Eaton Corp has launched a sound testing facility at its Hydraulics Operations headquarters in Eden Prairie MN.
“Our mission is to provide hydraulic components and systems that exceed our customers' expectations regarding overall noise level and sound quality,” said Sohan Uppal, vice-president of technology — Fluid Power Group. “In effect, our goal is to become NVH [Noise, Vibration, and Harshness] transparent to the marketplace.”
Primary functions of the sound chamber include:
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Validating acoustic Boundary Element Method (BEM) models and benchmarking competitive components
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Providing complete noise and/or vibration testing of hydraulic components, integrated systems, and vehicles
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Testing per industry standards
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Supporting customer-specific NVH issues
Internal dimensions of the hemi-anechoic chamber (meaning all but the floor is sound-absorbing) accommodate vehicles up to nearly 19 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 12 feet high. The chamber is certified to an 80-hertz cut-off frequency and provides 600-horsepower drive capability.