NVH foam components by CFS reduce noise from outboard engines

CFS helped a manufacturer perfect a marine motor.

Custom Foam Systems Ltd. (CFS) has helped many customers increase their competitiveness with unmatched foam solutions. In one case, a world-class marine-sector manufacturer required NVH foam components with complex properties to reduce the deafening noise of a new outboard marine engine with the simplicity of a two-stroke design.

Since the required foam material did not exist commercially, it was up to the CFS team to solve the issue.

Effective, sustainable noise reduction

The manufacturer needed an effective, sustainable way to reduce the noise level to that of a four-stroke engine by insulating the top bonnet cover and two lower panels encasing the motor with NVH foam components. The application required complex specifications, making integral-skin (ISKIN) foam the ideal solution. As there was no suitable material on the market, CFS needed to develop a custom foam formula that would creatively expand ISKIN technology.

The CFS Advanced Product Quality Planning team applied its material expertise, experience, and development processes to optimize the foam sound-insulation properties through these factors:

• Customized material technology. CFS needed to custom-develop an integral skin foam system, and the foam density needed to be half that of standard ISKIN. Strong water and oil resistance would be necessary for the tough environment.
• Part size and complexity. The project would require four ½-pound parts with many thick and thin areas to fill every void between the engine and outer plastic cover.
• Highly productive manufacturing. To meet cycle-time goals and achieve target prices, CFS needed to mould two large parts and establish a foam system that could process quickly. This entailed developing a large mould clamping facility.

The test plaque samples were more than satisfactory, so the team completed the product-design and -development stage of the process. After developing production tools, CFS executed a prototype run to assess flow and fill characteristics. Then came a pilot manufacturing run to ensure product and process validation – and finally, production of the NVH foam components.

With this proven CFS process, the customer succeeded with the engine – and hired the company for a similar project afterwards.

For more information, contact CFS.

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