Metamaterials could make factories quieter

A start-up is using a new generation of ‘metamaterials’ to design custom sound-proofing solutions for factories and data centres.

A metamaterial is a man-made substance that exhibits qualities not usually found in nature. Hong Kong-based Acoustic Metamaterials Group have designed a group of lightweight materials that can dampen sound more efficiently than current solutions. 

AMG take a precise specification of the sound profile from the factory floor of their clients, and then create a thin lightweight material to target that frequency. 

“We can achieve a high absorption efficiency especially in low frequency fields. The thickness is minimal,” AMG project manager Kiki Jy Miao told Professional Engineering, at the TechXLR8 exhibition in London, where the technology was on display. “The customer provides us the noise structure, and with our software we analyse it and find the right inner structure.” 

According to the company, there are three main advantages of these metamaterials over traditional soundproofing materials. The first is in high-temperature settings. Because the metamaterials rely more on their structure rather than their composition, they can even be made from metal - which allows them to be installed in places where conventional materials would break down. 

In the case of machinery, this could allow the soundproofing to be placed closer to the source of the noise, making it more efficient and cheaper.

According to Miao, data centres are another potential area where this technology could make a difference. They need to be kept cool, which requires both noisy fans and ventilation - something that current soundproofing struggles to do. 

Finally, by tailoring the materials to the sound frequency, AMG have been able to block out low frequencies “better than any material found in nature” - which could open up applications in factories that employ heavy machinery.