ARPRO improves NVH performance in automotive interiors

Automotive engineers are benefitting from a new form of ARPRO in key applications. ARPRO Porous allows OEMs to reduce weight as well as noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), with tests showing noise reduction levels of up to ten times that of alternative materials.

“With the specification creep phenomenon increasing vehicle weight, noise reduction and other quality aspects have to be addressed without adding extra weight or harming quality and environmental performance,” explains Paul Compton, JSP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (Europe).

“JSP can tackle this issue with ARPRO Porous, reducing NVH while assisting in parts consolidation by eliminating the need for other packaging layers that compete for space in the car interior.”

ARPRO Porous is a closed-cell foam that is simultaneously porous and provides a noise reduction solution in a range of other applications such as consumer and construction products. It features air pockets, or voids, within a hollow cylindrical bead structure. The cylindrical beads weigh less than normal ARPRO beads yet retain the same structural integrity and resilience while resisting multiple impacts without damage.

Being 100 percent recyclable, ARPRO Porous is an environmentally friendly material offering sound-absorption properties and the ability to eliminate the requirement for other NVH layers. Test results show enhanced sound absorption with ARPRO Porous over normal expanded polypropylene. “Over a 400 Hz to 10,000 Hz frequency range, test findings show that ARPRO Porous is, at peak, up to ten times more sound absorbent than normal ARPRO of comparable thickness and density,” continues Compton. “Other materials provide similar results but can weigh more and are not as flexible to shape or mould as ARPRO Porous.”

“With demand for ARPRO expected to rise significantly, JSP expects further developments in tailoring ARPRO for the demanding automotive market. ARPRO anti-squeak and weight saving seating solutions are just two of many other derivatives that JSP has developed in collaboration with Europe's leading car manufacturers and their suppliers,” concludes Compton.