Glossary Archive • Vibromera | Balanset Balancing Equipment

Example Сontent

How to Split Permissible Residual Unbalance Between Two Correction Planes (ISO 21940-11)

How to Split Permissible Residual Unbalance Between Two Correction Planes (ISO 21940-11) How to Split Total Permissible Residual Unbalance Between Two Planes For a two-support rotor, the total permissible residual unbalance \(U_{\mathrm{per}}\) is distributed between two correction planes based on rotor geometry and the rotor center of mass (CM) position. Read more

By Nikolai Shelkovenko, 2 months ago January 23, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

Vibration Diagnostics and Rotor Balancing – Glossary and ISO Standards

Comprehensive glossary of vibration diagnostics terms and ISO standards for rotor balancing, vibration analysis, and condition monitoring of rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 10816-1: Evaluating Machine Vibration on Non-Rotating Parts

An overview of ISO 10816-1, the key international standard providing general guidelines for the measurement and evaluation of vibration on non-rotating parts of machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Structural Resonance? Support System Vibration

Learn about structural resonance, vibration amplification when machine operating frequencies match natural frequencies of support structures, foundations, or frames.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 10816-3: Vibration Limits for Industrial Machines

An overview of ISO 10816-3, the specific standard providing vibration severity limits and evaluation zones for common industrial machines like pumps, motors, and fans.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

Sub-Synchronous and Synchronous Vibration Explained

Learn the critical difference between sub-synchronous and synchronous vibration. Understand how synchronous vibration relates to unbalance and how sub-synchronous vibration indicates serious rotor instabilities like oil whirl.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 13373-1: General Procedures for Vibration Monitoring

An overview of ISO 13373-1, which provides general procedures for the measurement and analysis of vibration data in machine condition monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago December 8, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What are Subharmonics in Vibration Analysis?

An explanation of subharmonics (1/2X, 1/3X, etc.), which are vibration frequencies that are integer fractions of a fundamental frequency, often indicating looseness or oil film instability.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Surging? Compressor Flow Instability

Learn about surging in compressors, violent flow reversal and oscillation causing severe vibration, potential equipment destruction, requiring anti-surge control systems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Synchronous Averaging? Signal Enhancement

Learn about synchronous averaging, signal processing technique that enhances periodic signals while canceling random noise, essential for gear and bearing diagnostics in vibration analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

Synchronous vs. Sub-Synchronous Vibration Explained

Learn the critical difference between synchronous and sub-synchronous vibration. Understand how synchronous vibration relates to common faults and how sub-synchronous vibration indicates serious instabilities.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 18436-2: Personnel Qualification for Vibration Analysis

An overview of ISO 18436-2, the standard that defines the requirements for the qualification and certification of personnel who perform vibration condition monitoring and diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago November 4, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Tachometer in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about the role of a tachometer in vibration analysis, providing a crucial once-per-revolution pulse for measuring RPM and enabling phase-based diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 1940-1: Balance Quality Requirements for Rigid Rotors

An overview of ISO 1940-1 (now part of ISO 21940), the key international standard that defines balance quality requirements and tolerance calculations for rigid rotors using G-Grades.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Telemetry? Remote Data Transmission

Learn about telemetry systems, wireless or wired transmission of measurement data from rotating components like shafts or blades to stationary recording equipment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 1940-2: Vocabulary for Balancing

An overview of ISO 1940-2, the standard that defines the essential vocabulary and terminology used in the field of rotor balancing to ensure clear and consistent communication.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Measurement

What is a Temperature Sensor? Thermal Monitoring Device

Learn about temperature sensors for machinery monitoring, including RTDs and thermocouples measuring bearing and equipment temperatures to detect overheating and lubrication problems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 2041: Vocabulary for Vibration, Shock, and Condition Monitoring

An overview of ISO 2041, the comprehensive dictionary for terminology used across the fields of mechanical vibration, shock, and condition monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago November 4, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 20816-1: Modern General Guidelines for Machine Vibration

An overview of ISO 20816-1, the current standard for the measurement and evaluation of machine vibration, covering both non-rotating parts and rotating shafts.

