VIBRATION CAUSE OR EFFECT?

The understanding of machinery vibration analysis often leads to confusion regarding whether vibration is the cause of a problem, the result of a problem, or both.

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This confusion can lead to significant errors in data analysis. Let us take a moment to clarify this matter.

Vibration as the Cause

Excessive vibration within machinery can instigate a cascade of problems. It can lead to fatigue failures in various components such as shafts, couplings, bearings, seals, pipes, and foundations. Additionally, it can induce quality issues in manufactured products. Consider the scenario of an HVAC fan vibrating near a computer chip printing machine: the vibration, traveling through thefloor, can adversely affect the precision of the chip manufacturing process.

Furthermore, excessive vibration poses potential risks to human safety and comfort, even when direct harm is not directly inflicted. Think of the annoyance caused by an unbalanced ceiling fan going "whop, whop, whop!" while you're trying to sleep. Talk about annoying.

A helpful analogy to help wrap your head around this is to envision driving a car at high speeds over rough terrain. Continuously subjecting the vehicle to such conditions will inevitably lead to damage due to excess vibration.

During my audits of companies' vibration programs and data-analysis procedures, I often encounter a common misconception. Many tend to assess vibration levels solely based on graphs, identifying the highest peaks and assuming that as long as the vibration remains within acceptable limits, the machinery is functioning adequately. Alternatively, some rely on ISO RMS alarm charts for comparison. However, such approaches can overlook critical issues, as well.