How do I choose the right acoustic panels to reduce noise?
China's acoustic panels have been developed for more than 40 years. Among the many sound-absorbing materials, polyester fiber acoustic panels stand out for their excellent sound-absorbing performance and are ideal for the decoration field. It not only has multiple functions such as sound absorption, environmental protection, and flame retardancy, but also has excellent stability, impact resistance, and cost-effectiveness. Its wide choice of colors and rich decorative styles make it easy to meet the sound absorption needs of different places. Whether it's a concert hall, a theater, or a gymnasium, exhibition hall, or even a home movie hall and factory mute room, felt acoustic panels deliver their superior sound-absorbing effects.
Basic classification of sound-absorbing panels
1. Classified according to environmental protection level
In terms of the environmental protection level of the substrate, sound-absorbing panels are mainly divided according to the amount of formaldehyde released by the substrate material. Common grades are E0, E1, and E2, with grade E0 being the highest environmental grade, followed by grade E1, and grade E2 having relatively high formaldehyde release. For acoustic panels intended directly for indoor installation, it is generally required to be of grade E1 and above.
2. Classification by production materials
Acoustic panels can be classified according to the different materials used to make them, including
2.1 Wooden acoustic panels are exquisitely processed through acoustic principles. They are composed of facings, core materials and sound-absorbing thin felt. They are divided into two types: trough wood sound-absorbing panels and hole wood sound-absorbing panels.
2.2 Mineral wool acoustic panels have rich surface treatment and good decorative effects. Among them, knurled mineral wool panels are commonly known as “caterpillars”, and their surfaces are covered with holes of different shades and shapes.
2.3 Fabric acoustic panels, with centrifugal glass wool as the core material, have excellent sound-absorbing properties.
2.4 Polyester fiber acoustic panel, using 100% polyester fiber as raw material, integrates sound-absorbing, environmentally friendly and other functions into one, with rich and diverse colors to meet the decoration needs of different styles.
3. Classification by structure
Sound-absorbing panels can also be classified according to their structural characteristics, including
3.1 Sound-absorbing tip split, a special sound-absorbing structural material used for strong sound-absorbing fields. It is made of porous or fibrous materials into a tapered or tip-split sound-absorbing body. It is suitable for strong airflow environments and high-quality sound-absorbing chambers, more effective in absorbing low-frequency sound.
3.2 Diffuser sound-absorbing panels, in addition to the function of flat sound-absorbing panels, can also conduct sound waves at different angles through their three-dimensional surfaces, improve sound quality, and balance the sound effect.
Product structure: This sound-absorbing board has a stereoscopic triangular or cylindrical groove carved on the front side of the MDF, and the back side is covered with round holes, forming a special structure. Its finish is painted, the color can be customized according to customer requirements, and the back is covered with fireproof sound-absorbing cloth to ensure safety and performance.
Application: This sound-absorbing panel is suitable for many places, including TV stations, cinemas, concert halls, etc., and can effectively absorb and improve sound quality.
3.3 The aluminum honeycomb perforated sound-absorbing panel is designed with perforated panel and back panel, and is bonded with the aluminum honeycomb core through high-quality adhesive to form a sandwich structure. Its internal closed small chamber effectively prevents the flow of air, thereby increasing the sound absorption coefficient to above 0.9, which not only enhances the plate strength, but also expands the design freedom. According to the acoustic design needs, the perforation rate can be flexibly adjusted and the cost can be reasonably controlled.
3.4The perforated gypsum board has cylindrical holes that penetrate the front back, combining breathable back cover materials and sound absorbing materials to create an efficient sound absorbing structure. Its internal communication pores allow the sound wave energy to penetrate deep into the interior of the material and be converted into heat energy for the purpose of sound absorption. However, it should be noted that the absorption effect of low frequency sound is slightly inferior to that of high frequency.