By admin, 4 months ago February 9, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Thermal Bow? Temperature-Induced Shaft Bending

Learn about thermal bow, a temporary shaft curvature caused by uneven heating that produces vibration symptoms during warm-up, common in large turbines and motors.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 20816-3: Vibration Limits for Industrial Machines

A detailed look at ISO 20816-3, the current standard specifying vibration limits for industrial machines, superseding ISO 10816-3.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Analysis Glossary

What is Thermography (Infrared Analysis)? – Condition Monitoring

An introduction to Thermography, a non-contact condition monitoring technology that uses infrared cameras to detect temperature anomalies in machinery and electrical systems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is the Three-Run Method in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about the three-run method, the most common two-plane balancing technique using one initial and two trial weight runs for efficient dynamic balance correction.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Threshold? Decision Boundary Value

Learn about thresholds in vibration monitoring, decision boundaries separating acceptable from unacceptable conditions, triggering alarms and maintenance actions.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Thrust Bearing? Axial Load Support

Learn about thrust bearings, specialized bearings designed to carry axial loads and control shaft axial position in rotating machinery including pumps, turbines, and compressors.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Time Waveform in Vibration Analysis?

A guide to the time waveform, the raw signal of vibration analysis. Learn how to interpret it to detect impacts, beats, and other non-steady-state events that a spectrum might miss.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Torsional Analysis? Twisting Vibration Assessment

Learn about torsional analysis, measuring and evaluating twisting oscillations in shafts and drive trains to prevent fatigue failures in couplings, gears, and shafts.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Torsional Vibration? Causes and Effects

Learn about torsional vibration, the twisting oscillation of rotating shafts about their axis that can cause fatigue failures in couplings, gears, and drive trains.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Tracking Filter? Order-Based Filtering

Learn about tracking filters, signal processing tools that isolate vibration components at multiples of running speed, essential for analyzing variable-speed equipment and startup transients.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Transducer in Vibration Monitoring?

Learn about transducers, the devices that convert physical vibration into an electrical signal. Explore the main types used in condition monitoring: accelerometers, velocity sensors, and proximity probes.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Transfer Function? System Response Characterization

Learn about transfer function (frequency response function), ratio of output to input showing how systems respond to vibration, essential for modal analysis and structural dynamics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Transient Vibration?

Learn about transient vibration, a short-duration, non-steady-state vibration event that occurs during machine startups, shutdowns, or sudden changes in operating conditions.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Trend Analysis? Vibration Data Interpretation

Learn about trend analysis, systematic interpretation of vibration data over time to identify patterns, predict failures, and optimize maintenance decisions in predictive programs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Trending in Vibration Analysis? Data Tracking

Learn about trending, tracking vibration parameters over time to detect gradual changes, predict failures, and optimize maintenance timing in condition monitoring programs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Trial Weight in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about trial weights, a known mass temporarily added to a rotor during balancing to measure system response and calculate precise correction weights using the influence coefficient method.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Triboelectric Noise?

Learn about triboelectric noise, a common source of low-frequency error in vibration measurements caused by the flexing of sensor cables.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Trim Balance?

Learn about trim balancing, the process of making a final, precision balance correction on a rotor after a major repair or initial balancing, often performed in the field.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Trip Level? Emergency Shutdown Threshold

Learn about trip levels, maximum vibration thresholds that trigger automatic equipment shutdown to prevent catastrophic damage in machinery protection systems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Troubleshooting? Problem-Solving Process

Learn about troubleshooting in machinery diagnostics, systematic investigation of vibration problems using analysis, testing, and root cause determination to identify solutions.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is True Peak? Maximum Instantaneous Value

Learn about true peak vibration, the maximum instantaneous amplitude in a waveform, important for assessing impact severity and clearance margins in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Turbulence in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about turbulence as a source of vibration in fluid-handling machines like pumps and fans, characterized by low-frequency, random, and broadband energy.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Two-Plane Balancing? Dynamic Rotor Correction

Learn about two-plane balancing, the method for correcting both static and couple unbalance using correction weights in two planes, essential for most rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Ultrasound Analysis? – Condition Monitoring

An introduction to Ultrasound Analysis, a condition monitoring technology that detects high-frequency sounds to find compressed air leaks, electrical faults, and lubrication issues.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Unbalance?

Learn about unbalance (imbalance), the most common cause of machine vibration. Understand its types (static, couple, dynamic), causes, and classic vibration signature (1x RPM).

