Noise control versus shock and vibration engineering

Abstract

Noise control and shock and vibration engineering have many fundamentals in common and many analogous practical constraints. Yet, in many respects they tend to be opposite in methodology, philosophy, and past history. The present discussion is an attempt to present the point of view of the practicing engineer, in either field, who has some perspective on the historical origins of his art. It focuses on aspects that epitomize the practical objectives of such engineers plus any administrators, lawyers, etc., who may also be involved in team efforts. For noise control, the aspects chosen are establishment of regulations, monitoring, and design or other actions intended to bring about compliance with regulations. For shock and vibration engineering, they are establishment of environmental specifications to ensure reliability, environmental testing in accordance with these, and design or redesign to bring about compliance with test requirements and also (we hope) to bring about reliability without severe penalties in weight, schedule, or cost. This is not to say that these aspects in their barest sense represent all the technology or methodology that is pertinent, or even that these limited aspects will be treated comprehensively. It is almost self-evident that the Acoustical Society of America should and does maintain beneficial relationship with medical, psychological, mechanical engineering, and other societies that report their particular developing lore of fundamentals and some practical information from their particular viewpoint. The Acoustical Society is an important part of this spectrum by virtue of its interdisciplinary coverage, extending through materials, dynamics, sound, instrumentation, and electronics to speech and hearing. But it is also worthwhile for the ASA, by whatever means are available, to sample the flavor of various disciplines as unified and value-weighted in accordance with typical practical objectives. For this reason, the developing beneficial relationships with the Institute of Noise Control (INCE) and the Shock and Vibration Information Center (SVIC) will become increasingly important.