Welcome to this edition of e-news

One thing’s for certain, with noise on the increase the future for noise control products and systems looks bright. People everywhere want quieter working environments and now many OEMs recognise noise attenuation as a means to competitive advantage. The worldwide automotive industry is a case in point – and with quieter vehicles being simply more desirable, IAC’s anechoic test chamber business is entering one of its busiest years yet. We hope your business is continuing to flourish and thank you for your custom.

Kind regards

Sincerely

Brian Quarendon
CEO and Group President

HISTORIC HOSPITAL OPTS FOR STATE-OF-THE-ART IAC AUDIOLOGY SUITE

One of the UK's most historic hospitals, St Mark's in Maidenhead, Berkshire is home to two new state-of-the-art Audiology test rooms. The facility has been commissioned by IAC in a bid to improve hearing services for patients within the town and local community, comply with current national standards and cater for the increased demand for hearing services.

Tony Argyrou is part of IAC's Medical Project Management team: "The Trust recognised that their 20-year-old facility was no longer able to meet demand and was too often necessitating patient retesting. It was time to upgrade. This new facility eliminates background noise so they'll not longer see artificial depression of low frequency thresholds. We've eliminated reverberation from loudspeakers so that now thresholds across the frequency range can be more accurately tested, particularly in children. Threshold testing is apparently a key part of the work of the hospital, so this will save time giving best results first time round."

These two fully air conditioned audiometric test rooms are located within what was formerly the Pharmacy suite. Constructed on a room-within-a-room basis, within a completely refurbished ground floor traditional-build shell, with good solid external and partition walls.

A quadruple-glazed, tinted acoustic window links the Control Room with Test Room One, while the Noiselock acoustic 'link' doors have double magnetic seals for superior noise isolation. Each room is finished internally with attractive wall fabric covering, carpets to the floors and mineral tile acoustic ceilings. The electrical system comprises 3-compartment dado trunking complete with 'full' VRA wiring, dimmable high frequency lighting and a special cable transit system for connection of specialist equipment from the Control Room directly into Test Room One. The complete facility provides a comfortable and stylish work environment for patients and the audiology team.

Pauline Warner is Head of Audiology at the Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead Primary Care Trust, where a team of 25 clinical and administrative staff conducts some 35,000 patient contacts per year. She personally campaigned to secure the facility for St Mark's so that now they meet National Standards and give Maidenhead families access to a properly equipped tertiary paediatric service. As an accredited national training centre for audiologists and clinical scientists, the facility also provides a better training environment to their students.

More information on IAC's high performance audiology booths and rooms can be found on http://www.industrialacoustics.com by contacting Jason Saunders, IAC's Business Manager on + 44 (0)1962 873027

IAC STUDIO FOR LEADING CABLE TV PROVIDER NTL

IAC Studios has designed and installed a custom-designed state-of-the-art TV studio for leading cable telecomms provider, NTL, in their Feltham, Middlesex location.

In a contract worth over £200K the new studio was designed as an extension to an existing studio complex within an older building shell. The studio was built using IAC’s patented Moduline system – modular pre-manufactured acoustic panels – to highly stringent acoustic criteria.

High compressive-strength flooring was used for smooth tracking of the TV cameras, while a GPS-controlled tracking system was fitted to the ceiling panels to enable remote control of the cameras themselves. IAC also supplied integral steelwork within the roof panels of the studio for mounting the studio lighting grid. All inlet and outlets of the fan coil units of the air conditioning system were fitted with IAC custom-engineered sound attenuators.

From the date of approval, the studio took just 8 weeks to deliver and a night-time build minimised disruption. (IAC goes the extra mile!)

Tony Argyrou, Project Manager, Studios said: “This contract is one of a number we have supplied to NTL over the years – our contribution to their growth to become one of the UK’s leading cable companies.”

For further information contact Ian Rich, Manager, Studios on + 44 (0)1962 873025 ianr@iacl.co.uk

IAC IN TOP GEAR IN CHINA

IAC's Group HQ in Winchester UK and the Industrial Acoustics Company in China will be taking part in the Automotive Testing Expo 2006 China (6-8 September) at the Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The automotive industry in China is growing fast and this means great market opportunities for IAC’s anechoic chamber technology.