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are V-Belt Defects? Wear and Failure Modes

Learn about V-belt defects including sidewall wear, cord damage, cracking, and pulley mismatch, common in industrial belt drives with multiple parallel belts.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Vane Passing Frequency? Pump Blade Diagnostics

Learn about vane passing frequency (VPF), the rate at which pump impeller vanes pass stationary diffuser or volute cutwater, essential for diagnosing hydraulic and mechanical issues.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

Vector Addition in Rotor Balancing Explained

Learn about vector addition, the mathematical method used in balancing to combine vibration vectors with both amplitude and phase, essential for calculating correction weights accurately.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

What is Balancing Grade? ISO Standards and Classification

Learn about balancing grades, the classification system defined by ISO 21940 that categorizes machinery types according to their required balance quality and permissible unbalance levels.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Velocity Transducer? Seismic Vibration Sensor

Learn about velocity transducers (velometers), self-generating vibration sensors providing direct velocity output, historically common for low-frequency machinery monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Balancing Machine? – Equipment for Precision Balancing

An overview of Balancing Machines, the specialized equipment used to measure and correct unbalance in rotors by spinning them on a calibrated suspension.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Velocity in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about velocity, the most common parameter for measuring vibration severity in machinery. Understand its units, why it's the standard, and how it's used for diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Balancing Sensitivity? Measurement Precision

Learn about balancing sensitivity, the minimum unbalance that can be reliably detected and corrected during balancing, crucial for achieving tight tolerance requirements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Velometer (Velocity Sensor)? – Vibration Transducers

An introduction to Velometers, or velocity transducers, a type of vibration sensor that directly outputs a signal proportional to velocity.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

What is Balancing Tolerance? Standards and Calculation

Learn about balancing tolerance, the maximum permissible residual unbalance defined by ISO 21940 standards, essential for determining acceptable rotor balance quality.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Vibration Analysis? – Techniques and Applications

A detailed look at Vibration Analysis (VA), the technical discipline of measuring, processing, and interpreting vibration signals from machinery to assess its condition.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Vibration Analyzer? – The Analyst’s Primary Tool

A detailed look at Vibration Analyzers, the sophisticated instruments used by analysts to capture and process vibration signals for in-depth machinery diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago January 18, 2026

Analysis Glossary

What is a Band-Pass Filter? Frequency Band Selection

Learn about band-pass filters in vibration analysis, signal processing tools that pass frequencies within a selected band while blocking all others, essential for envelope analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Vibration Diagnostics? – Principles and Practices

Explore the field of Vibration Diagnostics, the process of interpreting vibration data to determine the health of machinery and identify specific faults.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Vibration Monitoring? – Systems and Strategies

Learn about Vibration Monitoring, the process of systematically collecting and trending vibration data to detect changes in machinery health over time.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Baseline in Vibration Analysis? Reference Data

Learn about baseline vibration data, reference measurements from healthy equipment used for comparison and trending to detect developing faults in condition monitoring programs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Vibration Severity?

Learn about vibration severity, a standardized measure of a machine's overall vibration. Understand how ISO 20816 charts use RMS velocity to classify machinery health into zones A, B, C, and D.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Bearing Clearance? Internal Play and Fit

Learn about bearing clearance, the internal radial and axial play in rolling element bearings that affects load distribution, stiffness, noise, and service life.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Vibration? – A Core Concept in Machine Diagnostics

An essential guide to understanding vibration, the mechanical oscillation that is fundamental to condition monitoring and diagnosing the health of rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Vibrometer? – Vibration Measurement Tools

An overview of Vibrometers, also known as vibration meters or pens, which are simple handheld devices used for quick, overall vibration level checks on machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago January 18, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Bearing Fault Frequencies? Defect Detection

Learn about bearing fault frequencies (BPFO, BPFI, BSF, FTF), the predictable vibration frequencies generated by rolling element bearing defects, essential for early failure detection.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Measurement

What is a Voltage-Mode Accelerometer? Low-Impedance Sensor

Learn about voltage-mode accelerometers (IEPE/ICP), piezoelectric sensors with integrated electronics providing low-impedance voltage output, the industry standard for vibration monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Bearing Lubrication? Methods and Importance

Learn about bearing lubrication, the application of lubricants to reduce friction, prevent wear, and dissipate heat in rolling element and fluid-film bearings.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Warning Level? Intermediate Alert Threshold

Learn about warning levels in vibration monitoring, intermediate alarm thresholds between alert and critical levels indicating developing problems requiring planned maintenance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Bearing Pedestal? Support Structure

Learn about bearing pedestals, the support structures that elevate and position bearings, whose stiffness and condition affect vibration, alignment, and critical speeds.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Waterfall Plot (Cascade Diagram)?

Learn about the waterfall plot (or cascade diagram), a 3D spectral plot used to analyze vibration data from variable-speed machines during run-up or coast-down tests to identify resonances.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Bearing Span in Rotor Dynamics?

Learn about bearing span, the distance between rotor support bearings that critically affects shaft stiffness, critical speeds, and deflection characteristics in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Wavelet Analysis in Vibration Diagnostics?

