Basics of Vibration

What is Vibration?

Vibration is the movement of a body about its reference

position.
Vibration occurs because of an excitation force that causes
motion.
 Vibration Characteristics

Amplitude How Much

Frequency How Often

Phase When
 Vibration Characteristics
• Amplitude
• Amplitude is the magnitude of vibration expressed in terms of signal level
(millivolts or milliamps) or in engineering units
• ( Micron, mils, milli meter per second or inch per second)
• There are many ways of measuring vibration amplitude levels, the most
common are: peak to peak, zero to peak, root mean square (RMS), average and
crest factor.
• Zero to peak or peak is the measurement from the zero line to the top of the
positive peak or the bottom of the negative peak.
• Peak = 1.414 x RMS
• RMS = 0.707 x PEAK VALUE
• Peak to peak is the distance from the top of the positive peak to the bottom of
the negative peak. This measurement is used most often when referring to
displacement amplitude
• Pk-Pk = 2 x PEAK VALUE
 Vibration Characteristics
 The average value is 0.637 times the peak of a sin wave; average
values are measured by most analog meters.
 • Avg. = 0.637 x PEAK VALUE
 The crest factor is determined by dividing the peak value by the RMS
value. For a true sine wave
 Crest Factor = 1/.707 = 1.414

0 to Peak
RMS

Average

Time ‘t’
+
Amplitude
-

Peak to Peak
 Vibration Characteristics

• There are three types of measurements used to

display amplitude. These are

• Displacement Velocity Acceleration

 Vibration Characteristics

Displacement
is the distance that shaft moves in relation to reference point. The total
movement of the shaft is measured in Peak to Peak.

Velocity
is the displacement of the shaft in relation to time? It is measured in RMS
(Root Mean Square) or Peak.

Acceleration
is defined as the change in velocity over time. With this value we want the
maximum impact (Force) generated, so we use the Peak or RMS measurement.

•
 Vibration Characteristics

• Amplitude Units ‘ Metric’

Displacement µm Pk-Pk

Velocity mm/sec RMS

Acceleration g’s Pk
 Vibration Characteristics
• Amplitude Units ‘ English’

Displacement mils Pk-Pk

Velocity inch/sec RMS

Acceleration g’s Pk
Vibration Characteristics - Amplitude Relationships
• The three types of amplitude measurements used to display data are directly related to each
other
 Changing from one amplitude unit to the next alters the way in which the data is displayed

• Velocity is the default unit for

standard data collection
A8 - Example 15 techniques
– High and low frequency
Ex15 -F1H Fan Inboard Horizontal
0.35
1405
Route Spectrum

Low frequencies require 22-Aug-02 11:30:50

events can be seen
0.30
120
For normal operating speed OVERALL= 3.45 V-DG
4
very little force to move an RMS==104.98
PK
P-P .3909
3.44
LOAD = 100.0
0.25
100 ranges, velocity data RPM = 831. (13.85 Hz)
Displacement measures low
object 
AccelerationininMicrons
RMS Velocity in mm/Sec

provides the best indication frequency events ignoring

G-s

3
0.20
80
Increasing the frequency that the
of machine condition high frequencies
Displacement

objects move with the same

0.15
60
2
velocity, the force needed to move – Relative shaft motion
P-PPK

0.10
40 it increases, thereby reducing the
1 distance it can travel  Acceleration accentuates the
0.05
20
high frequencies ignoring the
00 low frequencies
0 20000
Frequency in CPM
40000 60000
– Good for early bearing
Label: Large Fan Unit - Easy
detection (Whenever there
is Metal to Metal
Impacting involve)
 Vibration Characteristics
Frequency
Measure of the number of cycles of vibration that occur in a specific period of time
• Tells us at what rate the vibration is occurring
• Reciprocal of the Period (T)
• Measured in Hz /CPM
– Converted by a factor of 60
• CPM relates directly to machine RPM
• The time required to complete one full cycle of vibration

1 1 = Cycles
Frequency = =
Period T Second
 Vibration Characteristics
• Frequency refers to how often something occurs:
– How often a shaft rotates?
– How often a rolling element hits a defected race?
• There are three ways to express frequency:
1. CPM – Cycles Per Minute
– 1CPM = 1RPM
2. Hz – Cycles Per Second
– CPM / 60
3. Orders – Multiples of Turning Speed
– Frequency/Turning Speed

• Consider a motor has a rotational speed of 1485RPM, in terms of frequency this equates to:
– 1485 CPM (1rpm = 1cpm)
– 24.75 Hz (1485/60) (minutes to seconds)
– 1 Orders (1 x RPM of the shaft)
 Vibration Characteristics
Frequency
The table below demonstrates the relationship between the different
frequency units over a range of frequencies.

Motor Turning Speed = 1500 RPM

CPM 1500 2250 3000 6000 12000
Hz 25 37.5 50 100 200
Orders 1 1.5 2 4 8
 Vibration Characteristics

Significance of Frequency

• Essential to pinpoint the cause of a machine problem

• The forces that causes vibration are usually generated through the
rotating motion of the machine parts. These changes in direction
and amplitude according to rotational speed of the machine
components, most vibration problem will have frequencies that
directly related to the rotational speed.

• Vibration frequency is an analysis or diagnostics tool

 Frequency Domain

0 Time

- 1x
Frequency

0 Time

- 4x Frequency

+ Time
0
- 12x Frequency