Our comprehensive Vibration Analysis Training and Machine Vibration Training courses are designed to equip professionals with the technical skills they need to address machinery vibration problems.  By attending our Vibration Training Courses, students can enhance their proficiency. Our comprehensive courses include hands-on training, real-world scenarios, single plane balancing techniques and ISO certification training on three (3) levels of increasing experience. By attending any of our Vibration Analysis Courses students will acquire the skills necessary to effectively manage their vibration program and resolve technical machinery vibration issues.

In addition, when students obtain an ISO certification, this assures potential employers they are qualified to address machinery vibration issues. Investing in these Vibration Training Courses is a strategic move towards career advancement and increased marketability in the industry.

To present the best quality training available, VAI has developed our Vibration Training Courses based on the list of topics specified by the ISO organization.

To maximize our students opportunity to pass the ISO exam, we meticulously developed comprehensive training manuals. These manuals feature quality laser-printed material, on both sides and in full-color, and are neatly organized in a large 3-ring binder. Each training manual includes daily quizzes with answers, workshops, and a comprehensive self-check take home exam which allows students to assess their knowledge before taking the formal ISO exam.

1.    Equipment Health Monitoring

After attending a Vibration Analysis Training course, students will be better able to detect and identify changes in the vibration data which point to degrading machinery conditions.  These conditions include misalignment, unbalance, bearing wear, and numerous other mechanical problems. By being able to detect and identify these issues at the earliest stages of development, corrective maintenance can be scheduled and performed to prevent machinery failure.

2.    Predictive Maintenance

Predictive Maintenance employs Vibration Analysis Training as its primary technology for detecting and identifying equipment degradation proactively. This approach allows maintenance teams to intervene with corrective measures before machinery failure occurs. By implementing timely actions, Predictive Maintenance not only prevents costly breakdowns but also enhances machinery performance and reduces maintenance expenses.

3.    Energy Efficiency

Machines that are out of alignment, significantly unbalanced, and pumps that are operating well off their Best Efficiency Point will consume additional energy. Machine Vibration Training provides staff with the knowledge to detect and identify these conditions which can be passed on to Operators so they can adjust system operating conditions as needed.

4.    Personnel and Machine Safety

Excessive vibrations can be a safety hazard, but by attending Vibration Training Courses

Analysts gain knowledge on how to identify and address issues that could lead to equipment failure or pose risks to personnel. This proactive approach enhances workplace safety.

5.    Quality Control

In manufacturing processes, the information gained by attending Vibration Analysis Courses can be indispensable especially for personnel responsible for ensuring product quality. By continuously monitoring vibrations during production, anomalies or defects in the manufacturing product can be swiftly identified, thereby preventing the production of faulty or degraded products.

6.    Knowledge & Skill Development

Machine Vibration Training is indispensable for personnel responsible for maintenance and reliability engineering. This training provides staff the skills needed to use vibration analysis tools and accurately interpret the data. As a result, maintenance and reliability staff are better equipped to identify and address potential machinery issues.

7.    Cost Savings

By attending one or more Vibration Training Courses professionals can implement preventive maintenance strategies rather than rely on reactive maintenance caused by a machine failure.

8.    Comprehensive Curriculum

Vibration Training Courses provide a comprehensive understanding of machinery vibration issues, encompassing fundamental principles and introducing participants to the language of machine design, operation, and performance.

9.    Practical Hands-On Experience

Mastery of vibration analysis at any ISO Category, requires practical Vibration Analysis Training, and our courses integrate real-world machinery vibration data into our training material. Our on-site Data Collector Training, when combined with ISO Category I or II Training, provides students the opportunity to collect and analyze their vibration data as part of new program startup activities. This hands-on approach allows us to mentor students as they both collect and analyze their data, empowering them to make informed decisions.

10.    Industry Relevant Topics

We offer the flexibility to tailor our Vibration Analysis Training courses to the specific needs and challenges of our clients. Our courses address the more common machinery types, the typical issues associated with each type, and the recommended corrective actions.