An introduction to Wavelet Analysis, an advanced signal processing technique used for analyzing transient and non-stationary vibration signals in machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Bearing Wear? Mechanisms and Detection

Learn about bearing wear, the gradual material loss in rolling element bearings from abrasion, adhesion, and fatigue, detectable through vibration analysis and temperature monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Mechanical Wear? Mechanisms and Prevention

Learn about mechanical wear, the progressive material loss from surfaces in relative motion, including abrasive, adhesive, erosive, and corrosive wear in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Beating in Vibration Analysis: Causes and Identification

Learn about the phenomenon of 'beating' in vibration analysis. Understand what causes the distinctive rise-and-fall amplitude pattern and how it helps diagnose machinery faults.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Whirl and Whip in Rotor Dynamics?

A guide to oil whirl and oil whip, two dangerous sub-synchronous instabilities in high-speed machinery with fluid-film bearings. Learn their causes, characteristics, and why they are so destructive.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Belt Drive Defects? Common Problems and Diagnosis

Learn about belt drive defects including misalignment, wear, tension issues, and pulley problems, detectable through vibration analysis at belt frequencies.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Windowing in FFT Analysis?

A guide to windowing functions (like Hanning) in FFT analysis. Learn why windowing is essential for minimizing spectral leakage and ensuring accurate vibration measurements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Diagnosing a Bent Shaft with Vibration Analysis

A guide to identifying a bent shaft using vibration analysis, focusing on its characteristic high axial vibration and its relationship with misalignment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Wireless Monitoring? Cable-Free Condition Monitoring

Learn about wireless vibration monitoring, battery-powered sensors transmitting data via radio eliminating cables, enabling flexible low-cost monitoring installations.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Zoom FFT? High-Resolution Spectral Analysis

Learn about zoom FFT, spectral analysis technique providing high frequency resolution in selected narrow bands, essential for resolving closely-spaced peaks and sideband analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Blade Resonance? Fan and Turbine Vibration

Learn about blade resonance, vibration amplification when excitation frequencies match blade natural frequencies, causing high-cycle fatigue and potential blade failure.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Blade Tip Timing? Non-Intrusive Blade Monitoring

Learn about blade tip timing (BTT), measuring individual turbine or compressor blade vibration using non-contact sensors detecting blade passage times for stress and crack detection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Bode Plot in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about the Bode plot, a crucial tool in vibration analysis for visualizing a machine's dynamic response (amplitude and phase) across a range of speeds, especially for startups and shutdowns.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is BPFI? Ball Pass Frequency Inner Race Explained

Learn about BPFI (Ball Pass Frequency Inner Race), the bearing fault frequency indicating inner race defects, characterized by high frequency and distinctive 1X sidebands.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is BPFO? Ball Pass Frequency Outer Race Explained

Learn about BPFO (Ball Pass Frequency Outer Race), the most common bearing fault frequency indicating outer race defects, essential for bearing condition monitoring and diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What are Broken Rotor Bars? Squirrel Cage Motor Failure

Learn about broken rotor bars in induction motors, fractured conductor bars creating slip frequency sidebands, torque pulsation, and progressive failure if not detected early.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Brush Defects? DC Motor and Slip Ring Issues

Learn about brush defects in DC motors and wound-rotor machines, including wear, chattering, sparking, and poor contact causing vibration and electrical problems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is BSF? Ball Spin Frequency in Bearing Diagnostics

Learn about BSF (Ball Spin Frequency), the bearing fault frequency indicating rolling element defects, characterized by lower frequency and complex vibration signatures.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Bump Test? Impact Modal Analysis

Learn about bump testing, striking structures with hammers to excite natural frequencies, identify resonances, and perform modal analysis without specialized shaker equipment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Cable Compensation? Proximity Probe Correction

Learn about cable compensation in eddy current proximity probe systems, electronic adjustment for cable length effects ensuring accurate displacement measurements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Calibration Certificate? Traceability Document

Learn about calibration certificates, official documents proving sensor accuracy and traceability to national standards, required for quality systems and measurement confidence.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Calibration? Sensor Accuracy Verification

Learn about calibration, the process of verifying and adjusting measurement instrument accuracy against known standards, essential for reliable vibration measurements and ISO compliance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Campbell Diagram? Critical Speed Analysis

Learn about Campbell diagrams, graphical tools that plot natural frequencies versus rotational speed to identify critical speeds and predict resonance conditions in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago February 11, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Cascade Plot? Waterfall Vibration Display

Learn about cascade plots (waterfall plots), 3D visualizations showing how vibration frequency spectra evolve over time or speed, essential for identifying critical speeds and fault progression.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Centrifugal Force in Rotating Machinery?

