Acoustic Laboratories for Multifunction Office Devices: Planning from Document Input to Finished Output

A task on a multifunction office device may begin with a stack of originals, continue through scanning and printing, and end with output being collated or bound. If an R&D acoustic laboratory is planned only around the dimensions of the bare main unit and the act of printing, adding a document feeder or finishing device later may change both the test boundary and the layout. The procurement brief should first establish which complete tasks the laboratory must support, which belong to the base configuration, and which are reserved for additional testing.

Map the paths of originals and paper

R&D, testing and procurement teams should map each task together: whether originals enter through an automatic document feeder or the flatbed, whether scanning produces an electronic file or continues into copying, and whether printed sheets reach a normal output tray or a finishing device. Printing a digital file has no original-document input stage, while a scan-only task does not involve printing. This map defines the capabilities the laboratory needs to support; it does not mean that every action must be combined into one test.

Here, multifunction printers combine printing with at least one of copying, scanning or faxing. ECMA-74, 22nd edition, C.21 covers this category; devices able to print on paper at least 420 mm wide follow C.24.[1]

Separate standard combinations from optional tasks

C.21 includes standard output devices, operated in a typical-use combination. Optional peripherals are outside the standard configuration; their evaluation can be listed separately.[1]

Under C.21.3.2.3, select and test at least one operating mode following manufacturer instructions; without instructions, test printing. Other modes are optional.[1] The procurement brief should distinguish standard tasks from additional R&D tasks, identifying their accessories and intended purposes. This avoids including every optional capability in the base construction scope while also avoiding a lack of space when expansion is needed.

Plan around the complete operating envelope

Two boundaries should be shown on the layout. One is the overall outline formed by the main unit, document feeder, output tray and required finishing devices during the test task. The other is the access space needed to load paper, retrieve originals, remove finished output and service the equipment. The measurement arrangement must follow the selected method, with access space allowed separately rather than relying on moving the test unit during measurement.

This helps the team identify practical issues early: whether an extended output tray interferes with the measurement arrangement, whether the flatbed cover can open, whether bound output can be removed easily, and whether changing an accessory requires a new layout. Preparation and temporary storage for originals, paper and finished output can also be placed outside the test area, reducing repeated trips through the measurement area to replenish paper or collect output. Dimensions should be established from the intended test units and tasks, rather than replaced by a generic room-area allowance.

Connect the construction scope to the tasks

During design review, the representative task paths, standard configuration, space for optional expansion and measurement arrangement should be discussed on the same drawing. First establish that the agreed complete tasks can be carried out under the planned conditions, then identify what future expansion would add. This gives procurement teams a basis for comparing what different proposals actually cover.

Lessent provides the design, manufacture and engineering implementation of acoustic test environments, including complete acoustic laboratory solutions.[2] Planning for multifunction office devices can start with these task paths and spatial boundaries, aligning the laboratory construction scope with the company's R&D needs.

References
[1] Ecma International, ECMA-74, Measurement of Airborne Noise emitted by Information Technology and Telecommunications Equipment, 22nd edition, December 2025, C.21, printed pages 103–106 (PDF pages 117–120).
Standard overview: https://ecma-international.org/publications-and-standards/standards/ecma-74/
Full standard: https://ecma-international.org/wp-content/uploads/ECMA-74_22nd_edition_december_2025.pdf
[2] Lessent, Acoustic Laboratory Solutions.
https://www.lessent.com/labs