11.    Exposure to Advanced Tools and Techniques

Our training courses introduce students to state-of-the-art vibration analysis tools and technologies. Participants gain hands-on experience with the industry’s top-rated test equipment and software.

12.    Instructor Experience

Did you know that by attending one of our Vibration Analysis Courses, your most serious and perplexing vibration problem could be resolved!  We are committed to maintaining unparalleled quality and expertise of our instructors, and we exclusively enlist experienced ISO Category IV Certified Vibration Analysts, each having decades of practical experience.

13.    Interactive Learning Environment

VAI’s Vibration Training Courses are comprehensive and we allocate time for students to interact and engage with each other.  Our dynamic learning environment includes periods for group discussions, questions and answers, and collaborative problem-solving.

14.    Industry Recognized Certification

Upon completing a Category I, II, or III Vibration Analysis Training course and passing the ISO Exam, participants receive an industry recognized certification.  This certification not only adds credibility to the students’ knowledge and experience, but validates their proficiency in this technology.

15.    Continuous Learning Opportunities

In the dynamic field of vibration analysis where the technology is ever-evolving, a machine’s vibration response to different defects will remain constant. Our courses follow a multi-tiered approach to training, preparing students to advance to higher levels of certification. While emphasizing continuous learning, our Vibration Training Courses stress the importance of building a technical library, attending webinars and keeping analysts informed about the latest advancements in their profession.

16.    Case Studies

Our training courses incorporate real-world case studies, providing participants with practical examples in solving actual situations preparing them for the challenges they will likely encounter in the workplace.

17.    Feedback and Self-Evaluations

During our training we use assessment forms, quizzes, and practice exams to keep participants engaged and pinpoint areas for potential improvement. As with any training course, we value and encourage constructive feedback by providing evaluation forms.

What they don’t teach BUT SHOULD! 

• Just about any Analyst can manage a World Class Vibration Program.  Getting it there and keeping it World Class … well that’s a different story!
• A kind note to managers and engineers: Just because your might know everything about a brick (it’s density, porosity, physical, chemical & mineral properties, color, hardness, weight, cost, etc.) does not make one a professional brick mason. The same applies for vibration analysis .

• Why do “Armchair Quarterbacks” always know enough to be an ‘expert’ … but never enough to solve the problem???

• Vibration Analysis is as much of an art as it is a science, and some scientists failed art class!

• When someone “pushes back” on making repairs to a 3600-rpm machine with high vibration levels, just mention that the machine is getting 5.2 million cycles closer to failure every day.

• Expect the unexpected. A machine can fail within minutes after collecting ‘good’ data.  For example, like when a piece of foreign material suddenly breaks off and blocks the oil flow to a bearing.  Another example is a bearing cage failure; both are sudden and result in catastrophic failures with little or no warning.

• There are no guarantees in this business. If it looks, smells and tastes like “unbalance”, its only “unbalance” if “balancing” fixes the problem.

• There is no specific amplitude when a machine goes from “good” to “bad”, or when it will fail.  Use caution when referring to industry vibration charts … often referred to as “idiot” charts (because they are only good when no other information is available).

• When exactly when does a rolling element bearing fail?
  1. When the bearing has a visible defect?
  2. When the bearing fault frequencies exceed 0.325 IPS-Pk?
  3. When someone directs that the component due to concerns about elevated noise levels?
  4. When the machine fails and stops supporting plant operations?

• Identical machines will respond differently. Many machines are sensitive to changes in operating conditions.  Knowing your machine’s history and it’s sensitivities to changes in operating conditions is half the battle.

• Know your strengths – fortify your weaknesses. There are four (4) key areas of  knowledge and experience. They are:
  1. Formal training (and 1 good week of formal training is worth about five years of full time experience … without the hard knocks and machine failures).
  2. Knowledge of the vibration test equipment and software.
  3. Proper data collection techniques and analysis experience.
  4. Knowledge of machine design and performance characteristics.