Learn about centrifugal force, the outward force generated by rotating unbalance that causes vibration and bearing loads in machinery, proportional to the square of rotational speed.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Cepstrum Analysis in Vibration Diagnostics Explained

Learn about cepstrum analysis, a powerful signal processing technique for detecting harmonic families and sidebands in vibration data, crucial for gearbox and bearing diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Clutch Defects? Engagement Problems and Wear

Learn about clutch defects including slippage, chatter, friction material wear, and engagement problems, causing vibration and torque transmission issues.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Coastdown Analysis? Shutdown Vibration Testing

Learn about coastdown analysis, measuring vibration during natural deceleration to identify critical speeds, assess damping, and characterize rotor dynamics behavior.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Coastdown in Rotating Machinery Analysis?

Learn about coastdown, the gradual deceleration of rotating machinery used to identify critical speeds, natural frequencies, and rotor dynamic characteristics through vibration analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Coherence in Vibration Analysis?

An explanation of the Coherence function, a signal processing tool used to determine the quality of a measurement and the linear relationship between two signals.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)?

An explanation of Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM), a maintenance strategy that uses data from condition monitoring technologies to perform maintenance only when it is needed.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Condition Monitoring? Predictive Maintenance Strategy

Learn about condition monitoring, systematic tracking of equipment health through vibration, temperature, and other parameters to detect deterioration and optimize maintenance timing.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Continuous Monitoring? Real-Time Surveillance

Learn about continuous monitoring, uninterrupted real-time vibration and condition surveillance providing immediate fault detection and protection for critical rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Correction Plane in Rotor Balancing?

An explanation of a Correction Plane, a location on a rotor perpendicular to the shaft axis where balancing correction weights are added or removed.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Correction Weight in Rotor Balancing?

An explanation of Correction Weights, the masses that are added to or removed from a rotor in a specific plane to counteract unbalance forces.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Corrosion in Rotating Machinery? Prevention Methods

Learn about corrosion, electrochemical deterioration of metal surfaces causing pitting, stress concentration, and accelerated fatigue in bearings, shafts, and structures.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Couple Unbalance? – A Key Concept in Rotor Dynamics

Learn about Couple Unbalance, a condition where a rotor has two equal but opposite unbalance forces, causing it to wobble or rock end-to-end as it rotates.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Coupling Defects? Failure Modes and Diagnosis

Learn about coupling defects including wear, misalignment damage, looseness, and failure modes in flexible and rigid couplings, detectable through vibration analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Cracked Rotor? Detection and Response

Learn about cracked rotors, fatigue fractures in rotating shafts producing characteristic 2X vibration signatures requiring immediate detection and shutdown to prevent catastrophic failure.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Crest Factor in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about Crest Factor, a key metric in vibration analysis used to identify sharp, impulsive events like bearing impacts, by comparing the peak amplitude to the RMS value of a signal.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Critical Machinery? High-Priority Equipment

Learn about critical machinery classification, equipment whose failure has severe production, safety, or cost consequences, requiring highest level of monitoring and protection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Critical Speed in Rotor Dynamics?

Learn about critical speed, the rotational speed at which a rotor becomes dynamically unstable due to resonance. Understand its causes, effects, and how it is managed in machine design.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Cross-Spectrum? Two-Channel Frequency Analysis

Learn about cross-spectrum, frequency analysis relating two vibration signals showing common frequency content and phase relationships, essential for transfer function and coherence analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Cross-Talk in Vibration Measurement?

Learn about cross-talk (or cross-axis sensitivity), an error in vibration measurement where a transducer responds to motion in directions other than its primary measurement axis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Damping in Mechanical Vibration?

Learn about damping, the mechanism that dissipates energy in vibrating systems. Explore the different types (viscous, structural) and its critical role in controlling resonance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Data Collector? Vibration Monitoring Device

Learn about data collectors, portable devices for route-based vibration data acquisition, enabling efficient condition monitoring programs across industrial facilities.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Defect Severity? Fault Classification

Learn about defect severity assessment in condition monitoring, classifying fault seriousness from incipient to critical to prioritize maintenance actions and resource allocation.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Degrees of Freedom (DOF)? – Vibration Fundamentals

An explanation of Degrees of Freedom (DOF), a concept that describes the number of independent ways a mechanical system can move or vibrate.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Demodulation in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about demodulation, a signal processing technique synonymous with Envelope Analysis, used to extract low-frequency fault information from high-frequency carrier signals, ideal for bearing and gear analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Diagnosis in Vibration Analysis? Fault Identification

Learn about diagnosis, the process of identifying specific fault types and root causes from vibration data, distinguishing between unbalance, misalignment, bearing defects, and other problems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Dynamic Range? Measurement Span Capability

Learn about dynamic range, the ratio between maximum and minimum measurable signals, defining the span from noise floor to saturation in vibration measurement systems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Early Warning? Advance Fault Detection

Learn about early warning in predictive maintenance, detecting machinery faults months before failure through sensitive monitoring techniques providing maximum lead time for planning.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Eccentricity in Rotating Machinery?

