Freudenberg’s innovative SoundTex in Delhi International Airport Terminal 3

The balance of international air travel is shifting. The importance of Europe and North America is receding, because these regions cannot keep pace with growth in the emerging economies. Asia is the rising star. The Indian aviation market, which has enjoyed massive growth over the last ten years, offers good long-term prospects. According to the experts, air travel in India could be handling between 150 and 180 million passengers per year by 2020 compared with the current figure of approximately 70 million. The end is not in sight as India seeks further economic growth and must expand air traffic for this purpose. A gleaming example of this investment is Delhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 which opened in 2010. Its design pays careful attention to every detail needed to make the time that up to 34 million people per year spend in the terminal as pleasant as possible. The bustle of the city and the noise from the planes as they take off is not to be allowed to penetrate the building. So acoustics inside the airport play an important role. Freudenberg Group engineers developed an ingenious solution and supplied SoundTex, a high-performance acoustic nonwoven that significantly improves room acoustics by shortening reverberation time.
 
“When the airport project team heard about our solution, things moved very quickly. Our acoustic nonwoven cuts noise significantly and the engineers immediately understood how important good room acoustics are for making people feel comfortable,” says Jochen Bechtum, Freudenberg Nonwovens Project Manager. SoundTex was used on over 1,40,000 square meters of ceiling. “We are proud of this prestigious project. Our contribution serves first and foremost to improve noise protection locally. And the fast-growing volume of air traffic in India opens numerous long-term market opportunities for us as well,” Jochen Bechtum explains.
 
The new sound experience at Delhi International Airport is audible and perceptible for every passenger passing by. The acoustics are something special, but many people probably will not notice the Freudenberg product because SoundTex blends perfectly with its surroundings. Passengers are stressed or preoccupied with their tasks. SoundTex absorbs much of the noise and that is precisely what makes it possible to relax a little.
 
The acoustic nonwoven does not present a health hazard, either – there is no fiber fly – and its textile structure and low weight are a major advantage over other acoustic insulation materials. SoundTex complies with the stringent requirements of environmentally-friendly sustainable building. Warehousing and packaging costs are significantly lower than those incurred for mineral wool. Even though SoundTex is only 0.2 millimetres thick, it improves room acoustics by shortening reverberation time. So it is hardly surprising that SoundTex can be found in highly-frequented areas all over the world. The benefits have also been recognized at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai and Amritsar Airport in Punjab as well as in the construction of the Delhi Metro.
 
Freudenberg has held business ties with customers and partners in India for nearly 100 years. The combined sales of its nine operating business units in India stood at Rs. 558 crores in 2009. The Group operates at over 26 facilities across regions in India.

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