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Automotive Audio Supply Chain

Audio Product Development Perspectives

September 1, 2021
9:00 AM Pacific (12:00 PM Eastern)

Overview

The AES Audio Product Education Institute (APEI) promotes a special online event discussing the challenges in the automotive supply chain for those companies and professionals working in automotive audio and acoustics. With contributions offering unique perspectives and expertise from APEI’s distinct education pillars, the session will present an overview of the challenges in the automotive acoustics supply chain and outline growing product development requirements for this very complex market. 
 
Following an overview of the evolution of the supply chain eco-system and how it has developed into an extremely complicated system that requires a multitude of skills and requirements, the event will detail key trends that determine success in the current automotive audio environment. With the evolution of the supply chain moving from Europe and North America to Asia the current conditions present not only design and development challenges, but also advanced global logistics coordination in many areas within the supply chain.
 
APEI’s educational pillar chairs will explore the automotive supply chain looking at the history of audio in the vehicle, and how it has gone from “speakers in a car” to “branded infotainment systems”. Addressing hardware development, the session will discuss transducer and systems development that include the various challenges of coordinated design efforts, branded audio systems requirements, certification requirements, materials supply continuity and logistics coordination.
 
The unique interaction between APEI’s various pillars will also outline specifics within the automotive environment, including the importance of in-cabin testing and modeling in order to reduce time to market and increase the user experience; How to plan and forecast product development cycles correctly, predict and plan for the unexpected, and learn from actual cases; Making the “right choices” for the audio systems aligned with specific vehicles; And consumer trends driving audio solutions.
 
Joining this first event focused on automotive supply chain challenges will be:
Steve F. Willenborg

VP of Sales, Linkplay Technology, Campbell, California, USA

An international executive with a strong background in engineering and business development for multiple product market segments, Steve’s career spans for over 35 years, covering audio, consumer electronics and automotive. At Linkplay Technology, Steve is directly involved in supporting some of the largest corporations, cutting-edge companies and brands in the development of smart audio solutions, software/firmware development, and wireless audio, device cloud software and streaming content integration. Before Linkplay, Steve worked for NPD Development (Shenzhen, China), Scan Speak (Denmark) and Premier Sound Group (Shenzhen, China), all business units of Eastech Holding, managing global auto OEM product development, and operation teams located in China, Denmark, Singapore and the USA. Previously he worked with Materion Corporation, Tymphany Corporation, Zylux Acoustic, Harman International, and General Motors.

Mike Klasco

CEO, Menlo Scientific, Richmond, California, USA

Mike Klasco is the president of Menlo Scientific, an audio consulting firm for the loudspeaker industry, located in Richmond, CA. He is a graduate from New York University, with post graduate work in signal processing, and he holds multiple patents licensed or assigned. For the past 35 years, since founding Menlo Scientific, he has worked on product development, design and technical support, liaison between suppliers and manufacturing facilities, sourcing guidance, and certification for a large number of companies. Mike specializes in materials and fabrication techniques to enhance audio performance, has over 500 articles published in audio magazines and technical journals, and to this day continues to be a regular contributor for audioXpress and Voice Coil magazines. He presented papers at the Acoustical Society of America, held positions as Session Organizer for the Audio Engineering Society, Chairman of the Committee on Acoustics, and is an AES Life Member.
Roger Shively

JJR Acoustics, LLC - Seattle, WA USA

Roger is a Co-founder and Principal of JJR Acoustics. He has over 34 years of experience in engineering research and development, with significant experience in product realization and in launching new products at OEM manufacturers around the world. Before co-founding JJR Acoustics in 2011, Roger worked as Chief Engineer of Acoustic Systems as well as functional manager for North American and Asian engineering product development teams in the Automotive Division of Harman International Industries Inc; a journey that began in 1986.
Roger received his degree in Acoustical Engineering from Purdue University in 1983, and finished post-graduate work in the field of finite element analysis. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society, Acoustical Society of America, and Society of Automotive Engineering. He has published numerous research papers and articles in the areas of transducers, automotive audio, psychoacoustics, and computer modeling. Roger also holds US and International Patents related to the design of advanced acoustic systems and applications particularly in the field of automotive audio. Roger is Co-Chair of the AES Automotive Audio Technical Committee.