Pune: In a significant advancement aimed at improving workplace safety and occupational health, researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) have developed an innovative retrofit technology capable of reducing industrial noise by up to 20 dB(A) during abrasive cutting operations.
The solution is designed to enhance worker safety by containing sparks, dust, and flying debris while enabling safer operations across manufacturing and fabrication industries.
As India’s manufacturing and fabrication sectors continue to grow, concerns surrounding industrial noise and occupational hazards are becoming increasingly important.
Addressing one of the most common yet often overlooked workplace challenges, the MIT-WPU research team has introduced a compact machine-mounted protective enclosure that can be integrated with both existing and new abrasive saw machines.
The technology has been developed by Dr. Rohit Raghunath Ghadge and Dr. Mahesh Vasantrao Kulkarni, faculty members from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT-WPU, along with Mr. Yash Utsahi Chavande, a PhD Scholar in Mechanical Engineering.
Unlike conventional abrasive saws that typically use partial guards with limited protection, the newly designed enclosure surrounds the cutting area with a specially engineered housing featuring transparent viewing windows and adjustable sliding panels.
This enables operators to safely monitor cutting activities while accommodating workpieces of different sizes and maintaining accessibility to the machine.
A defining feature of the innovation is its unique enclosure geometry, which combines a rectangular rear section with a curved front profile.
This design helps redirect and contain sound waves generated during cutting operations, significantly reducing industrial noise while simultaneously preventing the escape of sparks, metallic debris, and dust.
The system delivers these benefits without requiring large acoustic cabins or extensive modifications to existing infrastructure.
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“Industrial workplaces are increasingly focusing on worker welfare and occupational health. Our objective was to develop a compact solution that addresses multiple workplace challenges simultaneously – industrial noise exposure, flying debris, dust generation, and operator safety – without requiring large acoustic cabins or major infrastructure changes,” said Dr. Mahesh Vasantrao Kulkarni.
Abrasive saw machines are extensively used across fabrication workshops, construction sites, manufacturing plants, automotive facilities, railway maintenance units, shipyards, and engineering industries.
However, these machines routinely produce industrial noise levels ranging between approximately 95 and 110 dB(A), making them among the loudest equipment commonly found in industrial environments.
Prolonged exposure to such noise can negatively affect communication, concentration, worker comfort, and overall workplace safety.
“The inspiration for this invention came from observing abrasive cutting operations during workshop and construction-related activities on campus.
The noise generated by these machines was noticeable even at considerable distances, highlighting the need for a practical solution that could improve workplace conditions without affecting machine accessibility or productivity,” said Dr. Rohit Raghunath Ghadge.
To improve acoustic performance, the research team evaluated advanced hybrid acoustic materials comprising E-glass fibre, basalt fibre, and perforated aluminium layers.
Laboratory testing conducted in accordance with ASTM E1050-19 standards demonstrated sound absorption coefficients as high as 0.98 and sound transmission loss values of up to 30 dB(A) across frequency ranges commonly associated with industrial machinery.
Based on these material-level findings and the enclosure’s noise-containment design, the researchers anticipate practical industrial noise reduction of approximately 10–20 dB(A) once prototype testing is completed under real operating conditions.
Even reductions within this range could substantially improve workplace comfort while reducing worker exposure to excessive sound levels during abrasive cutting operations.
In addition to reducing industrial noise, the enclosure supports broader occupational health and safety objectives by limiting the spread of sparks, metallic particles, and dust generated during cutting processes.
This contributes to cleaner workspaces, enhanced operator protection, and reduced exposure to common industrial hazards.
The retrofit-friendly design further strengthens the technology’s commercial viability by enabling industries to upgrade existing abrasive saw machines without making significant infrastructure investments.
Its compact and portable configuration also makes it suitable for both permanent workshop installations and temporary fabrication or construction sites where equipment is frequently relocated.
According to the researchers, the innovation has applications across metal fabrication, manufacturing, construction, automotive production, railway maintenance, shipbuilding, steel processing, and general engineering workshops.
It could be particularly valuable in facilities operating near offices, laboratories, educational institutions, or other occupied spaces where controlling industrial noise is essential.
The patent application for the invention has already been filed and published, while the technology is currently in the prototype development stage.
Following successful validation and field testing, the team sees considerable commercialization potential both as a retrofit solution for existing machines and as an integrated feature in future abrasive saw systems.
“Effective noise control and workplace safety do not necessarily require large, expensive infrastructure changes. By addressing noise, sparks, dust, and debris directly at the source, compact engineering solutions like this can help industries create safer, healthier, and more productive work environments while supporting the broader goal of worker-centric manufacturing,” said Yash Utsahi Chavande.
The researchers believe that widespread adoption of such technologies could significantly improve occupational safety standards across manufacturing, fabrication, construction, automotive, railway, and engineering sectors while supporting India’s transition towards safer, healthier, and more sustainable industrial workplaces through effective industrial noise management.
