For 25 years, Thompson Pump has been keeping people’s neighbourhood construction pumping equipment quieter. Thompson Pump and Manufacturing Company, an ISO 9001-certified and one of the country’s leading manufacturers of heavy-duty bypass and dewatering pumps, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of ‘Silent Knight’, the first-ever full-sound attenuated portable diesel-driven pump in the United States.
This sound-attenuated canopy reduces pump noise levels to or below 69 dBA. The Thompson Pump Silent Knight features:
- Sound enclosure to reduce noise pollution, allowing operation in noise-sensitive areas
- Lockable doors to provide resistance to vandalism
- Physical barrier to protect workers from machine parts
- Protective enclosure to shield equipment from environmental and physical impacts
- Built-in containment system to eliminate spills
In the late 1990s, an increase in urbanization and infrastructure development led to a rise in residential, public and commercial construction projects. With more of these projects in densely populated areas, construction noise in neighbourhoods became a big issue, facilitating the need for quieter equipment.
One such project was the expansion of the University of Central Florida campus with the development of Research Park and Greek Park. Contractors called on Thompson Pump to provide pumping equipment to dewater the construction sites but wanted the equipment to minimize noise due to its proximity to neighbourhoods and businesses. Thompson Pump quickly began designing and building a prototype unit to be tested on the jobsite.
The unit was a six-inch portable diesel-driven pump with a metal enclosure containing sound-absorbing material that covered the pump and engine for noise abatement, affectionately nicknamed ‘Silent Knight’. With the prototype, Thompson Pump engineers achieved an overall noise level 10-15 decibels lower than the non-sound attenuated version.
The Silent Knight became an instant success, and after a few weeks, word spread, and more contractors started asking for this new sound-attenuated pump. Over the next several months, Thompson Pump produced several more units, which were placed in operation throughout the region in areas near hospitals, commercial districts and residential neighbourhoods. The Silent Knight line has since been expanded to include various types of pumps, sizes and power sources. Today, almost 50% of Thompson Pump’s production includes sound-attenuated pumps.
