Tag: Noise mapping

Categories
Industrial noise

How to Easily Create a Noise Map from Occupational Noise Measurements in Your Factory

noise at work, occupational noise mapping made easy!
noise at work, occupational noise mapping made easy!

If you’re a safety officer, EHS manager, or plant engineer, you probably already perform occupational noise measurements as part of your workplace safety program. But are you making the most of that data?

Creating a noise map from your measurements doesn’t require complex modeling or advanced acoustic training anymore. With the right tools, it’s simple, fast, and incredibly useful—especially when it comes to compliance, communication, and proactive noise control.

In this article, we’ll show you how to convert your sound level meter readings into a clear, professional noise map using SoundPLANmanda, a modern acoustic simulation tool available through SoundPLAN Asia.

Why Create a Noise Map in Your Factory?

Occupational noise mapping offers multiple advantages over raw decibel readings:

  • Visual clarity: Identify high-exposure zones at a glance
  • Compliance support: Demonstrate adherence to ISO 11690 and local regulations
  • Better communication: Explain noise risks to management and workers with clear visuals
  • Targeted noise control: Plan barriers or PPE more effectively
  • Documentation: A noise map supports audits, inspections, and long-term safety planning

Step-by-Step: Creating a Factory Noise Map from Measurements

You don’t need to guess or model everything from scratch. If you’ve already measured noise levels across your production floor using a sound level meter, you’re halfway there.

Here’s how to go from measurement to map in just a few steps.

1. Prepare Your Measurement Data

Use a calibrated Class 1 or Class 2 sound level meter to measure LAeq values (or others as required by your local standard). Common measurement points include:

  • Operator positions
  • Between machines
  • Walkways and entrances
  • Control rooms

Export your data in a spreadsheet or directly from your instrument’s software.

2. Set Up Your Factory Layout in SoundPLANmanda

Using SoundPLANmanda, you can:

  • Import a simple 2D floor plan (DWG, DXF, PDF, or image file)
  • Define walls, machinery, and other structures as obstacles or reflective surfaces
  • Place receivers or measurement points where your data was collected

The interface is user-friendly and designed for safety officers—not just acoustics consultants.

3. Input Measured Sound Levels

Instead of guessing source power levels, you can:

  • Assign the actual measured levels to machinery locations
  • Treat measurement points as fixed-level sound sources in the model
  • Optionally, use standard machinery noise levels from a built-in library

This is where SoundPLANmanda shines—it allows quick, practical modeling based on real factory data.

4. Run the Calculation and Generate the Noise Map

With one click, SoundPLANmanda performs the calculation and:

  • Interpolates noise levels across the entire workspace
  • Factors in reflections and shielding effects
  • Generates a color-coded noise map overlaid on your factory layout

You can easily spot areas exceeding 85 dB(A), 90 dB(A), or any other threshold.

noise at work, occupational noise mapping made easy!
noise at work, occupational noise mapping made easy!

5. Export and Share the Results

You can export:

  • High-resolution noise maps (PDF or image)
  • Data tables for reporting
  • Project files for documentation

Noise maps can be printed and posted in break rooms, emailed to management, or used during safety briefings.

Use Cases: How Safety Officers Use Noise Maps

  • Zoning for PPE requirements
  • Identifying sources for noise reduction efforts
  • Evaluating the impact of new machines
  • Improving layout for lower noise exposure
  • Preparing for DOL or ISO audits

Why Use SoundPLANmanda?

Most traditional noise modeling tools are built for expert consultants. SoundPLANmanda is:

  • Easy to learn — no acoustic degree needed
  • Designed for real users — safety officers, maintenance teams, engineers
  • Fast and modern — runs on your PC with a simple, clean interface
  • Backed by experts — SoundPLAN Asia provides local support and training

SEO Keywords Targeted in This Post:

  • how to create a noise map
  • factory noise mapping software
  • occupational noise map tool
  • industrial noise map
  • LAeq noise mapping in factories
  • sound level meter to noise map
  • noise control in factories
  • noise exposure assessment
  • safety officer noise map
  • workplace acoustic mapping

Ready to Try It Yourself?

If you’re already collecting occupational noise measurements, you can create your first noise map today. It takes less than an hour with the right setup.

Visit www.soundplan.asia to learn more, request a demo, or get started with SoundPLANmanda.