• Vibration analysis cannot predict the run time to failure (RTF). RTF depends on too many conditions, such as operating speed, load, temperatures, component design, amount of unbalance & misalignment, quality & quantity of lubricant, and much more. Whenever someone asks you to predict RTF, just say you need to run that machine under the current (identical) conditions at least three (3) times to failure, in order to accurately predict RTF using “Statistics”.  Then ask that person for permission to start the science project. (Problem resolved!)

• The quality of your data analysis is only as good as the data that’s been collected … and there is no “perfect” data. All spectral data is a compromise between the analysis parameter settings, meter settings, window types, measures of amplitude, frequency range, type of averaging, # of averages, % overlap, lines of resolution, measurement point locations, transients, background noise and more.

• The more you know about vibration analysis, the more you’ll realize you don’t know.
  – A new Category-I Analyst with no prior experience basically knows enough to be dangerous to himself and plant equipment.
  – A Category-II Analyst with 1 full year of experience is right about 70% of the time. That means he’ll be wrong ~ 1/3 the time.
  – A Category-III Analyst with 5 year’s experience is right about 85% of the time.
  – A Category-IV Analyst with 10 year’s experience is right about 95% of the time.
  – VAI’s patented data analysis process approaches 100% accuracy and at 1/3 the cost of an in-house program.
  – Anyone guaranteeing they can correctly analyze any vibration problem is lying … or you won’t be able to afford their salary.

• Experts will not always agree. Ask three (3) experts and you may get three (3) different answers.

• The following usually means you have a new component vibration issue to address:
  1. Step changes
  2. New frequencies
  3. Increasing trends
  4. The appearance of your Maintenance Manager

Our Data Collector training course prepares students how to safely and accurately collect vibration data using the industry’s leading test equipment; CSI’s 2140 hand-held meter. For clients who choose us to analyze their machinery vibration data, we will provide this training on-site at no cost. No travel or labor costs. ZIP!

To learn more about this course or get your data analyzed call 815-742-1793.

We provide comprehensive training on how to use the industry’s leading vibration database software; CSI’s AMS Machinery Health Manager.  For reference, the above image shows a few of the software’s menus and many of the parameters that must be choosen for each and every machine point.

Selection of all these parameters is critical, because the accuracy of any data analysis is directly dependent on the quality of the parameters selected.  Our 3-day course will prepare students on how to build complete and efficient databases, routes, configure their data collection parameters, and how to analyze the data using the many different plot formats available.

We offer ISO Category I, II, and III Training and will train an unlimited number of students at your facility for one (1) fixed price. The only additional expenses would be for individual student textbooks and the optional ISO exams.  For more information about any of our training courses, please call us at 815-742-1793.

The following are a few slides from our training material

Our ISO Category I course focuses on fundamental principles of vibration analysis, covering essential terminology, safe data collection techniques, and basic fault identification examples. Unlike more advanced machinery vibration analysis courses, this program prioritizes a comprehensive understanding without overwhelming students with excessive technical material, often referred to as unnecessary ‘Information Overload’.

After completing this course, students will have a basic understanding of the industry’s language and be able to effectively communicate with other specialist in the industry.  Students will also understand how industrial vibration programs work and how to actively support and contribute to these programs.

Topics covered in this course:

