The new Blachford acoustics laboratory

Abstract

In 1968, HL Blachford, Inc. constructed their first acoustics laboratory next to their Troy, Michigan plant. This laboratory consisted of a 216-m3 reverberation room with an adjacent large hemianechoic room approximately 12 m long, 5 m wide, and 4.5 m high. After several ownership changes, a plant that used to belong to HL Blachford, Inc. was purchased in 1995 by HL Blachford Ltd. of Canada, and became the new headquarters of a new company called Blachford, Inc. It quickly became obvious that a new laboratory was required for vehicle testing and acoustical material development. The design of a new facility began in 1997 and was based on the old laboratory; however, the new design incorporates design changes to increase the capacity, capabilities, and quality of the facility. The new laboratory is currently under construction and features a larger hemi-anechoic room, approximately 15 m long, 9 m wide, and 6 m high, and a nonadjacent 200-m3 reverberation room with several horizontal and vertical test sections for vehicle component and material testing.