Construction of Mercury Marine’s new $10 million Noise, Harshness and Vibration (NVH) facility is officially beginning. The news of yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony was announced in a press release today from the Fond du Lac, Wis., marine engine and accessories.

Mercury Marine continues to invest in creating a more-pleasant powerboating experience. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

According to release, “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 will contain two marine-specific hemi-anechoic chambers, structural dynamic testing bays, listening rooms, offices and workspaces.”

The two-story NVH facility’s first chamber and the office space is scheduled to be completed by October 2018, while the second chamber is targeted to be completed by the end of the year, the release stated. The new addition will add 20,000 square feet to the 2.5-million-square-foot Mercury Marine campus.

“One of the many things that sets Mercury apart from the competition is our investment and commitment to ensuring that every engine we manufacture is the quietest and most reliable engine in the world,” said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine vice president of product development and engineering, in the release. “This new facility will allow us to continue to support NVH development and allow our engineers to study every noise, movement and performance indicator on every engine that enters the market. In the end, our consumers will benefit from a fantastic experience with their Mercury engine.”

With this latest expansion, Mercury Marine has now invested more than $800 million since 2009 in expansion and research and design with “most of the work again being outsourced to Wisconsin-based companies,” according to the release. The NVH facility is Mercury’s third major expansion project in the last 18 months.

In early 2017, Mercury officially opened its new $24 million EDP paint plant. In April 2017, Mercury commissioned a 4,500-ton high-pressure die-cast machine, reportedly the largest in North America.

Features of the NVH Technical Center will include 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. The facility also will have “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 long with 12-foot beams.

“We made a commitment to the community and the marine industry in 2009 that we would grow and invest in the company and we have more than exceeded those commitments,” said Reid. “We will continue to delight boaters with world-class engines and continue to invest in the business. This new facility is another example of our commitment to building the most refined and reliable engines in the marine industry.”

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