Learn about eccentricity in rotating machinery. Understand the difference between mass eccentricity and geometric runout, and how it directly causes vibration due to unbalance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is an Eddy Current Probe? Non-Contact Displacement Sensor

Learn about eddy current probes (proximity probes), non-contact sensors measuring shaft displacement and position, essential for turbomachinery monitoring and critical speed analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Diagnosing Electrical Faults with Vibration Analysis

A guide to identifying electrical faults in AC induction motors using vibration analysis, including signatures for stator, rotor, and air gap issues.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Electrical Frequency? Line Frequency in Motors

Learn about electrical frequency (line frequency), the AC power supply frequency that determines motor synchronous speed and creates characteristic vibration components at 2X line frequency.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Electrical Unbalance? Phase Imbalance in Motors

Learn about electrical unbalance, unequal voltage or current in three-phase motor systems causing overheating, reduced efficiency, and vibration at 2X line frequency.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Envelope Analysis for Bearing Fault Detection

Learn about envelope analysis (demodulation), a key vibration technique for early detection of rolling-element bearing and gear faults by analyzing high-frequency impacts.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is an Envelope Spectrum? Demodulated Signal Analysis

Learn about envelope spectrum, FFT of the envelope signal from demodulation, revealing bearing fault frequencies by extracting impact repetition rates from high-frequency resonances.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Fan Defects? Common Failures and Diagnosis

Learn about fan defects including blade damage, unbalance, aerodynamic instabilities, and resonance, detectable through vibration analysis at blade passing frequency.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Mechanical Fatigue? Cyclic Stress Failure

Learn about mechanical fatigue, progressive damage from repeated stress cycles causing cracks and failures in shafts, gears, and structures, even at stresses below yield strength.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Fault Detection? Problem Identification

Learn about fault detection in machinery diagnostics, the process of identifying developing defects through vibration analysis before they cause functional failures.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), the cornerstone of modern vibration analysis. Understand how FFT converts time waveform data into a frequency spectrum to diagnose machine faults.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Field Balancing (In-Situ Balancing)?

Learn about field balancing (in-situ balancing), the process of correcting unbalance on a rotor while it remains installed in its own machine, bearings, and foundation.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Flexible Rotor?

Learn about flexible rotors, which operate at or above their critical speeds, causing them to bend and requiring specialized multi-plane, multi-speed balancing techniques.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Flow Turbulence? Unsteady Flow Vibration

Learn about flow turbulence in pumps and fans, chaotic fluid motion creating broadband vibration, noise, and efficiency losses, intensified at off-design operating conditions.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Forced Vibration? External Excitation Response

Learn about forced vibration, oscillation caused by external periodic forces like unbalance or misalignment, with amplitude proportional to forcing and frequency matching excitation.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 13374: Data Processing and Communication for Monitoring

An overview of ISO 13374, the standard that defines a common data processing and communication architecture for condition monitoring and diagnostics systems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Foundation Stiffness? Structural Dynamics

Learn about foundation stiffness, the resistance of machine support structures to deflection, critically affecting critical speeds, vibration amplitudes, and alignment stability.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 14694: Vibration and Balance Quality for Industrial Fans

An overview of ISO 14694, the standard that specifies balance quality requirements and vibration limits specifically for industrial fans.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is the Four-Run Method in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about the four-run method, a comprehensive two-plane balancing technique using sequential trial weights in each correction plane for accurate dynamic balance correction.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 17359: General Guidelines for Condition Monitoring

An overview of ISO 17359, the high-level standard that provides a framework and general guidelines for establishing a condition monitoring and diagnostics program for machines.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Frame Resonance? Machine Structure Vibration

Learn about frame resonance, vibration amplification when machine frames, housings, or casings resonate at operating frequencies, causing excessive noise and structural stress.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 21940-11: Procedures and Tolerances for Rigid Rotor Balancing

An overview of ISO 21940-11, the current standard for rigid rotor balancing, specifying procedures and tolerances and superseding the older ISO 1940-1.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Frequency Response Function (FRF)?

