Meeting Automotive NVH Standards With Pressure Sensitive Adhesive
Noise is a significant source of pollution affecting human health and quality of life. For instance, prolonged exposure to noise levels exceeding 70db (A) may impact human hearing sensitivity, cause anxiety and induce adverse health effects like hypertension.
Noise pollution comes from various sources, including traffic noise, air traffic, construction sites, and more.
The good news is that automotive manufacturers are utilizing technological advancements to halve noise pollution. In addition, many governments have implemented strict regulations to reduce vehicle noise levels, increasing the demand for NVH materials.
In 2021, the global market for NVH materials hit a value of $11.7 billion and is projected to skyrocket come 2027, reaching $16.3 billion.
This post discusses NVH technology and how manufacturers can meet the NVH standards. First, let’s start with the automotive NVH basics.
What is Automotive NVH?
NVH is a term that describes car noise, vibration, and harshness that cause varying degrees of dissatisfaction. Ideally, all internal combustion engines and drivelines produce some noise and vibration.
While there are some acceptable degrees of noise, vibration, and harshness, extreme NVH levels can impact human health and quality of life.
NVH comes from a car’s electrical and mechanical systems. Additionally, a vehicle’s passage through the air and its interaction with road surfaces contribute to NVH. The primary sources are the engine, tires, and drivetrain.
How Automotive Manufacturers Can Lower NVH
Passengers expect a quiet environment when they ride in a vehicle. Therefore, keeping your vehicle quiet is essential, especially in the passenger compartment, either when the vehicle is at rest, accelerating, or at high speeds.
Luckily, technology has made it easier for manufacturers to lower automotive NVH. The NVH requirements and automotive NVH materials allow your customers to enjoy a quiet, comfortable driving experience.
You can cancel automotive NVH in three basic principles.
First, you start from the source. Aerodynamics affects anything that moves through the air, including airplanes and even cars. It also impacts noise, vibration, and harshness in automobiles.
When the air flows over the car body, any disturbances in its path, especially when the vehicle is at high speeds, create vibrations and noise. Therefore, curbing NVH in automobiles starts with vehicle manufacturers. The shapes, size, and design of your vehicle will affect NVH.
The second way to reduce NVH levels in cars is to isolate the vehicle’s main structure from the source. For this, you need complex suspension technology like independent hydro-pneumatic and multi-link systems to isolate the chassis from road surfaces. This helps reduce unwanted vibrations, allowing for a quiet and comfortable drive.
Also, mounting engine, suspension, and exhaust components on rubber and polyurethane bushings reduce vibrations and noise.
The last option is to use automotive NVH materials to absorb vibrations and noises from car components.
What are the NVH standards?
The modern consumer prefers a quiet, comfortable driving experience. This has compelled original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to create vehicles and components that meet noise, vibration, and harshness standards.
If an automotive brand fails to meet NVH standards, it’ll experience poor vehicle sales and decreased quality perception. Therefore, vehicle manufacturers should conduct NVH testing to ensure their cars meet NVH standards.
NVH vehicle testing involves exposing cars and all components to different vibration frequencies. Although it’s a time-consuming activity, it allows them to identify ideal mode shapes and isolate any noises, rattles, and vibrations. Instruments used to measure NVH include accelerometers, microphones, and load cells or force gauges.
Additionally, you can reach NVH levels using the proper adhesives like pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.
Car Sound Dampening
Sound-dampening materials, also known as sound-deadening materials, can be used to minimize noise and vibrations in vehicles. When you install them in your vehicles, your buyers will enjoy a quieter and more comfortable drive while listening to their favorite music.
There are various sound-dampening materials you can use that vary in effectiveness. The most common sound-deadening materials include:
- Foam
- Fabric
- Mass-loaded vinyl
Sound-deadening materials absorb or block sound waves, reducing noise and vibrations in vehicles. Sometimes, you may require pressure-sensitive tape to install a non-adhesive sound-deadening material in your vehicles.
Finding Suitable Car Sound Dampening Material
Manufacturers are constantly increasing their range of NVH products to reduce vehicles’ noise, vibrations, and harshness. Unfortunately, finding an ideal sound-deadening material makes it challenging and overwhelming. However, we have some tips to help you get soundproofing materials that meet NVH requirements.
First, you want to ensure that the material has excellent sound insulation capabilities to reduce the overall noise levels in your vehicle. Heavy materials are more effective for vehicle sound dampening.
Dense materials are costly but have excellent soundproofing capabilities. However, they are difficult to install and might require specialized tools and equipment.
Additionally, you should look for a durable soundproofing material that can stand the test of time. Some materials are susceptible to moisture and weather damage and may deteriorate within a short period.
While soundproofing your vehicle collection, you also want a material that doubles up as a thermal insulator. Sound-dampening materials with excellent thermal insulation properties will help keep your vehicles cool in summer and hot during winter.
Where Should Sound-Deadening Material Be Placed?
Your sound-deadening materials will be useless if not installed in the right spots. First, you should understand that these materials should be installed in your car’s interior. Some of the standard installation areas include:
- Doors
- Roofs
- Interior floors
- Wheel wells
- Hoods
How Lamart Corporation can help
Lamart Corporation offers multiple automotive coating and tape solutions to prevent squeaking and rattling.
The company has pressure-sensitive tapes, flocked tapes, EMI/RFI shielding tapes/laminates, and underhood heat-reflective tapes, among other solutions. We also create custom products to meet specific customer requirements.
We have a variety of sound-dampening materials, including UHMW tape. This tape has a low friction coefficient hence offering excellent abrasion resistance for sound dampening applications. Therefore, it’s ideal for the appliances and transportation industries.
There are three types of UHMW tape;
Key Takeaways
Vehicle noises can impact human health and the quality of life. This is why the modern consumer demands a quieter and more comfortable driving experience.
As a result, car manufacturers have been at the forefront of lowering automotive NVH. The NVH technology is a significant breakthrough in car sound dampening.
However, it’s essential to use NVH materials that meet NVH standards. Learn more about Lamart corporation’s coating and tape solutions for your automotive manufacturing, or contact our team today.
