Project Outline
The Wren Kitchens site near Scunthorpe is a kitchen manufacturing production factory facility. This a large industrial site comprising numerous production buildings, logistics, warehousing and support / office buildings.
Working through contracted support and directly through the local maintenance and engineering team, we were initially contracted to survey, assess and report against the existing site audio system/s. Further investigative works led to large scale improvement works and new audio systems installation throughout much of the site.
Audio Applications
- Public Address (PA) / Tannoy
- Background Music (BGM)
- Mass Notification
Audio Specification & Technologies
- 100v line, high impedance
- IP Network player / streamer (IceCast BGM music source)
- Full range, 2-way speakers installed throughout
Installation Details
The manufacturing production areas of this site presented a number of audio design and practical installation challenges:
- High ambient background noise
- EX / ATEX areas
- Limited access
These challenges were not unique and were somewhat expected. Having previously installed sound systems into many similar factory and production projects these challenges were discussed with the client and supporting project teams, with a number of provisioning and protective measures put in place to assist the installation whilst mitigating possible disruption to the production.
Given the relative high audio ‘power’ requirements for this project, our design solution was somewhat dictated. 100v line, high impedance audio was specified and installed to provide robust and powerful quality audio transmission over long distance cable runs. Multiple audio zones were created. These provided targeted audio with separate volume control to the different production areas. Supporting multi-power amplifiers based on these zones were installed – providing resilience, should any one speaker zone fail, it wouldn’t affect another speaker zone.
Wood and MDF processing can create ‘dust’ which is defined combustible. Any such defined areas requiring audio system equipment and / or loud speakers therefore required specialist EX / ATEX rated equipment and speakers.
The high ambient background noise for the production activities was a significant challenge to a small amount of areas that presented competitively to any audio generated from the project audio system. This noise competition is outside of our control to reduce or control. In some instances, extremely high ambient areas, it was simply not possible nor sensible to add further audio. However, for the vast majority of the production areas we were able to strategically identify and install loud speakers close to staff work stations and activity areas, increasing overall audibility and sound quality.
Our client utilised internet streaming for their background music within their retail stores. We installed a network player / streamer to enable extension of this service for local playout at this site.
