Hushpak has gained tremendous experience conducting noise measurements on mobile machinery. With over 16 years of testing proficiency, Hushpak is considered an expert when it comes to noise control. We recently interviewed Michael Thearle, Hushpak’s Manager, to understand how Hushpak has achieved success.
Why do customers call Hushpak? Usually for compliance testing, or because they have a noise problem. Customers like that we are responsive and can be on site quickly – this keeps their mobile machinery operating, rather than sitting around idle.
How does Hushpak do it? The first step is to conduct a noise assessment to determine compliance. If noise control is required, we consider redesign, replacement, modification and/or custom designs to achieve the most effective noise reduction. Where possible, we conduct before and after noise measurements, to validate our attenuation solutions – after all, we are the quiet achievers.
What has Hushpak learnt over the years? A lot of commercial attenuation products are expensive and ineffective. Having noise tested hundreds of vehicles, we have found countless instances where customers have paid for attenuation solutions that do not work. For example, we recently tested eight D11R dozers and found that the four machines fitted with noise packages were 2 dB(A) LOUDER than those without attenuation.
Best result to date? We achieved up to 6 dB(A) reduction – down from 120 dB(A) to 114 dB(A), on a Komatsu 475 that was fitted with Hushpak Sound Attenuation Idlers and Grouser Dampers.
Why choose Hushpak? We are a small, talented team of acoustic and mechanical engineers. We embrace the challenge of working closely with our customers to achieve a noise reduction that is affordable and does not compromising operability, maintenance or efficiency. Often, this means customised solutions, as off the shelf products don’t always work.