ARS to Present at Penn State’s Center for Acoustics and Vibration

Acoustic Research Systems (ARS) will visit Penn State on October 27, 2026, to share an industry perspective on Direct Field Acoustic Noise (DFAN) testing. Daniel Hayes, Director of Testing and Operations, and Ed Heyd, Director of Business Development, will present as part of the Center for Acoustics and Vibration’s (CAV) seminar series.

Their talk will explore both the aerospace applications of DFAN testing and the loudspeaker technology (the ARS Neutron^TM system) behind the test environment, connecting the demands of flight hardware testing with the engineering required to generate and control acoustic energy.

Hayes and Heyd will also share ARS’s approach to aerospace dynamic testing and discuss ongoing development efforts that could offer opportunities for future collaboration with the Penn State community

A Forum for Research and Industry Perspectives

CAV hosts technical seminars throughout the academic year, featuring its own members alongside invited speakers from other universities, government agencies, and industry. The format brings different perspectives into the university’s acoustics and vibration community, with past presentations covering subjects ranging from structural dynamics to NASA research on aircraft noise.

These exchanges reflect the center’s broader purpose. Established in 1989, CAV supports basic and applied research, graduate education, and the transfer of technology to industry. Today, it brings together faculty, graduate students, and staff across Penn State’s College of Engineering and Applied Research Laboratory.

For ARS, the value of participating is the opportunity to connect practical testing experience with academic research. Sharing the challenges encountered in industry can give students context for their studies while opening discussions with researchers about questions that merit further investigation.

A Return to Penn State

For Heyd, the visit carries personal significance. A graduate of Penn State’s Mechanical Engineering program, he has maintained a connection with CAV for more than three decades. Returning as a seminar speaker offers an opportunity to reconnect with that community and contribute experience gained through his work in structural acoustics and aerospace testing.

ARS looks forward to joining Penn State’s students, faculty, and researchers for a discussion about current testing practices, emerging engineering questions, and potential areas of shared interest.

Explore CAV’s seminar series.