A Detailed Study on Various Sources of Cabin Noise and Vibration in Crawler Dozers and Methodology Followed to Reduce the Noise

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The major environmental concern in the field of opencast mining industries are the means of controlling and mitigating noise generated from different Heavy earth moving machineries (HEMM) like Excavators, Dozers, Dumpers, Loaders, Graders, etc. Continuous exposure of the operators to excess noise shall result in hearing impairment and other related health issues. Also, for the HEMM manufacturers, it is important to meet the statutory requirement and mine safety norms to qualify for the tenders. Crawler tractors also called Dozers are heavy earth-moving equipment used in open cast mines with metal blades attached in front of it for pushing or dozing of materials. Dozers being one of the major sources of such noise, in this paper we focus on noise control in dozers. The DGMS (Director General of Mine Safety) regulatory requirement specifies the noise generated inside the cabin should be less than 85dB. We present a detailed analysis of major sources of noise generation in dozers, including Structure borne, Air borne and Rattling noise. We also discuss the various stages and methodologies followed to mitigate the noise at different sources and inside the cabin to ensure that the noise level are within the accepted limits. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the noise control measures that can be implemented in dozers to reduce noise exposure and ensure safety and well-being of operators in open cast mining industries.