What is ISO certification testing? ISO standards ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability at an economical cost. To ensure that products meet ISO standards, most machines, equipment and product manufacturer need to perform ISO certification testing. These tests yield objective and comparable results that can be used for benchmarking, product labeling, compliance to local regulations, or brand positioning.
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>> Link to the ISO organisation homepage: www.iso.org
>> Link to the ANSI organisation homepage: www.ansi.org
What are the benefits of ISO certification testing?
- ISO certification helps you guarantee the quality and performance of your product
- ISO standards allow for competitive benchmarking and objective performance comparison
- In some cases, ISO certification testing is required to comply with local regulations (i.e. to comply with the European directive on noise emission (read more on this)
Most relevant ISO standards for product certification testing
1. Sound power measurements according to ISO 3741, ISO 3744, ISO 3745, ISO 3746, ISO 3747: Sound power is an acoustic metric that represents the total noise or acoustic power generated by a specific machine or tool.
It corresponds to an intrinsic acoustic property of the equipment itself and is not influenced by the environment the equipment is operating in.
Sound power can be measured in free-field conditions, semi-anechoic and reverberant rooms according to ISO 3741 (comparison method), ISO 3744, ISO 3745, ISO 3746 and ISO 3747 standard (determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pressure).
Based on pressure measurements, spatially averaged sound pressure levels are measured while the equipment is operating in a known acoustic environment. Radiated sound power (i.e. total acoustic energy output per second) of the equipment is then calculated from the sound pressure measurements and knowledge of the acoustic environment. Once sound power measurements conforming to ISO standard are taken, they can be used to qualify for compliance with the 2000/14/EC directive for outdoor equipment. Other industry-specific standards are realated to sound power measurements, such as ISO 6395 and ISO 6396 for earth moving equipment or the ISO 7779 standard for computer and business equipment.
>> Download the white paper Sound power testing for ISO certification
2. Whole Body Vibration measurements according to ISO 2631:Whole body vibration is vibration transmitted into the human body when using heavy construction machinery like bulldozers or when traveling by bus or train.
The vibration is transmitted via the supporting surfaces and depends on the person’s position:
- Seated: legs, back and buttocks
- Standing: legs
- Recumbent: back and head
Regular exposure to whole body vibration causes following health effects:
- Abdominal and chest pain
- General feeling of discomfort
- Reduced balance and motion sickness
- Spine problems
>> Download the white paper Whole-body vibration testing according to the ISO 2631 standard
3. Hand-arm Vibration measurements according to ISO 5349Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted to the hands and arms of an operator by power-driven tools or equipments, for example pneumatic jack hammers, drills or grinders.
The nature of these tools involves vibration which is transmitted to the hands and arms of the person working with the tool.
Regular exposure to hand-arm vibration causes following health effects:
- Reduced grip strength
- Pain in arms and shoulders
- Vibration-induced white finger syndrome
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Those can further lead to e.g. sleep disturbance and inability to do fine work. The longer a person uses a vibrating tool, and the faster the tool vibrates, the greater the risk of health effects.
>> Download the white paper Hand-arm vibration testing according to the ISO 5349__________________________________________________________________________________________
What are the ISO certification testing challenges?
ISO certification testing relates to critical issues such as operator’s safety, health and comfort, or environmental regulations with regards to noise emission. Exceeding levels defined by local regulations may have dramatic consequences for manufacturers, resulting either in a fundamental, time-consuming redesign of the product or expensive last-minute corrective actions.
Beyond certification on local markets and tool labeling according to regional regulations, accurate measurements may have a striking impact on export sales and branding strategies. It is crucial therefore not to exceed the allowed noise and vibration levels in many industries. Failing to meet certain standards prevents manufacturers from selling their equipment on export markets. Moreover, lower levels often represent a competitive advantage. Accurate measurements may be used to compare tools in an absolute way, in order to validate modifications or to do competitive benchmarking. Measurements help manufacturers build their competitive advantage, based on claims of comfortable and quiet tools and machines.
A European directive for noise emission (2000/14/EC) forces the manufacturers to conduct the ISO based sound power measurements, to label their equipment (noise marking) or to comply with maximum values (noise limiting). A similar directive applies to vibration measurements (2002/44/EC) Failing to meet the standard prevents manufacturers from selling their equipment on the European market.
Accurate measurements may also be used to compare tools in an absolute way, in order to validate modifications or to do competitive benchmarking. Measurements help manufacturers build competitive advantage, based on claims of comfortable and quiet tools.
More information:
>> European directive: Noise emission for outdoor equipment (more)
>> Noise database: list of equipment subject to noise limits or noise marking according to the European directive (more)
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Which industries are affected by ISO certification testing?