An introduction to the Frequency Response Function (FRF), a key measurement in structural and modal analysis that characterizes how a system responds to an input force.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 21940-12: Procedures and Tolerances for Flexible Rotor Balancing

An overview of ISO 21940-12, the standard that specifies the complex procedures and tolerances required for balancing flexible rotors.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 21940-13: In-Situ Balancing Criteria for Medium and Large Rotors

An overview of ISO 21940-13, which provides specific criteria, procedures, and safety considerations for performing in-situ (field) balancing on medium and large rotors.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Frequency in Vibration Analysis?

Learn the fundamental concept of frequency in vibration analysis. Understand its units (Hz, CPM), its critical role in diagnosing specific machine faults, and how it is measured.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 21940-21: Description and Evaluation of Balancing Machines

An overview of ISO 21940-21, the standard that defines the tests and procedures for evaluating the performance of balancing machines.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is FTF? Fundamental Train Frequency in Bearings

Learn about FTF (Fundamental Train Frequency), the rotational frequency of the bearing cage, important for diagnosing cage defects and as modulation frequency in bearing diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 2372 (Withdrawn): A Historical Vibration Standard

An overview of the historical ISO 2372 standard, one of the first widely adopted guides for machine vibration severity, and its replacement by the modern ISO 10816 and ISO 20816 series.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What are Balance Quality Grades (G-Grades)?

Learn about Balance Quality Grades (G-Grades) from ISO standards, a system used to specify the permissible residual unbalance for different types of rotors.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 5348: Mechanical Mounting of Accelerometers

An overview of ISO 5348, the standard that provides critical guidance on the proper mechanical mounting of accelerometers to ensure accurate and repeatable vibration measurements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Diagnosing Gear Defects with Vibration Analysis

A guide to identifying gear defects using vibration analysis, focusing on Gear Mesh Frequency (GMF), sidebands, and specialized analysis techniques.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 7919-1: Evaluating Machine Vibration on Rotating Shafts

An overview of ISO 7919-1, the general guideline for the measurement and evaluation of vibration on rotating shafts, typically using non-contact proximity probes.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Gear Mesh Frequency? Gearbox Diagnostics

Learn about gear mesh frequency (GMF), the vibration frequency generated by gear tooth engagement, essential for diagnosing gear wear, misalignment, and tooth defects.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 8041: Human Response to Vibration – Measuring Instrumentation

An overview of ISO 8041, the standard that specifies the performance requirements for instruments designed to measure human exposure to vibration for health, safety, and comfort.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Gear Wear? Types and Detection Methods

Learn about gear wear including abrasive, adhesive, and fatigue wear mechanisms, detectable through vibration analysis, oil analysis, and inspection of tooth surfaces.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

ISO 8579-1: Acceptance Code for Gears – Airborne Sound

An overview of ISO 8579-1, the standard that specifies methods for determining the airborne sound power levels emitted by gear units for acceptance testing.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is the Gyroscopic Effect in Rotor Dynamics?

Learn about gyroscopic effects, the moments generated when a spinning rotor experiences angular motion, influencing critical speeds and natural frequencies in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Acceleration in Vibration Analysis?

Explore the role of acceleration in vibration analysis. Understand its units (g, m/s²), measurement with accelerometers, and its importance for high-frequency fault detection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is an Accelerometer? Types, Working Principle, and Uses

Learn what an accelerometer is and how it works. Explore the different types (piezoelectric, MEMS), their applications in vibration analysis, and best practices for mounting.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What are Harmonics in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about harmonics in vibration analysis. Understand how these integer multiples of a fundamental frequency are generated and what they indicate about machine health, such as misalignment and looseness.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Analysis Glossary

What is Acoustic Emission? High-Frequency Stress Wave Detection

Learn about acoustic emission testing, detecting ultrasonic stress waves from crack growth, friction, and material deformation for early defect detection in machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a High-Pass Filter? Frequency Selection Tool

Learn about high-pass filters in vibration analysis, signal processing tools that pass frequencies above a cutoff while blocking low frequencies, essential for bearing defect detection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Aerodynamic Forces? Fan and Turbine Loads

Learn about aerodynamic forces in fans and turbines, air pressure-induced loads creating vibration at blade passing frequency, thrust forces, and flow-induced instabilities.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Holospectrum? Full Spectrum Analysis

Learn about holospectrum (full spectrum), advanced vibration analysis separating forward and backward rotor precession components for detailed rotor dynamics diagnosis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Air Gap in Electric Motors? Critical Clearance

