Quartz is hard and brittle, so impact and friction during crushing produce high mechanical noise. Noise from quartz crushing equipment is mainly generated by metal-to-rock impact, vibration of crusher body, conveyor impact, vibrating screen resonance, and motor/reducer operation. This article lists typical noise levels and practical noise reduction measures for quartz processing plants, suitable for quartz-mill.com.
1. Typical Noise Level (dB(A), measured at 1 meter from equipment)
dB(A) is A-weighted sound level for human hearing reference.
| Equipment | Typical Noise Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jaw crusher (primary quartz crushing) | 85–95 dB(A) | Peak can reach 100 dB(A) when feeding large quartz boulders |
| Cone crusher (secondary crushing) | 82–92 dB(A) | Laminated crushing, lower peak noise than jaw crusher |
| Vibrating feeder / Grizzly feeder | 80–88 dB(A) | Strong vibration noise |
| Inclined vibrating screen | 82–90 dB(A) | Resonance of screen box and material impact |
| Belt conveyor transfer chute | 78–88 dB(A) | Noise from quartz hitting metal chute plates |
| Main motor & reducer | 75–85 dB(A) | Continuous steady noise |
Reference standard: Long-term workplace exposure above 85 dB(A) requires hearing protection; above 90 dB(A) must implement noise control measures.
2. Main Noise Sources
- Impact noise: Hard quartz rock striking crusher liners, screen plates and metal chutes (dominant source).
- Structural vibration: Vibration of crusher housing, screen box, base frame transferring to ground and foundation.
- Airborne noise: Radiation from vibrating metal surfaces.
- Resonance: When equipment natural frequency matches excitation frequency, noise is amplified.
3. Noise Reduction Solutions (Plant Practical Measures)
3.1 Source Control (Most effective priority)
- Optimize crushing operation parameters
- Maintain choke feeding for cone crusher. Full material bed creates rock-on-rock crushing, reduces direct metal-quartz impact noise.
- Avoid oversized lumps entering jaw crusher; big quartz blocks produce sharp peak impact noise.
- Reduce material drop height at transfer points. Lower drop distance greatly cuts impact noise at chutes. Use curved chute design and wear-resistant lining.
- Upgrade wear liners
Line chutes and transfer boxes with polyurethane or rubber lining. It absorbs impact energy and reduces metal impact noise. For crusher cavities, keep qualified alloy liners to avoid liner loosening (loose liners amplify vibration noise). - Vibration isolation
Install spring vibration isolators or rubber dampers under jaw crusher, cone crusher and vibrating screen base. Isolate vibration transfer from machine to concrete foundation.Important: Jaw crusher generates heavy impact load; select heavy-duty vibration isolators.
3.2 Path Control: Enclosure and sound insulation
- Local sound insulation hood / acoustic enclosure
Build partial or full acoustic enclosure around jaw crusher and vibrating screen. Use sound-absorbing panels (perforated plate + rock wool). Reserve access doors, ventilation openings and inspection ports.- Note: Enclosure needs proper ventilation to prevent motor overheating.
- Sound barrier wall
Set up outdoor acoustic barriers between crushing area and office or residential boundary to block airborne noise propagation.
3.3 Auxiliary & Layout Optimization
- Plant layout planning
Place crushing zone far away from control room and worker rest area. Arrange large heavy crushers near the center of the plant, use buildings as natural sound barriers. - Damping treatment
Paste damping plates on thin metal screen boxes, conveyor hoppers to suppress structural vibration and resonance noise. - Regular maintenance
Tighten loose bolts; worn loose liners create hammering noise. Replace damaged springs and bearings. Worn bearings will sharply increase equipment noise. - Operational management
Limit continuous exposure time for operators; provide ear plugs or earmuffs as personal protection. Install remote control system to let operators work in quiet control room instead of staying near crushing equipment.
4. Key Notes for Hard Quartz Crushing
- Quartz’s high hardness makes impact noise much louder than limestone or soft ore. Polyurethane liners will wear faster under sharp quartz particles, so balance noise reduction and wear life.
- Vibration isolation must be calculated according to equipment weight and excitation force. Improper isolator selection may cause resonance and higher noise.
- Acoustic enclosures cannot completely eliminate noise; they normally reduce noise by 10–25 dB(A) depending on construction quality.
Troubleshooting for Abnormal High Noise
| Phenomenon | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Sudden sharp banging noise from jaw crusher | Loose liner, tramp iron entering crushing cavity | Stop machine, inspect liner, install metal detector |
| Screen loud resonance noise | Damaged spring, loose screen panels | Replace springs; tighten screen fixtures; add damping layer |
| High noise at transfer point | Large drop height, bare metal chute | Reduce drop height; add rubber/polyurethane lining |
Quartz crushing equipment typically runs 82–95 dB(A) at 1m distance, with jaw crusher having the highest peak noise. Noise reduction follows the priority: source control first, then vibration isolation, acoustic enclosure and layout optimization. Reducing material drop height, using rock-on-rock crushing, adding vibration dampers and installing sound insulation hoods are the most cost-effective ways. Remote operation can minimize worker exposure to high noise environment.
