An Ergonomically Sound Encapsulating System Application in an Automotive Stamping Press Line for Reducing Employee Noise Exposure

Stamping press lines are among the highest noise sources in the automotive industry. The noise limits imposed by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Organization) force companies to keep employees away from these high-decibel noises. The most ergonomic and effective program for noise safety is to block the noise at the source. In this study, a press line of the Renault-Turkey automotive plant was enclosed with a novel foam-core sandwich structure to improve the comforts and ergonomics of the stamping press workshop environment. Three different encapsulating cases were applied: four sides circumferentially closed with soundproofing walls, five sides encapsulated with a closed top, and a gap-reduced case. For all three cases, the sound levels were measured in the stamping press workshop. The sound levels were reduced below 85 dB (A) in all cases. The performance of the encapsulating system was observed while producing two different parts. It was determined that this type of stamping press line should be encapsulated on all five sides to reduce the stamping workshop noise level. The four lateral sides’ sound barriers were not sufficient to soundproof the press line. The small gaps and the die changing doors were very important in the all-five-sides encapsulated case