Increase Efficiency with Portable Vibration Analyzers

Detecting issues caused by an imbalance in a machine’s signature vibration is called vibration analysis. Vibration data can be obtained by either mounting a transducer onto the machinery at various locations or by using portable data-gathering vibration analysis equipment, such as a vibration analyzer, to obtain vibration readings. Vibration analysis equipment can be fitted to gear reducers and electric motors to determine misalignment, mechanical looseness, eccentric shafts, gear/bearing wear, broken teeth and poor end-turn connections. Besides, it can be used for unbalance measurement in one or two planes for conversion of unbalance correction into practical balancing methods such as drilling, frequency analysis to determine the spectral components of a vibration, tracking analysis to capture the run-up or coast-down of a machine and to determine the resonances and envelope analysis to detect damage of rolling bearings or gears.



The portable vibration analyzer incorporates a microprocessor, which allows it to convert the electrical signal mathematically to acceleration per unit time, perform FFT and store the data. It can display the data whenever required and can also be programmed to generate alarms. The data stored by the analyzer can be downloaded to a computer by use of available USB ports to perform more sophisticated analyses, data storage and retrieval and report generation.



The most basic and economical portable vibration analyzers are single-channel devices, without a tacho input. While the single-channel vibration analyzer can be used for diagnostic work and dynamic balancing, a twin-channel analyzer can perform almost any measurement that a larger machine can handle. If there is need to perform impact tests, modals, intensity measurements, FRFs, etc. then a two-channel vibration analyzer would be required. Any diagnostic work will need more advanced vibration analysis equipment.



Capabilities of a portable vibration analyzer include order spectrum, phase, cross-channel phase, orbits, run-up and coast-down measurements, bump test, negative averaging and more. They are also used for measuring vibrations on bearings and machine housings, field balancing on site, recording the condition of rolling bearings, observing and recording vibration levels, identifying frequencies in a vibration, detecting resonance points and identifying transfer functions and detecting machine damage.



The biggest advantage of portable vibration analyzers is that they can be applied to all rotating equipment, including electric motors, fans, machine tools, turbines, conveyor belt drives, pumps, air-compressors, motor-generator sets, reciprocating engines, rolling mills, and mining equipment from long wall shearers to continuous mining machines.