Hand-held power tools manufacturers:
Hand-held power tools manufacturers such as drills, grinders, circular saw, impact wrench, chainsaw, chipping hammer, riveting gun manufacturers, need to certify their products according to the ISO sound power and the ISO hand-arm vibrations standards. For distribution in Europe the European directives for noise emission 2000/14/EC and vibration measurements 2002/44/EC apply.
Relevant ISO standards:
- ISO 2631 (human body vibration)
- ISO 5349 (hand transmitted vibration)
- ISO 8662 (hand held power tools)
- ISO 15744 (hand held non electric power tools)
- ISO 374x (pressure based sound power)
Relevant local standards:
- 2002/44/EC (vibration directive for the European Union)
- 2000/14/EC (noise directive for the European Union)
Earth moving equipment manufacturers:
Earth moving equipment manufacturers such as dozers, dump trucks, loaders, compactors, excavators, graders, tractors, scrapers, aerial platforms, telehandlers, cranes manufacturers, need to certify their products according to the ISO sound power and the ISO whole-body vibrations standards. For distribution in Europe the European directives for noise emission 2000/14/EC and vibration measurements 2002/44/EC apply.
Relevant ISO standards:
- ISO 3744 (sound power under free field conditions)
- ISO 6395 (specific standard for testing under dynamic conditions)
- ISO 6396 (specific standard for testing under dynamic conditions)
Relevant local standards:
- 2000/14/EC (noise directive for the European Union)
- BS 6812-3
Outdoor equipment manufacturers:
Outdoor equipment manufacturers such as compressors, air conditioners, lawnmowers, concrete mixers, leaf blowers manufacturers need to certify their products according to the ISO sound power and the ISO whole-body vibrations standards. For distribution in Europe the European directives for noise emission 2000/14/EC and vibration measurements 2002/44/EC apply.
Relevant ISO and local standards:
- ISO 3744
- ISO 6395
- ISO 6396
- ISO 2631
- ISO 5349
- ISO 8662
- ISO 15744
- 2002/44/EC (vibration directive for the European Union)
- 2000/14/EC (noise directive for the European Union)
Computer and business equipment manufacturers:
Computer and business equipment manufacturers such as hard discs, cd-rom players, printers, faxes manufacturers need to certify their products according to the ISO sound power standards.
Relevant ISO and local standards:
- ISO 7779 (sound power standard for Computer and Business equipment)
- ECMA74
White goods equipment manufacturers:
White goods equipment manufacturers such as dishwashers, microwave, and washing machines manufacturers need to certify their products according to the ISO sound power standards.
Relevant ISO and local standards:
- IEC 60704 standard for sound power
HVAC equipment manufacturers:
For HVAC equipment, sound power level rating according to Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute (ARI) ARI 270 and ARI 575 are required. Manufacturers request that these test reports also include detection of prominent tones and Noise Criterion curves (NR & NC).
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Tailored answers to industry challenges
LMS offers complete ISO certification testing solution that supports the widest range of ISO standards and regulations. LMS Test.Xpress is designed to be extremely easy-to-use while remaining ISO-process compliant. It provides a completely automated procedure from measurement to reporting. The integrated analyzer and the extensive built-in ISO standards offer straightforward and accurate certification and help engineers cut testing time in half.
LMS Test.Xpress Human Body Vibration measures time signals according to ISO-required position and configuration. The measurements are performed with the proper ISO 2631 time domain filters. LMS Test.Xpress Hand-arm Vibration maps weighted RMS values to deduce compliance with ISO 5349, ISO8662 and ISO 15744. With LMS Test.Xpress Whole Body Vibration, weighted RMS values are crosschecked with ISO 2631 prescribed norms or with limits specified in the European directive for vibration measurements (2002/44/EC).
LMS Test.Xpress further supports sound power measurement in free-field conditions, semi-anechoic and reverberant rooms according to ISO 3741, ISO 3744, ISO 3745 and ISO 3746 standards. The measurements can be used to qualify for compliance with the 2000/14/EC directive for outdoor equipment, the ISO 7779 standard for computer and business equipment, and the ISO 6395 and ISO 6396 for earth-moving machinery under dynamic test conditions.
LMS Test.Xpress Sound Intensity is a powerful tool to determine sound power levels according to the ISO 9614 standard. Supporting both scanning (ISO 9614-1) and discrete point (ISO 9614-2) measurement techniques, the test sequence is designed as a step-by-step guided procedure.
The LMS Test.Xpress software platform supports acquisition and analysis of all above measurements in one run, letting your team achieve an exceptional gain of time.
