Due to the presence of machinery, engines, and heavy equipment, industrial environments can produce high levels of noise. The noise can be loud enough to cause hearing damage if not properly controlled. Consequently, it is paramount to limit industrial noise in order to protect the environment, wildlife, and public health. ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024: Declaration and Verification of Noise Emission Values of Machinery, Equipment, and Products covers information on the acoustical noise emitted by machinery, equipment, and products.

Why Is it Important to Measure Noise Emission from Machinery?

Measuring noise emission from machinery is crucial because it allows for the identification of potential health hazards to workers due to excessive noise exposure. It additionally enables the implementation of noise control measures to mitigate these risks, assuring compliance with standards like ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024, helping to design quieter machinery by pinpointing the sources of noise within a machine. As such, for the protection of workers, it is important for employers to prioritize technical controls to minimize noise at the source.

What Is ASA/ANSI S12.61?

Information on the acoustical noise emitted by machinery, equipment, and products is needed by consumers, manufacturers, building and land-use planners, governmental authorities, and others concerned about noise in order to make informed purchasing decisions. As such, ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024 gives requirements and guidelines for how to properly and uniformly provide product noise level information to the public. The document details uniform methods of product noise measurement.

This American National Standard specifies the noise emission values to be declared (required and optional) for a batch of machines, equipment, or products and the requirements for their presentation. ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024 also describes the method for determining the following:

• The mean A-weighted sound power level
• The method for determining the standard deviation of production
• The method for determining the total standard deviation
• The method for determining the mean A-weighted emission sound pressure level
• The method for determining the expanded uncertainty
• The method for verifying the noise emission values that are declared by manufacturers and other product suppliers.

ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024 is applicable to commercially available products that emit noise, including consumer products and household appliances, information technology products, industrial equipment, outdoor equipment and construction machinery, and other products.

ASA Standards for Measuring Noise Emission

There are various ASA standards that provide methods for measuring sound power levels, such as:

• The ASA/ANSI S12.50 series specifies methods for determining the sound power levels of noise sources from sound pressure level measurements.
• ASA/ANSI S12.12 specifies methods for determining the sound power levels from sound intensity level measurements.
• ASA/ANSI S12.43 and ASA/ANSI S12.44 describe methods for determining emission sound pressure levels at specified positions in the vicinity of machinery and equipment.

ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024 notes that other standards in the form of test codes give procedures for the measurement of the noise emissions of particular types of machinery, equipment, and products which are based on these methods. The installation conditions and operating modes of the equipment under test invariably affect the measured noise emission levels and therefore are usually specified in the underlying test code.

ASA/ANSI S12.61-2024: Declaration and Verification of Noise Emission Values of Machinery, Equipment, and Products is available on the ANSI Webstore.

This year’s World Accreditation Day theme, “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs),” focuses on how SMEs are essential to the global economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and supporting local communities.  

Importance of Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs)

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are businesses that fall within a specific size category, typically defined by employee count and/or revenue. They encompass a wide range of businesses, from local shops, online retailers, and restaurants to manufacturing firms, construction businesses, and IT service providers. Hence, SMEs are the backbone of our economy, driving innovation, fueling job creation, and vastly contributing to local and global markets.

How Does Accredited Conformity Assessment Empower SMEs?

Many SMEs face barriers in accessing international markets, demonstrating compliance, or gaining consumer trust. Luckily, accreditation and third party accredited conformity assessment help bridge these gaps by verifying the quality, safety, and sustainability of products, services, and processes, and the competence of the personnel. Accredited conformity assessment assures that products, services, and processes meet internationally recognized standards, which can open up new markets and opportunities for growth. Simply put, accredited conformity assessment empowers SMEs by enhancing credibility and trust, facilitating access to markets, and building a strong brand image and reputation.

ANAB Accredited Conformity Assessment for SMEs

Accredited conformity assessment can provide SMEs with a competitive edge, demonstrating their commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, and safety. It can also enhance customer trust and confidence. 

