From designing smartphones and headphones to engineering noise attenuation for the aerospace industry, OEMs are constantly faced with the same challenge: How to design parts that impede, direct, and control noise while minimizing costs and saving space.
One of the best methods to overcome all of these challenges is by employing acoustical mesh. In this brief article, we’ll discuss what acoustical mesh is, what purposes it can serve, the basics of custom converting, and the ways that General Label can help you incorporate sound attenuation in your product.
What is acoustical mesh?
Acoustical mesh is a woven wire mesh designed for sound attenuation and noise absorption. It can be woven in many different patterns, ranging from plain square mesh to complex twill weave patterns. The type of weave a manufacturer will choose depends heavily on the application of the final product, with consumer sound devices like headphones being likely candidates for more complex weaves (as sound quality is of particular importance in these applications).
The sound attenuation offered by acoustical mesh is measured in Rayls. A Rayl is both an MKS (meter, kilogram, second) unit and a CGS (centimeter, gram, second) unit, and different acoustical mesh used for various applications tends to have different values depending on if it’s being used in MKS or CGS.
What is custom converting?
Custom converting is the process of altering, combining, and converting raw materials in order to produce a new product. Custom converters like General Label can take acoustical mesh and integrate it into gaskets and other parts using a combination of polymers, adhesives, and other materials.
What applications is acoustical mesh used for?
Acoustical mesh is used in a variety of consumer products, as well as in the aerospace industry (or anywhere where sound from engines can cause problems). Acoustical mesh can be modified to be incredibly small, with many final designs measuring mere micrometers in thickness.
One of the other advantages of acoustical mesh is that it can be imbued with many useful properties. Acoustical mesh can be hydrophobic as well as dust repellant. It can be laser-cut to almost any size. As such, it protects components all while allowing sound to pass through, attenuated to the degree the manufacturer specifies.
Acoustical mesh is used for many different applications, from earpiece gaskets to blocking sounds from thrust reversers. Acoustical mesh can be configured to meet the needs of any OEM.
Trust General Label for custom converting of acoustical mesh
Acoustical mesh has a wide variety of benefits and uses – but only if you choose the right custom converter to help you create the final piece for your product.
That converter is General Label. One of our strengths is our ability to create prototypes with an incredibly fast turnaround time. That way, you can test the acoustical mesh part we make for you and ensure that it meets your specifications.
We are a 3M preferred converter, which gives us access to some of the best adhesives on the market, allowing us to create gaskets and other parts featuring acoustical mesh.
Our company is also a one-stop shop for materials converting. We can create prototypes for any number of different parts, then scale up production to meet demand. We also offer membrane switches, graphic label solutions, and much more.
Interested in creating a prototype for a part using high-quality acoustical mesh? Get in touch with us today!