• Typical sources of vibrations
• Types of Waveform Vibration
  • Harmonic (Sinusoidal) Motion
  • Periodic (Repetitive) Motion
  • Impulsive (Impacting / Bearing Faults)
  • Cyclic / Repeating Beats
  • Random Noise Energy
• Common Effects of Vibration
  • Industry Uses of Vibration Energy
• Types of Measurement and Analysis
  • Measures and Units of Vibration
  • Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration
  • Mils, Inches/Sec and g’s
  • Amplitudes of Vibration
  • Peak, RMS, Peak-to-Peak
• The Response to Vibration Energy
• Measuring Vibration Energy
• Types of Vibration Motion
• Frequencies and Amplitudes
  • Harmonic and Periodic Vibration
  • Units of Frequency
  • Hz, CPS, CPM & Orders
• Converting Amplitudes of Harmonic Signals
• Basic Vibration Analysis
  • Basics of Spectral and Waveform Plots
  • Mechanical Vibration Excitation
  • Natural Frequencies vs. Critical Speeds
• Methods of Human Observations
  • Noise: What is it?
• Collecting Periodic and Continuous Vibration Data
• How to Select Correct Measure of Amplitude
  • Measuring Relative Shaft Displacement
  • Measuring Absolute Displacement
• Determining Optimum Frequency Spans (Fmax)
• Use of Proximity Probes
• When to Use Velocity Transducers
• When to use Accelerometers
• Selecting Vibration Sensors and Method of Mounting
• Determining Best Sensor Locations
• Load Zone Measurement Locations
• General Machine Design & Information
• Sources of Machine Vibration
  • Design and Function:
    • Unbalance
  • Shaft Eccentricity
  • Gear Cogging
  • Electro-Mechanical
  • Flow Generated Noise Energy
  • Reciprocating Machines (Air Compressors)
  • Natural Frequencies & Resonances
  • Thermal Changes (Frost Heaving)
  • Flexible Structures, Components, & Piping
  • Oil Whirl and Whip (and the Difference)
  • Mechanical Stress
  • Hydrodynamic Sources (Water Hammer)
  • Structureborne, Airborne and Fluidborne
  • Fan Belts (Loose and Degraded)
  • Worn Couplings and U-Joints
  • Machining Processes & Construction
• Installation Sources of Machine Vibration
  • Issues that affect the Alignment
  • True Misalignment
  • Softfoot of Mounting Feet
  • Looseness
  • Excessive Clearances (Bearings)
  • Mechanical Defects and Human Abuse
  • Vibration Sources from Rotating Components
  • Bearings: Rolling Element and Journal
• Centrifugal Pumps
• Air Handling Units:
• Fans, Blowers and Air Compressors
• Gearboxes
• Machine Tools: Lathes, Spindles, Grinders
• Electrical AC Motors and Generators
• Turbines: Steam and Gas
• Test Equipment
  • Oscilloscopes
  • Handheld Meters, Data Collectors and Analyzers
  • Virtual Test Instruments
  • Data Acquisition Instruments / Multichannel Recorders
  • Computer Based Vibration Software
• Types of Tests
  • Periodic Monitoring & Route Based Trending
  • Required Machine Information: Configuration and RPM
• Typical Testing Procedures
  • Sensor Mounting and Location
  • Personnel, Machine and Production Safety
  • Frequency of Periodic Data Collection
  • Screening and Trending for Machine Issues
• Establishing Alarm Setpoints
• Detecting Machinery Vibration Issues
• Determining Component Health: How Bad is it?
• When to Performing Acceptance Tests
• How to Determine Natural Frequencies
• Resonance and Critical Speeds
• Basic Vibration Analysis
  • Spectral Analysis: Frequencies vs. Amplitudes
  • Time Waveform: Amplitudes vs. Time
  • FFT Processing
  • Time Required to Collect Data Sets
  • How Resolution Affects the Data
• Basic Terminology
  • Determining Component Operating Speed
  • Determining Harmonics (Orders) of Operating Speed
  • Electrically Related Frequencies (Motors / Generators)
  • Overview of Amplitude Modulation
• Typical Machine Faults
  • Natural Frequencies (Resonance and Critical Speeds)
  • Component Unbalance
  • Misalignment and Issues Affecting the Alignment
  • Looseness
  • Mechanical Distortion
  • Detecting Beats and Identifying Their Sources
  • Rolling Element and Journal Bearing Defects
  • Gear-Related Defects
  • Electric Motors and Generators
  • Detecting Broken Motor Rotor Bars from Sidebands
  • Centrifugal Pumps, Fans and Air Compressors
• Determining Defect Severity
  • Bearing Housing Amplitudes
  • Shaft Vibration Amplitudes
  • Gearboxes
  • Rolling Element and Journal Bearings

Our ISO Category II course expands upon the foundational knowledge covered in Category I and extends the learning process by incorporating more advanced subjects up to and including an introduction to single-plane balancing

It has been suggested that upon completing this course and gaining one (1) year of job experience, students should able to correctly analyze 70% of all vibration issues. However, this implies a margin of error of about one-third the time.