Need help? Our acoustic experts in Southeast Asia are ready to support you in English, Thai, Bahasa, or Vietnamese.

Need a Template to Get Started?

Contact us and we’ll send you a free starter project file and layout template to use in your own facility.

Categories
SoundPLAN

SoundPLAN has a sound plan in place

SoundPLAN has a sound plan in place
SoundPLAN has a sound plan in place

SoundPLAN has a sound plan in place

SoundPLAN, a company that develops software for noise mapping, has made its SoundPLANessential version 6.0 available to the public worldwide.

SoundPLANessential is intended for routine noise reports for sporadic projects or smaller-scale developments. Users of the software can compute, record, and visualize the spread of noise from parking lots, railroads, roads, and industrial sources. The software is easy to use and offers trustworthy graphical and tabular results for a typical environmental noise calculation.

SoundPLANessential’s measurement data or library information is used to calculate noise emissions. The source’s sound power for traffic noise is determined by the volume and mix of the traffic. Measured sound power levels or components from the software’s emission library are utilized for industry noise.

The software uses this data to generate maps, which are highly visual representations of the origins and propagation of noise. To make the maps easier to understand, they are color-coded. This is particularly helpful when interacting with other project planners or non-building specialists. After that, planners can evaluate the best options and test scenarios to lessen noise and shield people from its negative effects.


Users can work on projects more effectively by using the software to transfer background maps from OpenStreetMap and Google Maps to use as a foundation for the terrain model.

Version 6.0 boasts the following new features: * A redesigned user interface with simple clickable buttons and an even more user-friendly project workflow.
*An easier and faster way to combine various noise types and quickly access the sum level or individual noise type results.
*Enhanced 3D visuals for better presentation clarity because the most recent version supports OpenGL, the industry standard for high-performance graphics.

Numerous features and enhancements to the previous version of SoundPLANessential are also included in the software. This includes modifying Building Acoustics-Outside to conform to the most recent version of EN ISO 12354-3:2017, which deals with estimating a building’s acoustic performance. This can be utilized to demonstrate a room’s acoustic qualities (the transmission loss) in relation to undesired outdoor noise.

 

The software provides a graphical overview when planning the stage setup and is compatible with d&b Audiotechnics ArrayCalc, which predicts the sound from electroacoustic systems at outdoor events.

 

The German and Austrian adaptations of CNOSSOS-EU (road, rail, and industrial noise) are added to the existing noise dispersion calculation methods.
Additionally, SoundPLAN provides its all-inclusive software solution, SoundPLANnoise, which can be used for small projects, nationwide noise mapping, workplace or room acoustics, and all aspects of indoor and outdoor noise emission control.

References

https://www.architectandinteriorsindia.com/news/soundplan-launches-version-6-0-of-its-noise-mapping-software

Categories
Acoustic modelling

Country wide noise mapping with SoundPLAN by Ms. Khei Yinn Seow

Great presentation by Khei Yinn Seow about city/country wide noise mapping with SoundPLAN GmbH software at the 7th International Conference on Noise, Vibration and Comfort (NVC) organized by Society for Vibration and Acoustics Malaysia

In accordance with Directive 2002/49/EC, also known as the Environmental Noise Directive (END), European member states are required to create noise maps and action plans starting from 2007 every 5 years to reduce noise levels in urban areas, major transportation routes, and other noise-sensitive areas. The aim is to decrease noise exposure and its effects on human health and the environment.

 

Noise maps are used to show noise pollution in areas caused by airports, road traffic, railways, and industrial zones. While in Germany noise maps for airports, road traffic, and industrial noise are produced in a decentralized manner, and with a smaller spatial extent, the noise maps for railway noise are created nationwide by one single authority.

 

Processing millions of buildings, tens of thousands of kilometers of railway tracks, and gigabytes of terrain data is a significant challenge for data preparation and organization, as well as for the noise calculations themselves.

 

Using Germany and Italy as examples, this challenge can be done quickly and efficiently.

 

Both countries had a different approach to solve the task -but both countries have used data which were stored in a common GIS database, a noise calculation software like SoundPLAN to perform the calculations and an auxiliary tool serving as an interface between the GIS and the calculation software.

 

Therefore, it is proposed that such avenue can be implemented in Malaysia, starting from major cities, as an initiative to build the environmental noise database of the country. 

 

This will be beneficial to work towards solving the noise exposure and pollution issues in Malaysia.