Abstract:
Professor Richards, or Prof, as he liked to be called, had just come back from Loughborough University, where he was the Vice-Chancellor. This was his second retirement. While searching for an appropriate research area, he identified machinery noise as an important issue. He formed the machinery noise group in 1975, which I joined in 1980. At the time the group had seven members. The main emphasis of the work was in the prediction and control of noise from impact machines---punch presses, drop hammers, etc. Prof wanted to take a new look at the parameters that control impact noise. A major contribution was the energy accountancy concept. Prof was a constant source of new and fresh ideas, he would question any result or conclusion, and always contributed new insight to the problem and the results. Prof certainly had a unique approach to get to the root of an issue. I was fortunate that I kept in contact with Prof after I came to the US, as a fresh Ph.D., to join the faculty at Florida Atlantic University. His enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, and broad experience were invaluable and had a significant influence on my career and I am sure that of others.