Topics covered in this course:

• Review of all Category I Material
• Causes of machine vibration and it responds
• Overview of Vibratory Motion
• Measures of Vibration Amplitude
• Measuring Vibration Data
• Definition of Phase and How to Measure It
• Machinery Vibration Analysis
• Forces and Excitation
• Natural Frequencies
• Resonances, Critical Speeds and Mode Shape
• How to Select the Proper Amplitude Measure
• Performance and Selection of Vibration Transducers
• Selecting Triggering Devices and How to Use Them
• How to Properly Locate and Mount Transducers
• How to Properly Select Frequency Spans (Fmax)
• How to Best Display the Data
• Types of Test Equipment
  • Oscilloscopes
  • FFT Analyzer
  • Electronic Data Collector
• Types of Data Processing
  • Data Sampling
  • Aliasing
  • Windowing
  • Dynamic Range
  • Averaging
• Setup of Test Equipment
• Machine Fault Frequencies
  • Methods of Fault Frequency Analysis
  • Faults at 1x Operating Speed and Harmonics
  • Faults at non-Harmonics (Rolling Element Bearings)
  • Gearbox Faults (Gearmesh)
  • Electric Motors and Generators
  • Centrifugal vs. Axial Flow Machines
  • Centrifugal & Positive Displacement Pumps
  • Air Handlers, Fans, Blowers, Compressors
• How Bad is it? Determination based on:
  • Absolute Shaft Vibration (Shaft Stick)
  • Relative Bearing Vibration (Proximity Probes)
  • Absolute Casing Vibration (Casing Mounted Sensor)
• Generating Test Plans
  • Selecting Test Equipment
  • Performing Site Inspections
  • Performing Acceptance and Baseline Tests
  • Testing for Resonance and Critical Speeds
  • Testing for Faults, Machine Health, and Unbalance
• Invoking Vibration Test Specifications
• Considering Sensor Environment and Mounting
• Selecting the Best Display for Machine Defects
• Generating Vibration Health Reports
  • Summary of Testing for Machine Defects
• Prioritizing Machinery for Testing
  • Component Configuration Data Needed
  • Machinery Selection and Route Creation
  • Selecting Measures and Measurement Points
  • Testing & Selecting Baseline Data
  • Optimum Frequency for Periodic Data Collection
• Selecting Test Equipment (the Good, Bad & Ugly)
• Making Best Use of Your Resources
  • Basics of Trending
  • Use of Alarms and Alarm Set Points
• Generating Component Health Reports
• Summary of Route Based Monitoring
• Intro to Single Plane Balancing
  • Definition of Single Plane, Static & Couple Unbalance
  • Overview of Equipment Needed to Balance
  • Performing Pre-Balancing Checks
  • Data Collection
  • Relationship between Heavy, Hi and Light Spots
  • How to Calculate Amount of Trial Weight Needed
• Common Balancing Errors
• How to Use Polar Graph Paper and the Vector Method
  • How to Split and Add Balance Weights
• Determining Acceptable Post Balance Amplitudes

Our ISO Category III course begins with a quick review of all Category I and II training topics, after which students are presented with a more advanced level of training.

The Cat. III topics presented in this course include:

