Most don't associate noise and quality control with big profits, but some innovative minds at Wayne State University are and they are looking to make a nice chunk of change from it.
SenSound, a higher-education spin-off company born in the Wayne State College of Engineering, has developed a new technology called SenQC that can "see sound in 3-D," according to the company's founder Sergio Mazza. He hopes it will prove to be an innovative method for detecting defects in products before they reach the market.
SenSound, founded in early 2004, has grown to 11 employees since its founding and is selling its system in markets like Japan, China and India. This global growth has lead to plans to hire four more people by the end of the year for SenSound, a recent addition to Detroit's TechTown.
"Noise-related quality control testing has been challenging and costly, often requiring anechoic chambers or sound enclosures to test for acoustic quality or noise indicated defects," Mazza says. "SenQC will open the door to a new way of quality control testing for manufacturers and suppliers in transportation, consumer products, industrial equipment and a number of other industries."
The technology will allow manufactures to differentiate sounds produced by a specific product from other white noise created by neighboring devices, such as HVAC systems or other machinery. Pinpointing certain noises allows the manufacturers to find defects and fix them before they end up in the marketplace. SenSound has used this method to test things as complicated as jet cabins and as simple as window blind springs.
The key is to find these defects early, allowing the manufactures to correct the problem sooner rather than later. That in turn will significantly cut down on the expensive warranty, repair and replacement costs. Although such general sound detection methods are not brand new, SenQC is in the way that it streamlines the process, making it cheaper and easier.
"Squeaks, rattles and other unwanted sounds are indicators of product defects in a variety of settings," says Wayne W. Schultz, President of ATW – ATT, a firm working with SenSound. "Noise consistency or sound signature is also an important attribute of many products. SenQC will offer a novel and cost effective way to screen products for defects before they leave the factory, resulting in reduction of expensive warranty, support and repair costs."
Detroit-based SenSound's diagnostic software creates three-dimensional digital images of sound as it travels through space and time. The software is unique in its ability to quickly, accurately and cost effectively map sound sources on arbitrary three-dimensional surfaces.
Source: Sergio Mazza, founder of SenSound
Writer: Jon Zemke
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