Vol. 20 No. 35 (2005): Acústica e Vibrações 35

Welcome Message

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that we host the Internoise 2005 Congress being held from 7 to 10 August 2005 which is sponsored by I-INCE and organized by the Brazilian Acoustical Society (SOBRAC) together with the Ibero-American Federation of Acoustics (FIA). The Congress venue will be the SOFITEL Hotel on the beautiful Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main theme of the Congress is ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE CONTROL, but technical papers in all areas of noise and vibration control are very welcome. This may be your first visit to South America but we doubt it will be your last. At this Internoise 2005 Congress, you will not only exchange information with your international colleagues but will also be able to discover the high potential for noise and vibration control engineering in South America. Brazilian industry is ever-increasing, with products such as passenger jet airplanes, and some of the largest automotive assembly plants in the world, representing major brands. And these are but two of the many categories of South American products for which noise and vibration technology plays a very important role regarding reliability, comfort, and quality. Other categories include hydroelectric and thermal power plants, food industries, domestic appliance manufacturers, construction companies, and many others.

Recently, as a consequence of the worker’s union activities and political changes, a team of government health and safety officers has been created and now enforces noise and vibration limits in the industry. In addition to noise and vibration limits in the workplace, the federal and local governments have specified new environmental limits for noise in residential and other noise-sensitive areas. The effort is been focused on product sound quality improvement in many of the industries.

The birth and growth of SOBRAC in the last 21 years have occurred in parallel to the increasing level and size of the academic and technical community, dealing with acoustics and vibration in Brazil. A significant number of universities and research centers, both governmental and private, have created divisions and labs to address our area, noise and vibration control being the main field of application.

All of these activities require training and consulting, measurement and analysis equipment, noise and vibration prediction tools, control materials, and manufacturing technologies for noise and vibration solutions. Internoise 2005 will provide the opportunity to exchange ideas and make contact with emerging activities on this large continent. We expect a very rich exhibition of worldwide noise and vibration equipment, software, and materials for noise and vibration control. Pre-congress courses and distinguished speakers will provide information on up-to-date technologies in the field. We thus welcome you to Internoise 2005, where you will have a fruitful and enjoyable time in beautiful, tropical Brazil.

Samir N. Y. Gerges, President Internoise 2005

Summary content:

• The 2005 International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering Congress Programme and Abstracts.