Vibration is a characteristic found in virtually all industrial machines. When vibration increases beyond normal levels, it may indicate normal wear - or it may be showing the source of trouble and signal the need for further assessment to identify any underlying causes, or for immediate maintenance action to be taken. To determine this, accurate vibration analysis using vibration monitoring equipment is required.
Understanding why vibration occurs and how it manifests itself is a key first step towards preventing vibration from causing trouble in the production environment. But how can the plant maintenance professional tell the difference between acceptable, normal vibration and the kind of vibration that requires immediate attention to service or replace troubled equipment?