As an example, ANAB accredits management system conformity assessment bodies to ISO/IEC 17021, which allows them to certify organizations (SMEs) to standards such as  ISO 9001: Quality Management Systems. ISO 9001 focuses on quality of the SMEs management system and helps SMEs assure that they have processes in place to consistently deliver products and services that meet customer requirements and legal obligations. Accreditated certification to ISO 9001 can enhance credibility and market access. 

Other common management system standards valuable to SMEs include ISO 14001 (environmental management), ISO 45001 (health and safety), and ISO/IEC 27001 (information security). ISO 14001 deals with environmental management systems, helping SMEs identify and reduce their environmental impact, comply with regulations, and potentially reduce costs. ISO 45001 focuses on occupational health and safety, assuring a safe and healthy working environment for employees. This standard also helps SMEs meet legal obligations, reduce accidents and injuries, and potentially lower insurance costs. ISO/IEC 27001 addresses information security, helping SMEs protect their data and systems from cyber threats.

SMEs can also hold accredited certification to other standards depending on their specific industry and needs. You can see which ANAB accreditation schemes or programs can be applicable to your industry.

Celebrating World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2025

Celebrated annually on June 9 to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation activities, World Accreditation Day was established jointly by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). The theme for WAD 2025 is “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises”. IAF and ILAC will also be holding a virtual event on June 9^th to celebrate WAD 2025. The event will be held in two time zones, encouraging international participation of #WAD2025 and will include presentations from the IAF and ILAC Chairs, UNIDO and FSSC. The event will highlight the role that accreditation can play in empowering small and medium enterprises. There will also be video presentations from SMEs relating how accredited conformity assessment has improved their business models.

You can attend the IAF/ILAC event at either 9:00 UTC or 17:00 UTC, by registering in advance at one of the following links:

• 9:00 UTC session: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8RyTTi8lTVaJi5daZ-VWrQ
• 17:00 UTC session: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QQi-8F48QA-o0zE2cl7nJw

ANAB, the ANSI National Accreditation Board, will join this global celebration and will also be hosting an event on June 6th, 2025, for Scheme Owners. 

To learn more about WAD celebrations around the globe, follow @ANAB_ACCREDIT and the conversation on social media: #WAD2025.

As digital technology rapidly evolves, the role of electronics in our day to day lives and industries becomes vaster and more usable. Flexible printed electronics enable compact, bendable, and portable designs, but they require specialized testing technologies. IPC-9257, Requirements for Electrical Testing of Flexible Printed Electronics is intended to assist in selecting the test equipment, test parameters, test data, and fixturing required to perform electrical test(s) on flexible printed electronics.

What Are Flexible Printed Electronics?

Flexible printed electronics are electronic circuits built on flexible, stretchable, or conformable substrates like plastic, paper, or even metal foil. These circuits are typically created using printing methods, such as inkjet or screen printing, making them cost-effective and enabling mass production. This technology opens up possibilities for new product designs and functionalities, like flexible displays, wearable devices, and smart packaging. Flexible electronics can help make an existing product smaller, lighter, and more pliable.

The unique characteristics of flexible printed electronics, such as their ability to bend and stretch, require specific testing methods to validate their functionality under various conditions. 

What Is the Purpose of Testing Flexible Printed Electronic?

The main objective of electrical testing for flexible printed electronics—such as wearables, smart packaging, and medical devices—is to assure their safe and reliable operation. Rigorous electrical testing involves inspecting, evaluating, and monitoring electrical installations to identify potential hazards and assure compliance with safety standards. According to IPC-9257, electrical testing verifies that the conductive networks on the flexible printed electronics are interconnected according to the design requirements.

The standard does note, however, that many physical characteristics of the conductors (e.g., dimensional accuracy, conductor geometry and registration, presence of holes) cannot be determined by electrical test, so other checks should be employed to confirm these characteristics.

What Is IPC-9257?

