ISO 28927-3:2009

Overview - ISO 28927-3:2009 (Polishers & Sanders)

ISO 28927-3:2009 defines a laboratory, type-test method for measuring hand-transmitted vibration at the handles of hand‑held, power‑driven polishers and rotary, orbital and random orbital sanders used for surface finishing (not material removal). The standard specifies how to measure vibration magnitudes in the gripping areas under controlled type‑test conditions so models of the same machine type can be compared. It applies to machines driven pneumatically or by other means and excludes straight grinders with a sanding wheel and belt sanders.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Measurement scope: Hand‑transmitted vibration at handle/grip areas for polishers, rotary, orbital and random orbital sanders.
• Type‑test purpose: Establishes representative vibration emission values for model comparison (not a workplace exposure assessment).
• Measurement directions: Vibration is measured in three axes and combined to produce total vibration values.
• Transducer positioning: Defined mounting locations and orientations (close to the hand, between thumb and index finger) to reduce operator disturbance and improve reproducibility.
• Instrumentation and procedures: Requirements cover transducers, mounting, frequency‑weighting filters, integration time, calibration and auxiliary equipment.
• Operating conditions: Detailed specification of machine operating state, attached equipment (pads, abrasives), test piece, operator role and repeatability of runs.
• Validity and reporting: Instructions for measurement procedure, uncertainty determination, and standardized test report formats (model test report in Annex A, uncertainty in Annex B).
• Practical note: Results are intended to represent the upper‑quartile of typical real‑world vibration; values below 2.5 m/s² should be treated cautiously (2.5 m/s² is recommended for estimation where low values arise).

Applications and users

ISO 28927-3 is used by:

• Manufacturers and R&D teams for design validation and product development (vibration reduction).
• Independent test laboratories performing type tests and product comparison.
• Product certification and conformity assessment bodies.
• Procurement and specification authors comparing tool models by vibration emission.
• Occupational safety specialists who need machine emission data (but should use ISO 5349 for workplace exposure assessment).

Practical uses include comparative model ranking, informing design changes to reduce vibration, and providing declared vibration values for technical documentation.

Related standards

• ISO 20643 - Principles for evaluation of vibration emission of hand‑held machinery
• ISO 5349 - Measurement and evaluation of human exposure to hand‑transmitted vibration (workplace assessment)
• EN 12096 - Declaration and verification of vibration emission values
• ISO 28927 series - Other tool‑specific vibration test methods (Parts 1–11, etc.)

Keywords: ISO 28927-3:2009, hand‑held portable power tools, vibration emission, polishers, rotary sander, orbital sander, random orbital sander, type‑test, hand‑transmitted vibration, vibration measurement.