Ultrasonic protective cell: quieter welding stations, tested at SUVA

Ultrasonic welding operates at 20 kHz or 35 kHz, both above the human hearing range. In practice, the geometry and material of the workpiece can generate sub-harmonics between roughly 50 Hz and 16 kHz. Operators hear them through every shift. That is the problem our ultrasonic protective cell (UPC) removes.

Why does ultrasonic welding produce audible noise?

The welding frequency itself is inaudible. But when high-frequency vibration meets certain part shapes, wall thicknesses or materials, the part resonates and emits sound inside the hearing range. The effect depends on the application, which is why some welding stations run quietly and others cause operator complaints on day one.

Enclosing the welding station in a sound-insulated cell contains this noise at the source. No hearing protection workarounds, no repositioning of workstations.

A protective cell built for European workplace standards

European directives on operator safety keep tightening, and noise exposure is a documented inspection point. We developed the UPC to meet these requirements: it protects the operator and everyone working nearby from the acoustic side effects of ultrasonic processes.

The cell was tested at the Swiss Institute for Safety at Work (SUVA) and meets the applicable international standards. It has been in serial use since its certification in 2013, refined through more than a decade of installations across automotive, electronics and medical assembly lines.

Key features

• Electric or pneumatic sliding window. The fully electric drive simplifies integration where no compressed air is available and reduces energy consumption per cycle.
• Recycled sound-insulating foam. The interior insulation is made from recycled material, in line with how we select materials across our systems.
• Multiple configurations and automation levels, from manual workstations to fully automated cells with a window that opens synchronised to the machine cycle.

Built around your process

The UPC is not a fixed catalogue item. If your welding station has a noise problem, the enclosure is engineered around your process, not the other way round: window drive, dimensions and automation level follow the application.

Next step: Tell us which welding application is causing the noise. We will assess whether a standard UPC configuration fits or whether the cell needs adaptation to your station. Contact us at info@vial-automation.si or +386 3 713 27 90.