IPC-9257 outlines the requirements for electrical testing of flexible printed electronics. It specifies test equipment, parameters, data collection, and fixturing methods to assure that the flexible printed electronics product meets the electrical design criteria detailed in IPC-6902. The IPC-9257 standard also defines different levels of testing.

Uses of Flexible Printed Electronics

Flexible printed electronics find use in a wide array of applications, leveraging their ability to be both flexible and printed on various substrates. These include flexible displays, RFID tags, smart textiles, in-mold electronics, and a variety of sensors and biosensors. They also play a crucial role in consumer electronics, medical devices, and industrial application. Here are a few examples of how flexible printed electronics are used:

• Sensors and Biosensors: Flexible sensors are used for a variety of applications, including light, temperature, pressure, and even biosensors that can detect bodily fluids. 
• Smart Packaging: Flexible electronics can be used in smart packaging, such as RFID antennas on delivery boxes, for tracking and monitoring.
• Consumer electronics: Smartphones, tablets, and wearables utilize flexible circuits for their compact designs and ability to fit in curved spaces
• Medical Devices: Flexible printed circuit boards are used in hearing aids, cochlear implants, and implantable medical technology due to their miniaturization and biocompatibility. 
• Continuous Health Monitoring: Flexible sensors can be worn discreetly on the skin to provide real-time data on vital signs, allowing for continuous health monitoring. 
• Automotive: Flexible circuits are used in automotive electronics for connecting components across hinges, doors, and seats, and in safety systems like airbag deployment. 
• Wearable Technology: Flexible electronics enable the creation of wearable devices like e-textiles with integrated sensors, flexible batteries, and displays.

IPC-9257, Requirements for Electrical Testing of Flexible Printed Electronics is available on the ANSI Webstore.

Packaging high-speed electronic circuits is essential for assuring reliability, performance, and longevity because it protects delicate components from environmental factors, provides essential connections, and manages heat dissipation. IPC-2251, Design Guide for the Packaging of High Speed Electronic Circuits addresses the major factors influencing the design of high-speed circuitry.

What Are High-Speed Electronic Circuits?

High-speed electronic circuits are designed to handle frequencies above 50 MHz, often reaching gigahertz range. They primarily deal with digital signals, including clock signals and data transmission. Furthermore, common applications of high-speed electronic circuits include high-speed computing (e.g., processors, memory), telecommunications, networking, and automotive systems.

High-speed electronic circuits are designed to handle high-frequency digital signals, requiring careful attention to signal integrity, impedance control, thermal management, and printed circuit board (PCB) design to assure reliable and fast data transfer.

Do High-Speed Circuits Require Different Packaging?

High-speed circuits often require specialized packaging that differs from that used for lower-speed applications. While low-speed circuits have more flexibility in packaging choices, high-speed circuits require specialized packaging to handle fast signals and minimize signal degradation.

High-speed circuits necessitate packaging that minimizes signal delay, assures proper heat dissipation, and maintains electrical integrity. Therefore, high-speed data transmission can only be achieved with high quality, reliable, and moisture-proof packaging. The IPC-2251 standard lays out requirements for packaging high-speed circuitry; it addresses key design considerations to minimize issues like electrical noise, electromagnetic interference, and signal integrity in high-speed circuits.

What Is IPC-2251?

IPC-2251 provides guidelines for the design of high-speed circuitry. The standard considers electrical noise, electromagnetic interference, signal propagation time, impedance, thermo-mechanical environmental protection, and heat dissipation. IPC-2251 is intended to be used by circuit designers, packaging engineers, circuit board fabricators, and procurement personnel so that all may have a common understanding of each area.

IPC-2251 supersedes IPC-D-317A. Key improvements over the prior IPC-D-317A document include updated impedance models for embedded microstrip, centered stripline and dual stripline geometries, expanded EMI layout practices, signal integrity design constraints, enhanced graphics, and updated terms and definitions.

