Vibration testing is used for quality control and field monitoring of products, such as pumps and motors. Testing can be done with a shaking unit or on a vibration testing machine, and can be uni-directional or multi-directional. Designing for vibration protection includes creating strong parts and packaging, and testing containers for strength and vibration resistance. Field monitoring of pumps and motors involves monitoring vibration and drive shaft alignment.
Products are shipped worldwide in packages and containers every day. Vehicles, ships or planes can carry them, but either way they are exposed to vibration. A vibration test is often used as a quality control tool to expose products to vibration before shipping. The results can be used for product and packaging design to reduce damage from shaking and bouncing. Vibration testing is also used for field monitoring of pumps and motors.
When vibration occurs during shipping, a force acts on a part and creates movement in one or more directions. When the part is fixed in a vehicle or container, the movement stops and the part moves in the opposite direction, creating vibrations. This movement is called the spring constant and the movement will continue unless the vibration is reduced by packing and strapping.
There are two ways to create vibration for QC testing. A simple shaking unit can be placed on the part and operated for a period of time or until the part fails. The other method is to place the part or package on a vibration testing machine, which moves in one or more directions depending on the design. Stress instruments can be placed on the test part to measure the effects of vibration.
A unidirectional testing machine will move a test piece back and forth or up and down. Hydraulics or electric motors may be used to operate the test equipment, with hydraulics primarily used for low speed testing. A one-way test can be a piston that moves back and forth, creating a similar motion in the test part.
Multi-directional test equipment can mimic real conditions better than a uni-directional agitator. Equipment shipped in trucks or ships can be subjected to this type of vibration test. The different movements created by the test cause stresses similar to those observed during shipping.
Designing for vibration protection includes making the part strong enough to resist damage and creating packaging and shipping containers to resist vibration. Boxed containers have to be tested for vibration resistance, because they are used both on ships and trucks and are subjected to different loads. Shipping container tests can include a variety of tests for strength and vibration resistance.
The shell of the container must be resistant to repeated vibrations and stresses due to loading, movement and atmospheric conditions. Container contents must be tested to develop suitable packaging and secondary packaging that resists vibration and shock from loading and handling. A vibration test can also be performed on container latches to confirm that the container will not open under repeated stress.
In field monitoring of pumps and motors used in industrial processes, many have an electric motor attached to a pump housing. The drive shaft between them must have minimal vibration to ensure a long service life. Drive shaft alignment can also be monitored with portable vibration testing equipment.
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