Facing growing pressures from consumers, OEMs are not only extending and refining their sound and vibration testing capabilities, but are requiring more of their suppliers. Suppliers of all tiers are now responsible for component development, validation and warranty claims, and many are faced with either enhancing their sound and vibration design capabilities or losing business.

Leveraging its experimental and analytical techniques, industry knowledge and test facilities, MTS Systems Corp. (www.mts.com) is focused on helping customers maximize test laboratory productivity and bringing products to market more quickly and efficiently.

“One of our key strengths is scalability, so that wherever the customer is in the process, we can fit it and help them along the way,” says Gabriella Cerrato Jay, Consulting Technical Director for MTS.  She adds that if sound and vibration is a long-term concern, MTS can provide customers an avenue that allows them to grow. Consulting services can be engaged at any level along the path as the customer’s internal capabilities grow.  The company provides training to enhance specific areas, advanced troubleshooting skills, and often are involved in technology transfer.

“We train customer personnel, so that the next time the problem comes up, they are able to handle it themselves.  But we also want to remain on the cutting edge of technology, so that for the next complicated project they will come back to us.”

Consulting Expertise and Services

MTS provides an array of consulting services, software tools, production line testing and technical capabilities that customers use to solve sound and vibration applications.

* Production Line Testing:  tools and expertise for implementing automated, objective, sound-quality-based inspection systems.
* Sound and Vibration Target Setting:  systematic procedures for identifying characteristics that determine acceptable vibration, loudness or sound quality performance.
* Training and Process Implementation:  a full range of test, analysis and laboratory management implementation services.
* Sound Engineering
* Sound and Vibration Test Services
* Source Identification:  complete suite of structural and sound mapping services
* Methods Development and Technology Transfer
* Customization:  software and hardware solutions including: 
o LabVIEW from National Instruments to help customers design, deploy and define standardized tests 
o MTS I-deas Pro to streamline and/or automate data acquisition and analysis
o MATLab from Mathworks for data analysis and reporting
o VXIT, for additional acquisition and source control to test process
* Sound and Vibration Troubleshooting
* CAE Model Validation

Getting Up-to-Speed  in S&V

Paul Goodes, Senior Consulting Manager at MTS, says that one of their strengths is working with companies that don’t have as much experience with sound and vibration processes and tools.  “For those customers, we can help them address current problems, help them get new business, understand specifications and act as their NVH resource.  We can also help them better understand the NVH impact of their design choices. “

He says that some customers don’t have a good understanding of how design changes will impact on noise and vibration.  “The goal is to help those customers get up-to-speed on sound and vibration issues, with the idea that we can train and help them today with specific problems, and help them in the future with harder problems if they arise.”

To learn more about how to solve sound and vibration problems, register today for a free seminar at www.mts.com/soundanswers.