Getting Started with Vibration Testing

Abstract

Chris and Fred discuss how we get started with vibration testing. We are often told (or feel like) we need to conduct vibration testing on new products and components. But what does that mean? Where do we start?

Key Points

Join Chris and Fred as they discuss how you start going about vibration testing … and when you should use it. And what you should use. Where do we start?

Topics include:

• Understand how your customers and users will ‘vibrate’ your product or device. And that means thinking about it from the perspective of the customer and user (… I know … scary!) And that means thinking about how it will be manufactured, stacked, stored, packed, transported, displayed in store, purchased, dropped on the way to the car, unpacked, installed, used, repaired (et cetera).
• Beware of standards. Too many organizations simply say that we ‘comply with standards’ and we are done! Be very careful of this. Standards are written by a bunch of volunteers, from various walks of life and backgrounds. There is no routine vetting for expertise (which is different to experience). And while many of these volunteers do have some useful knowledge, standards are often reduced to the lowest level of common agreement. So be very, very careful. To the extent that you should perhaps create our own standard.
• So what should you do? (1) understand your stresses … which could itself come from testing (2) avoid harmonics … which amplifies seemingly small stresses and (3) add margin … for those VITAL FEW stresses.
• Know what vibration tests exist. For example, Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) is an incredibly helpful tool that uses vibration to find weak points. News to you? Check it out!

Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.

SOR 1025 Getting Started with Vibration TestingChristopher Jackson

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