4.Importance of test reports
Although many materials theoretically have some sound insulation properties, the market is flooded with various ordinary materials that call themselves sound-absorbing panels, such as gypsum boards, magnesium boards, etc., which undoubtedly increases the difficulty for consumers to choose. Therefore, when choosing a sound-absorbing panel, the first principle is to see if the product has an authoritative test report. The most authoritative wall sound insulation testing institutions in China include the Institute of Architectural Acoustics at Tsinghua University and Tongji University. Consumers should be wary of products that advertise superior performance but are unable to provide a test report. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure that the samples sent for inspection by the manufacturer are consistent with the products actually sold, so as to avoid purchasing products that do not meet the test report standards.
5.Easy installation
In addition, the ease of installation of sound-absorbing panels is a factor worth considering.In order to ensure that the sound-absorbing panels can perform an excellent sound insulation effect, their installation process must be simple and easy to understand. Otherwise, even if the product itself has excellent sound insulation properties, it will be difficult to achieve the desired effect in practical applications. Acoustics experts point out that there is often a gap between the sound insulation of walls tested in the laboratory and the effect in actual engineering, mainly due to lateral sound transmission problems that exist in actual engineering and differences in installation quality. Therefore, the installation process of the acoustic panels must be as simple as possible to reduce errors by the installers on site, thus ensuring that the actual sound insulation of the walls can achieve the desired goal. For example, the elastic crossbar, as an excellent sound insulation product, can effectively improve the sound insulation effect of lightweight gypsum board walls in the laboratory, but in actual engineering, the improvement of the actual sound insulation effect is limited due to the difficulty of the installer to accurately combine the board with the elastic crossbar.
Ordinary sound absorbing panels on the market, usually improve sound insulation by increasing the thickness and weight of the wall panel. However, this approach has numerous drawbacks. First, its sound insulation efficiency improvement is limited, and according to the laws of physics, the increase in the density of the plate surface does not significantly increase the volume insulation. Second, the heavy wall panels not only take up valuable living space, but also increase the difficulty of installation and the stress on the floors. In addition, the consumption of raw materials and the increase in installation costs have pushed up the combined cost of the works.
In contrast, polyester felt acoustic panels achieve excellent sound insulation while remaining lightweight thanks to their innovative sound insulation principles. Its thicknesses are 9 mm, 12 mm, 15 mm, 18 mm, which can significantly reduce noise through reasonable wall combination scheme. Among acoustic panel products of the same thickness and weight on the market, sound insulation leads significantly.
In addition, the sound-absorbing panels have excellent durability. The new polymer material compounded by its "special process" has stable performance and the sound insulation effect can be maintained for at least 50 years without degradation. At the same time, the Chichrome acoustic sealant used to seal wall crevices also excels, maintaining viscoelasticity throughout life, ensuring that the sound insulation is never reduced.
In addition, the strength, waterproofing and fire resistance of sound-absorbing panels are also important considerations in the market.While improving the sound insulation of the wall, we equally need to pay attention to other key properties, such as whether the strength is up to standard after new or renovated soundproof walls. If it is planned to hang a heavy object on the wall, such as a flat-screen TV, a large oil painting or a decorative lamp, then the wall panel must have sufficient strength to bear the corresponding weight. In addition, if there are many people or frequent activities indoors, wall panels with strong impact resistance and high strength should be selected in case the wall cracks due to the impact of people. At the same time, if the wall panel is located in a humid environment, such as near a faucet or in a bathroom, its waterproof performance is particularly important. And for walls that require high fire resistance, such as kitchens and garages, it’s wise to shop for sound-absorbing panels that are both soundproof and fire-resistant. Wayson's sound-absorbing panels have sound insulation effects far beyond similar products, and the sound insulation effect can easily reach more than 40 decibels. Not only that, but there’s also a significant improvement in fire resistance. If customers have higher requirements in terms of strength, waterproof, mildew-proof and fire-resistant, we can also provide corresponding products and solutions to meet their needs.
