The Category-III course is intended for people who are confident with spectrum analysis but who wish to push on and learn more about signal processing, time waveform and phase analysis, cross-channel testing, machine dynamics, and fault correction. If you wish to truly advance in vibration analysis and be able to run a successful condition monitoring team, then you are ready for this course.
Here are the main topics covered on the VCAT-III course:
- Signal processing
- Filters: Low pass, band pass, high pass, band stop
- Sampling, aliasing, dynamic range
- Signal-to-noise ratio
- Resolution, Fmax, data collection time
- Averaging: linear, overlap, peak hold, time synchronous
- Windowing and leakage
- Order tracking
- Cross-channel measurements
- Correlation and coherence
- Time waveform analysis
- Collecting data – ensuring you have the correct setup
- When should you use time waveform analysis?
- Diagnosing unbalance, misalignment, bent shaft, eccentricity, cocked bearing, resonance, looseness, and other conditions
- Phase analysis
- Collecting data
- Bubble diagrams
- Diagnosing unbalance, misalignment, bent shaft, eccentricity, cocked bearing, resonance, looseness, and other conditions
- Dynamics (natural frequencies and resonance)
- Natural frequencies and resonances
- Mass, stiffness, and damping
- SDOF and MDOF
- Testing for natural frequencies
- Run-up coast down tests
- Bode plots and Nyquist (polar) plots
- Impact and bump tests
- Operating Deflection Shape (ODS) analysis
- Can we prove the existence of a natural frequency?
- Visualizing vibration
- Setting up the job
- Collecting phase readings correctly
- Interpreting the deflection shape
- Using Motion Amplification
- Modal analysis and intro to FEA
- How does modal analysis differ from ODS?
- How does Finite Element Analysis (FEA) differ from modal analysis
- A quick review of the modal testing process
- Correcting resonances
- The effect of mass and stiffness
- Beware of nodal points
- Adding damping
- A ‘trial and error’ approach
- A ‘scientific’ approach
- Isolation
- Tuned absorbers and tuned mass dampers
- Rolling element bearing fault detection
- Why do bearings fail?
- Cocked bearing, sliding on the shaft or inside the housing, looseness
- EDM and DC motors and VFDs
- Bearing frequencies and what to do when you don’t have all the details
- The four stages of bearing degradation
- Ultrasound
- High-frequency detection techniques
- Shock Pulse, Spike Energy, Peak Vue, and other techniques
- Demodulation/enveloping
- Selecting the correct filter settings
- Spectrum analysis
- Time waveform analysis
- Low-speed bearings
- Journal bearing fault detection
- What are journal bearings?
- Measuring displacement
- Introduction to orbit plots
- Using your analyzer to acquire orbit plots
- Introduction to centerline diagrams
- Eccentricity ratio
- Glitch removal
- How the orbit changes with pre-load, unbalance, misalignment, instabilities, oil whir and whip
- Electric motor testing
- How do motors work?
- Diagnosing a range of fault conditions: eccentric rotor, eccentric stator, soft foot, phasing, broken rotor bars, rotor bar, and stator slot pass frequencies
- Motor current analysis
- Pumps, fans, and compressors
- Unique fault conditions
- Flow turbulence, recirculation, cavitation
- Gearbox fault detection
- Spectrum analysis versus time waveform analysis
- Wear particle analysis
- Gearmesh, gear assembly phase frequency (and common factors)
- Tooth load, broken teeth, gear eccentricity and misalignment, backlash and more
- Corrective action
- General maintenance repair activities
- Review of the balancing process and ISO balance grades
- Review of shaft alignment procedures
- Running a successful condition monitoring program
- Defining the program
- Setting baselines
- Setting alarms: band, envelope/mask, statistical
- Setting goals and expectations (avoiding common problems)
- Report generation
- Reporting success stories
- Acceptance testing
- Review of ISO standards
The curriculum is empty
