Washing-Machine Acoustic Laboratories: Planning Test Textiles, Appliance Installation and Measurement Space

When development work includes washing noise, spinning noise and investigation of unusual vibration, the laboratory brief should address test textiles, operating programmes, appliance installation and water services together. A quiet room alone does not make results from different prototypes comparable. This planning guide is for teams building or modifying a washing-machine acoustic laboratory. It focuses on what must accompany the room and how to demonstrate the complete workflow at handover.

Define the appliance and the question

List the appliance types and the purpose of each test first. IEC 60704-2-4:2025 covers airborne noise testing of household and similar washing machines and spin extractors, in conjunction with IEC 60704-1:2021. For washer-dryers, check the relevant particular method separately. [1][2] Development tests for unusual sounds may be added, but a team-defined operating condition should not automatically be presented as a standardized test.

Keep washing-performance and noise tasks distinct. IEC 60456:2024 addresses washing-machine performance; its scope directs acoustic noise measurement to the IEC 60704 series. [3] To share a facility, check the conditions and workflow for each task. Being able to run the appliance does not establish every proposed testing capability.

Include textile preparation in the layout

Comparative testing requires more than placing a machine in the room and pressing Start. The brief should define preparation, storage, loading and circulation of test textiles, the programme to be used, and the operating information to record. Check the actual load and programme against the selected method rather than substituting an arbitrary basket of clothes.

Weighing, preparation and handling of wet textiles can be planned outside the measurement room, with routes for appliance movement, hose connection and maintenance. The relevant specialists should coordinate water connections, drainage, leak response and electrical safety before testing starts. These are planning recommendations, not a universal requirement for a particular number of rooms.

Make spinning installation conditions repeatable

Confirm support, levelling and transport-restraint arrangements against the applicable test method and the instructions for the specific appliance. For example, a published Bosch installation manual relates a firm, level installation surface and removal of transport restraints to vibration and noise during spinning. [4] Those instructions concern the products covered by that manual. Its dimensions and construction details should not be copied to every brand.

When comparing laboratory proposals, ask how the appliance installation will be checked, documented and restored, rather than comparing acoustic lining alone. If development work also investigates floor vibration or disturbance in neighbouring rooms, define those measurement objects and assessment criteria separately. Airborne sound results do not automatically verify the vibration effects on a building.

Demonstrate the full workflow at handover

An agreed representative appliance can be used to demonstrate textile preparation, installation checks, water services, measurement records and report handover. Define how interruptions, installation changes and repeat tests will be recorded so that the conditions behind a final result remain traceable.

LESSENT's published business scope includes anechoic chambers and acoustic laboratory solutions. [5] For this application, room acoustics, appliance services and everyday operating procedures should be reviewed as one proposal. A purchaser can request a task list, spatial layout and verification plan, then decide which existing provisions can be retained and which gaps need to be closed.

References
[1] IEC 60704-2-4:2025, Household and similar electrical appliances — Test code for the determination of airborne acoustical noise — Part 2-4: Particular requirements for washing machines and spin extractors
https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/90407
[2] IEC 60704-1:2021, Household and similar electrical appliances — Test code for the determination of airborne acoustical noise — Part 1: General requirements
https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/62976
[3] IEC 60456:2024, Washing machines for household use — Methods for measuring the performance
https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/70049
[4] Bosch WAT28400UC, Use and Care Manual / Installation Instructions, document 9001427628_B, p.14
https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/9001427628_B.pdf
[5] 列星科技：声学实验室解决方案 / LESSENT: Acoustic Laboratory Solutions
https://www.lessent.com/labs