January 31, 2023 Vita Unveils State-of-the-art Sound Reduction Testing

The Vita Group, one of Europe’s leading providers of flexible polyurethane (PU) foam, has taken its R&D capabilities to the next level.

Middleton based Vitec, part of The Vita Group has invested in the installation of an Alpha cabin, which provides in-depth data on the acoustic insulation and noise absorption properties of foam products. This will help Vita further formulate materials and composites with optimum noise reduction levels for end users in a range of  market sectors.

Vitec can now conduct innovative, high-end audio testing within its own research department. This allows the R&D team to test more batches and to react to customer demands or in-house R&D breakthroughs at a faster rate.

Understanding the acoustic properties of foam is vital for a number of applications, including making cars and planes relaxing environments, reducing noise transfer between multi-occupancy residences and achieving a high level of sound quality in cinemas and other auditoriums. Knowing how sounds travels through foam also helps minimise disturbances from noisy appliances such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning units as well as lowering potential hearing damage risks in loud industrial spaces by quietening heavy machinery and equipment.

Thanks to investments such as the Alpha cabin and the expertise of the Middleton Innovation Centre, Vita’s team can tailor foam solutions to absorb specific frequencies. This means that if a particular nuisance frequency is known then the foam can be adjusted to best meet the challenge at hand.

Stuart Roby, Technical and Flooring Division Managing Director at The Vita Group, said: “Having the Alpha cabin at our Middleton Innovation Centre is an exciting development. It opens up a number of opportunities  for our research into noise-tackling foam solutions. It opens up multiple opportunities for research into noise-tackling foam solutionsThere is a demand for noise reduction systems of this kind, with everyone from data centres to manufacturing hubs and theatres all eager to find out how they can solve tricky sound-related issues.  and noise reduction systems, for which there is huge demand in the market. Whether it is data centres, manufacturing hubs or theatres, we can now support all our customers’ needs to solve tricky sound-related issues.

“Our ability to quickly turn around state-of-the-art tests and then use this information to tailor foams for specific situations has streamlined the research process, making us the ideal partner for companies that want to find out how foam can solve their acoustic challenges and concerns.”

About The Vita Group    
The Vita Group is one of Europe’s leading flexible foam solutions providers. Built on over 70 years of heritage, Vita develops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of value-added and differentiated flexible polyurethane foam, Talalay latex and flooring products.    

Vita has three divisions – Comfort, Technical and Flooring – which cater for customers across a broad set of industries, including Bed-in-a-Box, mattresses and bedding, furniture, hygiene and medical, mobility, construction, and flooring, amongst others. The Company’s pan-European operating base is well-positioned to serve local, regional, and multi-national customers across Europe and provide innovative and value-added products and applications worldwide.      

The Vita Group is proud to sit at the vanguard of innovation and sustainability and has been working to improve our sustainable practices for over 50 years. Our innovation teams, from across our four dedicated innovation centres, work with academic, supply chain and customer partners to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of development. 2022 saw the launch of our first sustainability report; “Enhancing Everyday Life’, which outlined our position and road map for achieving our sustainable goals. Vita has signed with the UN (United Nation) Global Compact, been awarded a gold EcoVadis rating, and is proud to be the first flexible PU foam manufacturer globally to have our Science Based Targets verified by the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative).

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