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Acoustic PanelsAcoustic panels are used anywhere unwanted noise needs to be eliminated and echoes and reverberations cut back, such as a recording studio or music room in which the quality of sound is important. The panels which range according to custom requirements are fabricated from soundproofing materials in order to reduce echoes, buffer sound and deaden sound waves. Panels are designed to absorb the sound waves before they can reverberate as noise pollution back in the direction from which they came. Compared to a wall, or other hard surfaces, acoustic panels are far more absorbent of sound waves. Noisy environments like busy coffee shops and offices also often use acoustic panels in order to make the decibel range in the room far more tolerable for the persons within the space. If no sound was being absorbed, the sound waves would be bouncing and reflecting around the room, making it unpleasantly loud. Another common use of acoustic panels is in industrial plants like water treatment facilities or factories use them in areas where machinery is loud and needs to be quieted because of worker hearing and safety. Construction of acoustic panels consists of three main parts—the frame, the sound absorbent internal material and the outer covering. The frame is usually square or rectangle and made of wood. The interior is composed of a material that is specifically designed to absorb sound vibrations and waves, such as rock fiber wool. Porous surfaces, on the other hand, are partially penetrated by sound waves, which get trapped and are therefore absorbed into the material. Many acoustic panels are then covered in fabric for aesthetic purposes. Coverings of acoustic panels can be customized for a room’s interior decorative purposes. Venues such as churches, restaurants and coffee shops still require aesthetic cohesiveness and panels are designed to blend in with, or complement, the existing décor. The panels can vary in size and in number of panels applied in a certain space. Common thicknesses are 2” and 4”, and this can be chosen depending on the scale of the space and the required amount of noise reduction. Panels are often fitted with a backing from a material such as wood or a light polymer for easy wall hanging, often screws are the only hardware requirement. and they can be used in conjunction with other sound proofing elements such as curtains, flooring and ceilings.
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