Overview
EN ISO 20643:2008 (ISO 20643:2005) - Mechanical vibration - Hand-held and hand-guided machinery - Principles for evaluation of vibration emission - defines principles for measuring and reporting hand‑transmitted vibration from hand‑held and hand‑guided power‑driven machinery. It specifies determination of vibration emission in terms of frequency‑weighted root‑mean‑square (r.m.s.) acceleration during type testing and provides guidance for designing vibration test codes where none exist. The standard applies to tools and machines with handles or guiding beams (electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, internal combustion, etc.) but excludes fixed machinery where vibration is transmitted via the workpiece and vehicle steering-wheel/lever transmitted vibration where the operator is on the machine.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope and applicability: Hand‑held power tools (chipping hammers, sanders), hand‑guided machines (lawn mowers, single‑axle tractors, vibratory rollers).
- Measured quantity: Frequency‑weighted r.m.s. acceleration to characterise hand‑transmitted vibration emission.
- Measurement directions & locations: Guidance on which axes and grip points to measure to capture real operator exposure.
- Instrumentation: Requirements for transducers, mounting/fastening, frequency‑weighting filters, integration time, auxiliary equipment and calibration of the measurement chain.
- Test conditions: Specification of operating conditions, attached equipment/workpiece, and operator factors that affect vibration readings.
- Data handling: Procedures for combining directional measurements, validity checks, reporting formats and declaration/verification of emission values.
- Supporting material: Annexes summarise information needed in vibration test codes, outline error sources in measurements, and provide a procedure for developing specific vibration test codes.
Practical Applications and Users
Who uses EN ISO 20643:
- Manufacturers of hand‑held/hand‑guided machinery preparing type‑test data and product declarations.
- Test laboratories conducting vibration emission measurements.
- Standards engineers and R&D teams developing or revising vibration test codes.
- Safety officers and occupational health professionals assessing hand‑arm vibration (HAV) risks.
- Certification bodies and regulatory authorities verifying compliance with machinery directives.
Practical uses:
- Type testing and specification of vibration emission values for product literature.
- Developing test procedures when no specific vibration test code exists.
- Supporting CE marking and conformity assessment under relevant EU machinery directives by demonstrating conformity with essential safety requirements for vibration.
Related Standards
- EN 12786 and EN 12096 (related measurement and test principles)
- Vibration test codes in the EN 28662 / EN ISO 8662 series (portable tools)
- Relevant EU Directives (e.g., 2006/42/EC) for machinery safety and conformity
Keywords: EN ISO 20643:2008, ISO 20643, mechanical vibration, hand‑transmitted vibration, vibration emission, vibration measurement, frequency‑weighted r.m.s. acceleration, hand‑held machinery, vibration test code.