When Is Electronic Packaging of Circuits Useful?

Electronic packaging is useful whenever a circuit needs protection from the environment, reliable connectivity, and/or effective thermal management. By providing physical protection, electrical connectivity, thermal management, and potentially shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI), packaging for high-speed electronic circuits assures reliable and efficient operation.

Packaging high-speed electronic circuits requires specialized techniques to maintain signal integrity, manage heat, and assure reliable performance at high frequencies. This includes using materials and designs that minimize signal delays, reduce interference, and efficiently dissipate heat generated by high-speed operation. As such, IPC 2251-2003 is a valuable resource for engineers designing and implementing high-speed electronic systems, assuring that they can effectively address the challenges associated with these complex circuit.

IPC-2251, Design Guide for the Packaging of High Speed Electronic Circuits is available on the ANSI Webstore.

A growing number of people with diabetes are turning to wireless diabetes devices to monitor and manage their condition in an automated fashion. As diabetes devices are increasingly connected wirelessly to each other and to data-displaying reader devices, more threats to the security of these devices persist. Assuring the security of wireless diabetes devices is essential for maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data and commands. IEEE 2621.1-2022: IEEE Standard for Wireless Diabetes Device Security Assurance Evaluation: Connected Electronic Product Security Evaluation Programs defines a framework for a connected electronic product security evaluation program.

How Do Connected Diabetes Devices (CDDs) Work?

Currently designed connected diabetes devices (CDDs) include blood glucose monitors, continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, smart insulin injection pens, and automated insulin dosing systems. Data generated by a CDD is wirelessly transmitted to an app on a smartphone, smartwatch, or other devices, or to a cloud platform. As interconnections and data exchanges increase among CDDs, smart devices, and networks via wireless protocols, there is an increased risk to the safety and privacy of the patient as well as to the integrity and availability of data shared with the healthcare professional.

Cybersecurity for Connected Diabetes Devices (CDDs)

Unauthorized agents and patients themselves can hack connected diabetes devices (CDDS) and consequently extract data that are not automatically provided by the product software. Hacking CDDs can compromise their function and their accurate flow of information. These threats put users of diabetes devices at risk of health complications.  As such, a cybersecurity standard like IEEE 2621.1-2022, which is designed specifically for connected diabetes devices, helps improve the safety of these products and increase confidence of users that the products will be secure.

What Is IEEE 2621.1?

IEEE 2621.1-2022 aims to help manufacturers of connected diabetes devices (CDDs) develop more secure and thereby safer products. It proves grounds for confidence to stakeholders—including patients and consumers—that a CDD device meets its cybersecurity claims.

IEEE 2621.1-2022 is targeted to wireless diabetes devices and their components (e.g., operating systems, network stacks, apps). It specifies a framework for a connected electronic product security assurance evaluation program, with specific requirements and guidance relating to digital diabetes devices and solutions, such as insulin pumps. The standard has the following objectives:

• Provide for security evaluations of electronic products performed to high standards, including the ability to achieve protection and an overall contribution toward enhanced safety, privacy, and security for electronic product stakeholders, including product manufacturers, resellers, users, and administrators
• Improve the availability of connected electronic products that have been independently evaluated and certified to meet such standards
• Reduce the use of ad hoc, unreliable, and low security assurance connected electronic product development and evaluation methods that can increase risk to electronic product stakeholders
• Continuously improve the efficiency (cost and time) of the security evaluation and certification of connected electronic products

Why Is Secure Information Important for People with Diabetes?

Patients with diabetes have an extremely high need for secure information flow to display glucose information and deliver insulin dosing commands when sensor and actuator information is transmitted wirelessly through connected medical devices. Therefore, sound cybersecurity is needed for connected diabetes devices to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data and commands.

IEEE 2621.1-2022: IEEE Standard for Wireless Diabetes Device Security Assurance Evaluation: Connected Electronic Product Security Evaluation Programs is available on the ANSI Webstore.