New Sound Chamber Reinforces Eaton's Commitment to Low-noise Hydraulic Components and Systems


CLEVELAND ... Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation (NYSE:ETN) has launched a sound testing facility at its Hydraulics Operations headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Startup of the state-of-the-art hemi-anechoic chamber is an important initiative in Eaton's commitment to addressing the global, market-driven demand for low-noise hydraulic components and systems.

"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:

Validating acoustic Boundary Element Method (BEM) models and benchmarking competitive components
Providing complete noise and/or vibration testing of hydraulic components, integrated systems and customer applications (vehicles)
Testing per industry standards (ISO, NFPA, DIN, GM, etc.)
Supporting customer-specific NVH issues
Perception of noise directly influences customer acceptance of Eaton products, explained Mike Beyer, technical specialist-NVH.

"Both mobile and industrial markets demand low-noise components and systems in efforts to maintain a competitive advantage in a constantly evolving global arena," Beyer said.

"The overall noise level of our piston pumps, vane pumps, and steering control units is the parameter that is documented in product literature, but it's the customer's perception of sound quality that is the true measure of perceived product quality.

"The sound chamber is a critical component in our methodology for low-noise design and increases customer confidence in our ability to design and develop hydraulic components that are inherently quiet, thereby illustrating our commitment to the future of hydraulics.

"It also enables us to validate models and benchmark the competition, which are critical capabilities supporting our strong emphasis on NVH modeling and simulation efforts."

The substantial sound chamber investment is enabling Eaton to rank noise levels in general on customer vehicles, as well as provide noise reduction solutions outside the realm of hydraulic components, which, in most applications, are not the leading contributor to the overall noise level of mobile and industrial equipment.

The 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.

Eaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer with 2005 sales of $11.1 billion. Eaton is a global leader in electrical systems and components for power quality, distribution and control; fluid power systems and services for industrial, mobile and aircraft equipment; intelligent truck drivetrain systems for safety and fuel economy; and automotive engine air management systems, powertrain solutions and specialty controls for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has 60,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 125 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.

Contact Mike Beyer (952) 937-7244

Katie Burton
katie@millerbrooks.com
Miller Brooks, Inc.
11712 North Michigan Road
Zionsville IN 46077
317.873.8100
317.873.8110 (fax)

All Topics