3M is playing an important role in improving the visitor experience at one of the nation’s most beloved attractions. New acoustic tiles installed this week in the Great Ape House at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., are helping dramatically reduce noise levels, and allowing visitors to better appreciate the animals and their habitat.

The Great Ape House, home to six western lowland gorillas and six orangutans, is a favorite spot in the Zoo, frequented by families and school groups. Detracting from the experience, though, was the level of noise that bounced from the large amount of glass and concrete used in the space. However, with the installation of 1,430 new acoustic tiles, 3M will help control noise levels and make it easier for visitors to hear teachers and guides, as well as one another.

3M researchers customized the tiles for specific frequency levels, which developers project will reduce noise levels by 40 percent. 3M has significant expertise in the development of noise-reduction technology – for years 3M Thinsulate™ Acoustic Insulation has been used to reduce noise levels in automobiles, aircraft and appliances. This expertise, combined with the company’s ongoing work on acoustic film tiles, paved the way for a solution to reduce noise volume in the Great Ape House.

Additional 3M innovations used in the development of the tiles include flame retardant resins and a new variety of Command™ Adhesive. With this adhesive, the tiles can be easily installed, with no need to drill into the concrete at the Great Ape House. If later adjustments are necessary at the site, the adhesive is also easily removable.

“These tiles have the capability to broadly absorb frequencies, as well as to be fine tuned,” said Stephanie Castiglione, a 3M product developer. “With this technology, we were able to tailor the tiles for the Great Ape House specifically for the frequencies that we measured there.”

In addition to their use in the Great Ape House, the National Zoo has planned future installations for the acoustic tiles in the Amazonia Science Gallery, as well as the Written in Bones exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. At both sites, the Smithsonian aims to achieve the same improved visitor experience and work environment as at the Great Ape House.

“We are proud to donate to the Smithsonian experience and to enable better learning at this exhibit,” said Kim Price, Vice President, 3M Community Affairs. “This project involved cooperation and coordination between multiple teams of scientists across the company, and 3M's collaborative culture makes innovations like this possible. It was a substantial effort to develop in just three months, but the entire organization actively prioritized this project.”

3M has a well-established relationship with the Smithsonian, having helped the Museum of Natural History develop a solution to meet fire codes at one of its displays several years ago. Since that time, 3M has consulted with the Smithsonian to identify problems that 3M technologies may help solve in the Institution’s 19 museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoo. Through this partnership, 3M and the Smithsonian identified the noise issue and the possibility of addressing it with 3M’s technologies.

In addition to its work at the Smithsonian, 3M is currently working to commercialize the acoustic tiles for a variety of after-market applications, such as open office environments.

For more information, visit www.3Mgiving.com.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

About 3M Community Giving
3M Community Giving consists of product donations and cash grants by 3M and the 3M Foundation and bolstered by employee and retiree volunteerism. In 2011, over $60.9 million was awarded to education and charitable organizations. For more information, visit www.3Mgiving.com.

Karwoski & Courage Public RelationsEmily Finley612-342-9732or3M Public RelationsJacqueline Berry651-733-3611