Vibration Analysis Course

Lesson 1 • Key Vibration Parameters

Covers displacement, velocity, acceleration, frequency, and phase. Connects each parameter to its diagnostic relevance in machinery health.

Lesson 2 • Resonance and Critical Speeds

Explains resonance conditions and their destructive potential in machinery. Links natural frequency concepts to critical speed identification.

Lesson 3 • Single Degree of Freedom Systems

Introduces the spring-mass-damper model as the basis for all vibration analysis. Students solve simple equations of motion for undamped and damped cases.

Lesson 4 • Nature and Types of Vibration

Defines free, forced, and damped vibration with real machinery examples. Establishes vocabulary used throughout the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Measurement Uncertainty and Calibration

Addresses sources of measurement error and calibration procedures. Builds confidence in data quality before analysis begins.

Lesson 2 • Transducer Types and Selection

Compares accelerometers, velocity sensors, and proximity probes by operating range and application. Guides sensor selection for specific machinery types.

Lesson 3 • Accelerometer Mounting Methods

Demonstrates how the mounting technique directly affects high-frequency measurement accuracy. Students apply correct methods for permanent and temporary installations.

Lesson 4 • Signal Conditioning and Amplification

Covers charge amplifiers, ICP power supplies, and signal conditioning units. Ensures students understand the signal chain from sensor to analyzer.

Lesson 1 • Advanced Spectral Techniques

Introduces power spectral density, cross-spectrum, and coherence functions. Extends student capability to multi-channel and transfer function measurements.

Lesson 2 • Fourier Transform and FFT

Explains the Discrete Fourier Transform and its fast algorithm implementation. Students understand how time signals become frequency spectra.

Lesson 3 • Time-Domain Signal Analysis

Analyses waveform shape, amplitude trends, and time-domain statistics. Connects waveform features to specific fault types before frequency analysis.

Lesson 4 • Windowing and Spectral Leakage

Demonstrates how windowing functions reduce spectral leakage artifacts. Students select appropriate windows for stationary and transient signals.

Lesson 1 • Overall Vibration Severity Criteria

Presents broadband vibration severity charts used across industries. Students classify machine condition as good, acceptable, or alarm-level.

Lesson 2 • Industry Severity Standards Overview

Surveys internationally recognised vibration severity guidelines for rotating machinery. Students understand the functional basis of each standard without relying on specific code numbers.

Lesson 3 • Trending and Statistical Alarm Setting

Applies statistical methods to set meaningful alert and danger alarms from historical data. Reduces false alarms while maintaining fault detection sensitivity.

Lesson 4 • Establishing Machine Baselines

Guides the collection of baseline spectra on new or recently overhauled equipment. Baselines become the reference for all future trend comparisons.

Lesson 1 • Misalignment Fault Patterns

Distinguishes angular, parallel, and combined misalignment using 1X and 2X harmonics. Phase relationships across couplings confirm misalignment diagnosis.

Lesson 2 • Fluid-Film Bearing and Rotor Faults

Diagnoses oil whirl, oil whip, and rub in fluid-film bearing machines. Uses sub-synchronous and super-synchronous patterns for identification.

Lesson 3 • Mechanical Looseness and Resonance

Identifies structural and rotating looseness through sub-harmonic and harmonic patterns. Differentiates looseness from resonance using phase and frequency sweep data.

Lesson 4 • Rolling Element Bearing Faults

Calculates bearing defect frequencies and identifies BPFO, BPFI, BSF, and FTF patterns. Covers fault progression from early-stage to advanced failure.

Lesson 5 • Gear and Belt Drive Faults

Calculates gear mesh frequency and identifies tooth wear, eccentricity, and cracking patterns. Extends analysis to belt drives using belt frequency calculations.

Lesson 1 • Order Tracking Analysis

Removes speed variation effects by resampling data in the angular domain. Essential for diagnosing faults in variable-speed machinery.

Lesson 2 • Time-Frequency Analysis Methods

Applies Short-Time Fourier Transform and wavelet transforms to non-stationary signals. Captures transient fault events that standard FFT misses.

Lesson 3 • Envelope Analysis and Demodulation

Extracts bearing defect frequencies hidden in high-frequency resonance bands. Students apply bandpass filtering, rectification, and FFT to produce envelope spectra.

Lesson 4 • Kurtogram and Spectral Kurtosis

Uses spectral kurtosis to automatically identify optimal frequency bands for envelope analysis. Reduces analyst subjectivity in band selection.

Lesson 1 • Laser Alignment Procedures

Guides students through laser shaft alignment setup, measurement, and correction. Covers both rim-and-face and reverse-dial laser methods.

Lesson 2 • Shaft Alignment Principles

Explains angular and offset misalignment geometry and their effect on machinery life. Establishes the conceptual foundation for all alignment measurement methods.

Lesson 3 • Two-Plane Field Balancing

Extends single-plane methods to rotors requiring simultaneous correction in two planes. Addresses the cross-effect between planes using matrix calculations.

Lesson 4 • Single-Plane Field Balancing

Applies the influence coefficient method to balance rotors in a single correction plane. Students perform trial weight runs and calculate the correction weight magnitude and angle.

Lesson 1 • Route-Based Data Collection

Design efficient measurement routes that minimise collection time while maximising data consistency. Covers measurement point labelling, location standards, and route sequencing.

Lesson 2 • Automated Monitoring and Online Systems

Compares continuous online monitoring with periodic route-based collection. Students configure online systems for critical machinery protection and trending.

Lesson 3 • Vibration Database Management

Structures a vibration database for reliable trending, retrieval, and reporting. Addresses naming conventions, hierarchy, and data integrity practices.

Lesson 4 • Programme Design and Equipment Criticality

Ranks equipment by failure consequence to prioritise monitoring resources. Criticality ranking drives measurement frequency and alarm stringency decisions.