IEC 63522-32:2025

Overview

IEC 63522-32:2025 - Electrical Relays – Tests and Measurements – Part 32: Acoustic Noise is an international standard developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). This standard specifies test methods to evaluate the performance of electrical relays under various severities and conditions related to transportation, storage, and operational use, focusing specifically on acoustic noise. It addresses both the measurement of a relay's own operating noise and its immunity to external acoustic noise, ensuring reliability and suitability for intended applications.

Key Topics

• Scope and Purpose: The standard applies to a wide range of electrical relays, including electromechanical, reed, solid-state, time relays, and technology combinations.
• Acoustic Noise Testing: Defines procedures for measuring the acoustic noise generated by relays during their operating, releasing, and cycling actions using sound level meters compliant with IEC 61672-1.
• Noise Emission and Immunity:
  • Noise Emission: Tests to ensure the relay’s operating noise does not exceed specified limits, which is especially important for noise-sensitive environments.
  • Noise Immunity: Assesses the relay's ability to function correctly in the presence of specified external acoustic noise levels, relevant for demanding environments such as aircraft.
• Test Conditions: Mandates controlled conditions, including voltage, test environment, positioning, and background noise specifications, to ensure reliable and reproducible results.
• Evaluation Criteria: Describes clear pass/fail criteria based on measured noise levels and relay functional stability during acoustic exposure.

Applications

IEC 63522-32:2025 delivers practical value to manufacturers, testing laboratories, and end-users of electrical relays by:

• Quality Assurance: Assisting manufacturers in verifying that products meet customer and regulatory acoustic performance requirements.
• Design and Development: Supporting relay designers in minimizing unwanted acoustic emissions for noise-sensitive applications such as consumer electronics, medical devices, and broadcast equipment.
• Reliability in Demanding Environments: Ensuring relay functionality in environments with high external noise, common in transportation (aviation, automotive) and industrial facilities.
• Certification and Compliance: Serving as a reference for compliance testing and certification processes, enabling easier market access and adherence to regional or international regulations.
• Documentation: Requiring detailed test reports that document all relevant test conditions and results, supporting traceability and product validation.

Related Standards

For comprehensive relay testing and compatibility, IEC 63522-32:2025 should be used in conjunction with several related standards:

• IEC 63522-0: Electrical relays – Tests and measurements – Part 0: General and guidance (the general framework for this series)
• IEC 61672-1: Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 1: Specifications (required for sound measurement instruments)
• IEC 61810-1: Electromechanical elementary relays – Part 1: General and safety requirements (covers essential aspects of relay design, safety, and performance)

By integrating acoustic noise assessment with broader electrical relay testing, IEC 63522-32:2025 helps ensure reliable, low-noise, and robust relay performance for modern electrical and electronic applications.

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