• Calculating Waveform Period and Frequency
• Waveform Terms and Definitions
• Basic Phase Analysis
• Harmonic Conversions
• Displacement vs. Velocity vs. Acceleration
• Phase Relationship between Amplitude Measures
• Gapping Proximity Probes
• Absolute vs. Relative Displacement
• Relationship of Sensor Size, Fmax and Sensitivity
• Overall Values
• Filtered Values
• Spectral Plots
• Time Waveform Plots
• Overall Amplitude Trend Plots
• Spectral Trend / Waterfall Plots
• Bode Plots
• Polar Plots
• FFT and Signal processinG:
• Digital Sampling
• Bins and Lines of Resolution
• Aliasing & Aliased Frequencies
• Windows, Window Factors, and the FFT Process
• Window Shapes vs. Amplitude Uncertainty
• Errors caused by Windows
• The FFT Process
• Dynamic Range
• Types of Averaging
  • RMS
  • Peak-Hold
  • Synchronous Time
  • Overlap
• Introduction to Orbits
  • Calculating Orbit Amplitudes
• Forward and Reverse Loop Orbits
• Selection of Fmax
• Selection of Resolution
• Bins and Lines of Resolution
• Lowest Resolvable Frequency
• Machinery Vibration Analysis:
• Mode Shapes, Nodes and Anti-nodes
• Side-bands
• Cracked / Broken Motor Rotor Bars
• Other Sources of Machine Vibration
• Bent Shafts
• Resonance
• Soft-foot and Foot-Related Resonance
• Distortion
• Changes of Operating Conditions
• Looseness, Beats, Bearing Faults
• Journal Bearings, Gear Faults
• Pump, Motor and Fan Faults
• Alarms and Band Screening
• Developing Test Plans
• Performing Site Inspections
• Types of Testing
• Resonance and Critical Speed Testing
• Interference Diagrams
• Problem Reporting
• Selecting Acceptance Criteria
• Casing vs. Rotor Data
• Gear and Roller Bearing Evaluation
• Journal Bearing Evaluation
• High Spot / Light Spot / Heavy Spot
• Lag Angle and Understanding Phase
• Phase Change with Respect to Critical Speed
• Relationship Between Force and Vibration
• Single Plane Balancing using the Vector Method
• Determining Acceptable Post Balance Amplitudes

This two (2) day training course covers all aspects of how to perform single plane balancing which is estimated to be about 95% of all industrial balance jobs.

The major portions of this training include a thorough understanding of personnel and machinery safety, the use of test equipment, data collection, the use of polar graph paper (vs. expensive balancing software), calculating balance moves, and how to distinguish between unbalance and other machine faults that cause similar data.

Training Topics Include:

• Introduction to Balancing
• Basic concepts of balancing
• Importance of balancing in machinery maintenance
• Single Plane Balancing Fundamentals:
  • Understanding unbalance and its effects
  • Types of unbalance (static and dynamic)
• Balancing Equipment Overview:
• Balancing Procedures:
  • Pre-balance checks and preparation
  • Measurement techniques for unbalance
  • Correction methods (adding/removing weight)
• Single Plane Balancing Techniques:
  • Trial weight method
  • Influence coefficient method
• Practical Balancing Exercises:
• Safety Considerations:
• Case Studies and Examples:
• Real-world examples of balancing challenges
• Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving:
• Identifying common balancing issues
• Strategies for troubleshooting balancing problems
• Best Practices and Maintenance Tips:
• Maintenance practices to prevent unbalance
• Best practices for ongoing balancing maintenance

Feel free to print and use the polar graph image below to perform your single plane balancing. Compliments of VAI!

This two (2) day course provides comprehensive instruction on how to perform an ODS test and evaluate the results.

The following topics are included with this following:

• Introduction to ODS Analysis:
• Overview of Operational Deflection Shape (ODS) analysis
• Importance of ODS analysis in machinery diagnostics and troubleshooting
• Fundamentals of Structural Dynamics
  • Basic concepts of vibration and modal analysis
  • Understanding natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping
• Introduction to the data acquisition hardware and software

Building the Model

• ODS Analysis Methods:
• Frequency-based ODS analysis (FFT-based)
• Visualization tools and software for displaying ODS shapes and animations
• Interpretation of ODS Results:
• Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving:
  • Using ODS analysis to diagnose machinery problems
• Strategies for addressing structural issues revealed by ODS testing
• Case Studies and Examples:
  • Real-world examples of ODS analysis applications
  • Case studies illustrating successful diagnosis and resolution of structural problems using ODS
• Safety Considerations:
  • Safety protocols for conducting ODS testing in industrial environments
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
• Assessment of participant understanding through practical exercises.