Mercury Marine Opens NVH Technical Center in Fond du Lac

Only eight months after breaking ground, Mercury Marine has officially opened a new state-of-the-art expansion at its global headquarters in Fond du Lac. 

The two-story NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) Technical Center adds close to 20,000 additional square feet to the more than 2.5 million square-foot campus.  This $10M investment to Mercury’s global headquarters gives the company the largest and most expansive testing facility in the marine industry.  In total, Mercury has invested more than $1B globally in expansion and R&D since 2008

NVH is the engineering practice of studying noise, vibration and harshness characteristics; these are integral to the boating experience, ensuring the quietest and most peaceful engine for the consumer.  The new technical center houses two marine-specific hemi-anechoic chambers, structural dynamic testing bays, listening rooms, offices and workspaces.

The new facility is Mercury’s third major expansion in the last 20 months.  In early 2017, Mercury officially opened its new $24 million EDP paint plant and in April 2017, Mercury commissioned a 4,500-ton high-pressure die-cast machine, the largest in North America.

The two story building which is nearly 20,000 square-foot Technical Center will contain:

• Two marine-specific hemi-anechoic chambers designed to provide a consistent test environment that mimics being out on the open water without any outside noises present;
• Structural dynamic testing bays for the measurement and analysis of the NVH properties of engines, components, and full configurations on boats of up to 45 feet in length and up to 12 feet in beam;
• A listening (playback) room; and
• Offices and workspaces for NVH engineers and technicians.