Equipment used to measure the vibration of industrial machines

Electronic instruments used to measure the vibration of industrial machines are generally classified as meters, monitors and analysers. For example, a portable, hand-held meter is used to determine the general level of vibration at various points on a machine, while monitors serve much the same purpose as meters, but are permanently or semi-permanently installed to provide constant monitoring of machine vibration.

Although the vibration analysers can perform the same functions as meters and monitors, they can also perform more complex operations. For example, an analyser uses a filter that can be tuned so as to separate the individual frequencies of a complex vibrational waveform. Analysers may also include a strobe lamp, which is used in phase analysis and dynamic balancing.

There are a wide variety of vibration transducers available. Within the scope of this and the following articles we will publish regarding industrial machine vibration measurement equipment, we will examine the main types and determine:

• How they work.
• For what specific purposes each is used.
• How they are assembled.

Many of the IRD vibration analysers and vibration meters can be used with different transducers (also from IRD). In some cases there may be several alternatives. It is best, in this case, to study the instruction manual and technical characteristics of each meter or analyser to familiarise yourself with the types of transducers that can be used with your equipment.

Equipment used to measure the vibration of industrial machines: Velocity sensors 

To close this article we would like to give a short introduction to velocity transducers, or transducers, which respond directly to vibration velocity. Most vibration measurement instruments are equipped to process the electrical signals generated by a velocity sensor and also indicate the vibration displacement.

Theoretically, it is also possible to convert the signals from the velocity sensors into acceleration units; however, in practice this is not done because the results obtained are not reliable. For the measurement of displacement and vibration velocity, velocity transducers are used. In the following articles we will compare these applications with those of other types of sensors.

If you are interested in learning more about the equipment used to measure vibration of industrial machines, we invite you to learn more about the parameters for the correct measurement of mechanical vibrations on machines, as well as to subscribe to our Newslettera newsletter that provides you with technical content about the best technological solutions for industrial plants, focused on automation and maintenance.