Shhhh, product testing in progress

Three noise-vibration-harshness technology companies have joined forces to create a 65,000-square-foot application research center to help manufacturers in the automotive, appliance, HVAC, electronic and telecom industries make their products quieter.
Material Sciences Corp., Bruel & Kjaer North America and Link Engineering joined to develop the facility, and combine testing systems for structural and rotating components under one roof. The three companies have been working together for years, and say they believe they have created the most comprehensive, independent sound and vibration research facility in the United States.
One hemianechoic chamber for measuring structural vibration of components, subsystems and full vehicles houses a rare, four-wheel-drive chassis dynamometer that is big enough to test the industry's largest light-duty trucks. In addition, a sound-transmission-loss suite in the facility includes a fully anechoic chamber, with sound-capturing anechoic wedges on all six surfaces that allows technicians to isolate and evaluate even the smallest system-radiated noise. A second hemianechoic chamber with a lower level reverberation room lets companies test horizontal panels such as floor/carpet systems. All of the facility’s anechoic chambers are mechanically and acoustically isolated from the building.
The facility also provides three brake dynamometers, as well as engineering simulation and benchmarking rooms and a product-development lab. An education center offers programs ranging from noise-vibration-harshness fundamentals to specific product training.