ISO 8579-1:2002

Overview

ISO 8579-1:2002 - Acceptance code for gear units, Part 1: Test code for airborne sound - defines standardized instructions and conditions for measuring the airborne sound emission of industrial gear units and gearmotors. The standard establishes allowed measurement methods, operating and mounting conditions, and reporting requirements to ensure reproducible determination of sound emission characteristics (sound power and emission sound pressure) with defined grades of accuracy.

Key topics

• Scope and configurations
  • Applies to cylindrical, bevel and worm gearing.
  • Covers three configurations: gear unit alone, gearmotor (integral motor), and gear‑drive system (motor and auxiliaries on a common base).
• Measurement objectives
  • Determine A‑weighted sound power level and emission sound pressure levels at specified positions (work stations).
• Allowed measurement methods and accuracy
  • Permits engineering methods (grade 2) and survey methods (grade 3) to control measurement uncertainty and reproducibility.
  • Preferred grade 2 methods include ISO 3743‑1, ISO 3744 and ISO 9614 series; grade 3 methods include ISO 3746 and others when grade 2 is impracticable.
• Test environment and installation
  • Defines acceptable acoustic environments: purpose-built acoustic facility, shop test stand, or on‑site measurements.
  • Specifies operating and mounting conditions, presence of guards and auxiliaries, and required instrumentation (microphone positions, measurement surfaces, reference box and intensity probes).
• Documentation and reporting
  • Requires recording of operating conditions, measurement method, microphone layout, and reported values including uncertainty, declaration and verification steps.

Applications

• Manufacturers: declare product noise levels, perform factory acceptance tests and compare designs.
• Test laboratories / acoustic engineers: carry out standardized noise tests for product certification, noise mapping and troubleshooting.
• Purchasers / specifiers: verify noise performance of gear units/gearmotors for selection, installation and acoustic enclosure design.
• Design & noise control: use measured sound power and emission pressure to implement sound‑proofing and predict workplace noise exposure.

Related standards

• ISO 3743-1, ISO 3744, ISO 3745, ISO 3746 (sound power methods)
• ISO 9614-1 / ISO 9614-2 (sound intensity)
• ISO 11203 (emission sound pressure at work station)
• ISO 4871 (declaration/verification of noise)
• ISO/TR 7849 (vibration-based estimation)

Keywords: ISO 8579-1:2002, gear units, gearmotors, airborne sound, sound power level, emission sound pressure, acoustic measurements, test code, noise emission.