sound Level Monitoring

Tech Challenge

Creating a Sound Barrier

An aircraft manufacturing plant engineer needs to determine at what distance a sound barrier needs to be erected from a riveting machine to protect workers’ hearing. The riveting machine is a source of impulse noise, adding 108 dB(A) in short bursts to the background noise of 80 dB(A).

Which device would be best for creating a thorough noise map of the impulse noise (which would require download of logged data to a PC and software for analysis)?

A. An advanced sound level meter, like the Quest Technologies SoundPro SE Class 2 1/1 and 1/3 Octave Rta Summary Data Logging with QuestSuite Professional II software.

B. A digital octave band analyzer, like the Extech® Digital Octave Band Analyzer.

C. A noise dosimeter, like the Casella USA dBadge Micro Noise Dosimeter Kit.

D. A sound level monitor with alarm, like the Extech® SL130.

Answers:

A. An advanced sound level meter, like the Quest Technologies SoundPro SE Class 2 1/1 and 1/3 Octave Rta Summary Data Logging with QuestSuite Professional II software. Correct. This meter can measure impulse noise levels, and the software allows in-depth analysis.

B. A digital octave band analyzer, like the Extech® Digital Octave Band Analyzer. Incorrect. Although this meter comes with software, it is unable to adequately measure impulse sounds.

C. A noise dosimeter, like the Casella USA dBadge Micro Noise Dosimeter Kit. Incorrect. A noise dosimeter is designed to be worn by a worker to measure noise dose indices, so it does not provide information necessary for noise mapping.

D. A sound level monitor with alarm, like the Extech® SL130. Incorrect. This monitor will not measure impulse sounds, nor does it have software for analyzing data.