This is the first trade show ever to be held in China, and will focus entirely on the technologies for automotive testing. The show is taking place in Shanghai, the base of China's biggest carmaker. IAC’s presence at the Show will bring us to the attention of engineers and senior management from within China's entire automotive market sector.

For more information in the UK contact Graham Dale on + 44 (0)1962 873024 grahamd@iacl.co.uk

T5 ORDERS TOP £1M

The IAC UK Building Services team has secured another substantial order for Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5. This latest order, worth over £200K, is for the design, supply and installation of acoustic fan chambers on the ventilation chimneys within the terminal building. This brings total orders from this project to over £1M.

The terminal building has been dubbed an engineering masterpiece, and will be the largest single span building in the UK: with a roof 39 metres high and a total floor space equivalent to 50 football pitches! Ventilation and temperature control of such a space takes a lot of air movement equipment.

IAC noise control products already supplied to the project include fire rated duct silencers, large fresh air silencers, smoke extract silencers, silencer splitter packs for the AHUs, plantroom acoustic wall panels and doors and acoustic fan plenums.

In the early stages, despite stiff competition IAC Sales Manager, Mike Jackson got IAC selected as the preferred attenuator supplier for the project, while Kevin Shipway, responsible for the project engineering and logistics, has consistenly excelled on delivery performance – both factors were key in winning this additional contract.

For more information visit www.iacbuildingservices.co.uk or call Mike Jackson on + 44 (0)1962 873011 mikej@iacl.co.uk

IAC ANECHOIC CHAMBERS SHOWCASED AT LEADING EUROPEAN SHOW

IAC GmbH took part in Automotive Testing Expo in Stuttgart from 9-10 May. The show is a key annual meeting point for the European automotive industry as a whole including many automotive suppliers.

IAC has supplied 100s of anechoic test chambers to the automotive industry, many of which using IAC’s patented Metadyne metal wedge technology. Silent cabin environments, and quiet engines and gear boxes and so on, give manufacturers competitive edge. IAC is their partner in innovation. IAC test chambers comply with all international technical and acoustic performance standards.

Volker Horchens is Operations Manager: “We always have good meetings with IAC clients and attract new customers at this Show. The Show was successful for us again this year and manufacturers from all over Europe visited our stand including Volkswagen and Peugeot and we had interest from other large OEMs in Denmark and the UK.”

For more information in the UK contact Graham Dale, Manager Industrial on + 44 (0)1962 873024 grahamd@iacl.co.uk

IAC AVIATION FLIES HIGH WITH KUWAIT ROYAL AIR FORCE

Following the successful refurbishment of two IAC-built F404 Hush Houses for the Kuwait Royal Air Force last year, IAC Aviation has now secured two substantial follow-on orders.

IAC Aviation is one of the world’s leading specialist turnkey aero-engine testing solutions providers, offering design, build and full refurbishment services.

The first of these is for In Service Support providing servicing and a range of training and servicing services; the second contract is for upgrading the facilities with the replacement and repair of certain major systems, together with an upgrade to the existing Automatic Data Acquisition Processing System.

The Hush Houses, based at Ahmed Al Jaber and at Ali Al Salem, both accommodate the F/A-18 fighter aircraft. The latter also accommodates the Hawk Trainer. Both facilities are utilised for installed and uninstalled testing.

David Swartfigure, Commercial Business Manager of IAC Aviation, said: “Securing these contracts now gives us the opportunity to cement the first-class working relationship we have developed with both the Customer Project Team and the Hush House End-Users during last year. This new work has been under discussion for many months and we can now look forward to delivering further first-class product in support of these important test facilities.”

Contact Gordon Edwards on + 44 (0)1962 873000 gordone@iacl.co.uk or visit www.iacaviation.com

Winchester’s Heavy Duty Shop team claimed top prize in the first quarterly contest of 5S improvements on all the factory lines and transport maintenance and stores.

In a bid to increase shop floor efficiency, Toyota’s acclaimed 5S set of techniques was introduced in January this year, providing a standard approach to housekeeping within our Lean Manufacturing.

Matt Riley is the IAC UK’s 5S Co-ordinator: “Applying the 5S system - Sort, Straighten, Shine, Systemise and Sustain - is bringing dividends, creating a more pleasant environment in the factory along with heightened efficiency”

Four of the team (l-r), Chris Dominey, Terry Pennial, Don Gould and Gil Broom, are seen here aboard their ‘flight’ on the London Eye.