Measurement of Vibration - Accurate Vibration Monitoring!

Vibration can be defined as the mechanical oscillation of a unit or device in its equilibrium state. It can be regular, like a pendulum swinging back and forth, or irregular, like a tire rolling across a gravel road. Metric units of vibration are meters per second squared (m/s2), while gravitational constant units are meters per second squared (1 g = 9.81 m/s2). 

 

Two types of vibration can occur in an object: 

-Free vibration

-Forced vibration

 

When anything is shifted or hit, and then left to oscillate, this is called free vibration.

 

When a component vibrates due to an external force is acting on it known as forced vibration. Rotation or alternation can cause vibrations at abnormal frequencies.

 

How is vibration measured?

Typically, a ceramic piezoelectric sensor or accelerometer is used to measure vibration. 

Accelerometers measure dynamic acceleration as voltage. Accelerometers are full-contact transducers often installed on high-frequency devices like bearings, gearboxes, or spinning blades. These adaptable sensors can monitor explosions and failures and low-frequency vibration. An accelerometer's advantages include linearity over a broad frequency range and a larger dynamic range.

 

The proximity probe is an alternative sensor for measuring vibration. Proximity probes are non-contacting transducers that detect a target's distance, unlike accelerometers. These sensors assess shaft vibration in spinning machines. Machine monitoring and safety measurements for turbo machinery are popular applications. Elastic fluid film bearings and substantial housing prevent vibrations from reaching the outer sheath; therefore, proximity probes are used instead of accelerometers to assess shaft motion.

 

STI Vibration Monitoring Inc. focuses on low-cost solutions to large "rack-based" equipment by offering single-channel transmitters and monitors for vibration through vibration chart, position, and temperature, allowing typical balance-of-plant equipment economical and dependable monitoring alternatives. Contact STI Vibration Monitoring for more information!