Employee Profile: Dr. Ken Kendall, Technical Director
We believe Blachford Acoustics is unique in the industry. Why? Because we have our own in-house UK research and development team led by renowned chemist Dr. Ken Kendall.
Our specialty lies in vehicular sound proofing – agricultural, construction and earth-moving (ACE) vehicles in particular. It is through Ken’s extensive knowledge of polyurethane (PU or PUR), however that Blachford is able to develop world-leading turnkey acoustic solutions for vehicle manufacturers.
By having our own dedicated research and development team on site at our UK headquarters in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, we are able to respond quickly to customer needs. Additionally, Blachford is able to push boundaries, innovate and develop products and technology that manufacturers can adopt to further enhance the acoustic properties of their vehicles.
Ken has a passion for polyurethane that stretches back (no pun intended) more than 30 years.
His love affair with polymers began in 1977 at The University of Manchester where he read Chemistry before going on to achieve a PhD in Polymer Science in 1983. Since then he has worked in a number of leading global laboratories which specialize in polyurethane foams and elastomers, honing his knowledge and experience in these materials.
It was through his work with one employer, that Ken was instrumental in the development of ground-breaking shock absorption materials for sports people, including knee pads for the Canadian Ski Team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. That year the team secured two gold and silver medals.
By his own admission it is the ‘versatility’ of PU that fascinates Ken. He said: “You can do almost anything with polyurethane. The urethane link is a very defined sequence of atoms. Between that sequence of atoms there are all kind of chemicals you can add and that’s what gives you the versatility of urethane. It’s a tremendously exciting material to work with.”
Born and bred in Redditch, a town known for manufacturing, Dr. Kendall has always been interested in science.
Although he joined Blachford UK as its Technical Director in 2016, his relationship with the business goes back to 2012. He previously worked with Jason Lippitt, Managing Director of Blachford Acoustics Group UK and it was he who enticed Ken to join the business as its Technical Director as part of Blachford’s World Class journey.
Ken’s long career in the industry means he has also developed relationships with important suppliers of key materials within the PU industry, giving him easy access to a myriad of chemicals which has assisted Blachford’s capability in developing new products.
He added: “I am very lucky to work for a company that is outward looking and wants to innovate. Having the freedom to experiment means the team and I can develop products for customers more quickly than our competitors and also enables us to innovate beyond client specifications.”
Embodying Blachford’s forward thinking approach, Ken will shortly be showcasing a number of innovations in vehicle acoustics that he and his team have developed at the 2019 IVT Expo being held in Cologne, Germany.
Products being unveiled at the Expo include floor mats with sensitive electronics embedded within them, anti-scratch and foam floor mats, protective polyethylene films and two-color floor mats.
Being able to bring five new technologies to market at once is testament to not only Dr. Ken’s expertise but also the fact Blachford UK has an in-house lab and its own dedicated research and development team.
On-site experts like Dr. Ken, are enabling Blachford to not only stand out but lead in the field of developing and manufacturing acoustic and thermal insulation components.
If you’re visiting the IVT Expo 2019, find Ken and the Blachford Acoustics team in Hall 11 on stand 3010.
To find out more about how Blachford Acoustics’ pioneering research and development team can help your business, contact us.
Customers Who Trust Blachford Acoustics Group
“Blachford eliminated SKUs. Across product families, the reduction of one SKU is a $10k savings. Blachford eliminated 14 SKUs.”
– Noise Control Research Engineer – Construction Equipment Manufacturer
“The first project with Blachford, it was a definite quality improvement, and it was over a million dollar yearly cost savings for just the purchase parts themselves. We went from 28 (SKU) parts to 14.”
– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer
“Noise is important to brand image. It is one of the top factors along with driveability and reliability. Acoustics – it’s a 4 out of 5, it might even be a 5 in importance projecting the image, the brand, and the quality that we want projected to the market.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
“Our ten-fold growth prior to our acquisition was expedited by our working relationship with Blachford.”
– Design Engineer
“For our shareholders, we have to produce a product at the lowest cost, at the right level of quality and sell it at the highest price we can. We look for suppliers who can help us do that. Blachford helps us do that.”
– Global Procurement Manager – Construction Equipment Manufacturer
“When a company does a spec, boundary conditions like humidity that day, temperature, that all matters. ASPM national or international spec. We try to verify where we can, but we don’t even have the equipment they have. We trust their specifications. Blachford brings innovative ideas, processes, materials, and offerings we value.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
“Then, bringing them in at the beginning with our new product design, it probably saved 6-12 months of development. We didn’t just wa nt the spec sheet value. We wanted customers to get in the machine and experience the difference.”
– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer
“If we have an acoustics issue, we will reach out to Blachford since they are the experts. It saves us money because we do not have to keep an acoustic expert on site with an annual salary, with benefits, of $125K.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
“As a mechanical engineer, we make stuff that is practical and affordable and Blachford’s materials routinely help me reach these goals.”
– Design Engineer
“We [purchasing department] reported savings of $100k annually from moving to the die-cut solution using Blachford.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
Customers Who Trust Blachford Acoustics Group
“Blachford eliminated SKUs. Across product families, the reduction of one SKU is a $10k savings. Blachford eliminated 14 SKUs.”
– Noise Control Research Engineer – Construction Equipment Manufacturer
“The first project with Blachford, it was a definite quality improvement, and it was over a million dollar yearly cost savings for just the purchase parts themselves. We went from 28 (SKU) parts to 14.”
– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer
“Noise is important to brand image. It is one of the top factors along with driveability and reliability. Acoustics – it’s a 4 out of 5, it might even be a 5 in importance projecting the image, the brand, and the quality that we want projected to the market.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
“Our ten-fold growth prior to our acquisition was expedited by our working relationship with Blachford.”
– Design Engineer
“For our shareholders, we have to produce a product at the lowest cost, at the right level of quality and sell it at the highest price we can. We look for suppliers who can help us do that. Blachford helps us do that.”
– Global Procurement Manager – Construction Equipment Manufacturer
“When a company does a spec, boundary conditions like humidity that day, temperature, that all matters. ASPM national or international spec. We try to verify where we can, but we don’t even have the equipment they have. We trust their specifications. Blachford brings innovative ideas, processes, materials, and offerings we value.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
“Then, bringing them in at the beginning with our new product design, it probably saved 6-12 months of development. We didn’t just wa nt the spec sheet value. We wanted customers to get in the machine and experience the difference.”
– Design Engineer – Heavy Equipment Manufacturer
“If we have an acoustics issue, we will reach out to Blachford since they are the experts. It saves us money because we do not have to keep an acoustic expert on site with an annual salary, with benefits, of $125K.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
“As a mechanical engineer, we make stuff that is practical and affordable and Blachford’s materials routinely help me reach these goals.”
– Design Engineer
“We [purchasing department] reported savings of $100k annually from moving to the die-cut solution using Blachford.”
– Design Engineer – Truck Manufacturer
It’s Easy to Get Started
STEP 1:
COMPLETE OUR GET STARTED FORM
Give us some basic information about your sound, vibration or thermal reduction goals.
STEP 2:
COLLABORATE WITH OUR EXPERTS
Our team of engineers will work with you to uncover all issues and identify possible solutions.
