Acoustics

Crowd with arms up, listening music in an acoustics venue

We are surrounded by sound – it is a major part of our daily lives and permeates every aspect of our everyday world. Communication devices, household appliances, production machinery, vehicles, aircraft, public address systems  – all use sound to fulfil their primary function or emit sound as an unwanted side-effect, in other words, noise.

From design and development to manufacturing, operation and environmental compliance, measuring sound or noise levels has become a standard requirement. Be it audio quality assurance of hearing aids, mitigating sound effects in vehicles, eliminating risks by excessive exposure to noise at work, or fulfilling environmental directives, only reliable measurement and data analysis can help engineers and other responsible bodies to correctly evaluate sound parameters.

 

HBK has been at the forefront of research in this field for decades. Our in-depth knowledge of numerous applications has established our reputation as market leaders in measuring and analysing sound, and we have long been engaged in developing international standards. Whatever your application, our high-quality acoustic solutions make your testing procedures as easy, reliable, and as efficient as possible.

close-up of a sound speaker

Fundamentals of Acoustics

Acoustic engineering requires powerful tools covering the entire measurement chain. We offer a comprehensive toolbox – from microphones to data acquisition systems and software for analysis, storage and sharing. Post-processing options allow you to create an efficient, and streamlined workflow customized for your needs.

Explore Acoustic Measurement and Analysis by Application

sound speakers, a record player and a sound panel

Acoustic performance has become increasingly important as consumers demand high quality audio in every situation, whether this concerns handsets, headsets, loudspeakers, hearing aids, microphones, or any other device reproducing music or transmitting speech Today, based on our accumulated knowledge and experience, we offer a variety of test systems, audio analyzers, and transducers for electroacoustic applications. 

microphones held in a circle applied in Noise Source Identification on vehicles, aircraft, power tools, household goods and wind turbines

Noise Source Identification (NSI) techniques help to optimize the noise emissions of products and their components – on vehicles, aircraft, power tools, household goods, wind turbines and much more. Identifying the most important sub-sources of noise in terms of position, frequency content and sound power radiation helps decide where design changes can most effectively reduce overall noise radiation.

Reverberation room with an BKSV (now HBK) rotating boom stand Type 3923 for sound power measurement

The increasing requirements for indoor and outdoor noise levels set by international standards and legislation mean that today’s manufacturers must be able to provide precise specifications for their products’ noise levels. For determining the noise emissions of products, sound power is the preferred quantity to investigate because it measures the absolute power of a noise source independently from its acoustic environment.

Acoustic page application

Road traffic and aircraft noise are among the most widespread environmental noise problems globally and closely linked to negative health effects. As a result, they are subject to stringent national and international regulations. Aircraft certified for airworthiness must also comply with increasingly high noise standard requirements to receive a noise certification. And for each category of ground vehicles, government agencies set pass-by noise emission limits – critical regulations that must be respected and are a requirement for all automotive OEMs as part of product certification.

seats of an airplane submitted to an acoustic material testing

With growing focus on noise control issues, the effect of materials in construction and as insulation makes a huge difference to the acoustic experience – the use of special materials can, for example, transform a space, keep vehicles within legal exterior noise limits, or create a noise-free environment. Acoustic material testing is the process for determining the acoustic characteristics of materials in terms of absorption, reflection, impedance, admittance and transmission loss, and is becoming increasingly relevant to engineers, designers and manufacturers from a broad range of industries. 

Transmission loss

Transmission loss measurements are used for comparisons of the acoustic attenuation of different materials, in analytical models used in the design of materials and components, and for verification of materials before they are turned into components.

Road surface absorption measurement

Affixed directly to the road surface, the system measures the absorption coefficient of the asphalt mixture non-destructively. The system uses a two-microphone, transfer-function method, to measure simultaneously at all frequencies.

Acoustic material testing

Acoustic material testing is used to determine the acoustic characteristics (for example, absorption coefficient) of materials in order to control noise issues, thereby increasing cabin comfort in the ground transportation and aerospace industries.

woman and man doing acoustic quality analysis and vibration production line testing

Drives in electric cars pose special requirements for EoL systems. In the case of quiet electric cars, possible eDrive production inaccuracies can cause significant disturbing noise. The use of acoustic measurement technology thus increases production efficiency and manufacturing quality in the direction of zero errors. 

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