Learn about air gap, the radial clearance between motor rotor and stator, critical for electromagnetic performance, efficiency, and preventing magnetic pull and rotor-stator contact.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Hunting Tooth Frequency? Gear Pattern Repeat

Learn about hunting tooth frequency, the low-frequency vibration component in gears where the same teeth repeatedly mesh, revealing individual tooth defects and eccentricity.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is an Alarm Level? Vibration Threshold Setting

Learn about alarm levels, predefined vibration thresholds triggering alerts and actions in condition monitoring, essential for timely fault detection and response.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Hydraulic Forces? Pump Vibration Sources

Learn about hydraulic forces in pumps, pressure-induced loads from fluid flow creating vibration at vane passing frequency, axial thrust, and radial forces affecting reliability.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is an IEPE Accelerometer? Integrated Electronics Sensor

Learn about IEPE accelerometers, self-powered vibration sensors with built-in electronics requiring simple constant current power, the industry standard for vibration monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Aliasing in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about aliasing, a signal processing error in digital vibration analysis that occurs when the sampling rate is too low, causing high frequencies to impersonate low frequencies.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Unbalance (Imbalance) in Machinery?

Learn about unbalance (imbalance), the most common cause of machine vibration. Understand its types (static, couple, dynamic), causes, and classic vibration signature (1x RPM).

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

Vibration Amplitude: Peak, Peak-to-Peak, and RMS Explained

Understand vibration amplitude, a key indicator of machine health. This guide explains the different ways to measure it—Peak, Peak-to-Peak, and RMS—and their uses in diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Impact Testing? Modal Analysis Technique

Learn about impact testing, using instrumented hammers to excite structures and measure frequency response functions for modal analysis and structural dynamics characterization.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Impeller Defects? Pump and Fan Damage

Learn about impeller defects including vane damage, erosion, corrosion, and unbalance in pumps and fans, causing vibration at vane passing frequency and reduced performance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

What is API 670? Machinery Protection Systems Standard

Learn about API 670, the industry standard for machinery protection systems specifying vibration monitoring, alarm/trip requirements, and redundancy for critical turbomachinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is In-Situ Balancing? On-Site Rotor Correction

Learn about in-situ balancing, the practice of balancing rotors in their installed location under actual operating conditions, eliminating the need for disassembly or shop balancing.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

What is API 684? Rotor Dynamics Tutorial Standard

Learn about API 684, comprehensive tutorial standard for lateral and torsional rotor dynamics analysis providing guidance for critical speed prediction and vibration assessment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

The Influence Coefficient Method in Rotor Balancing

Learn about the influence coefficient method, the most common and powerful technique for in-place (in-situ) field balancing of rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Asynchronous Vibration? Non-Synchronous Components

Learn about asynchronous vibration, vibration components not related to shaft rotational speed, including bearing defects, electrical frequencies, and external sources.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Initial Unbalance in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about initial unbalance, the original unbalance condition present in a rotor before any balancing corrections are applied, measured as the baseline for balancing procedures.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Auto-Spectrum? Single-Channel Frequency Analysis

Learn about auto-spectrum, frequency spectrum of a single vibration signal computed from its autocorrelation, the standard FFT display in vibration analysis instruments.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Integration in Vibration? Signal Conversion

Learn about integration in vibration analysis, mathematical process converting acceleration to velocity or velocity to displacement, essential for low-speed machinery measurements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Axial Fan Defects? Blade and Flow Problems

Learn about axial fan defects including blade damage, tip clearance issues, stall, and aerodynamic instabilities specific to axial flow fan designs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is an Interference Diagram? Critical Speed Mapping

Learn about interference diagrams, graphical tools that identify speed ranges where excitation frequencies interfere with natural frequencies, causing resonance in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Axial Vibration in Rotating Machinery?

Learn about axial vibration, the back-and-forth motion parallel to the shaft axis caused by misalignment, thrust bearing issues, and hydraulic forces in rotating equipment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Journal Bearing? Hydrodynamic Support

Learn about journal bearings, fluid-film bearings that support rotating shafts on a pressurized oil wedge, providing high load capacity and damping for rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Backlash? Gear Clearance and Play

Learn about backlash, the clearance between meshing gear teeth that allows thermal expansion and lubrication but can cause noise, vibration, and positioning errors when excessive.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Keyphasor?

Learn about the Keyphasor, a critical sensor in vibration analysis that provides a once-per-revolution timing pulse, enabling phase measurements and order-based analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

What is Balance Quality Grade? (ISO 1940-1 G-Grades)

An explanation of Balance Quality Grades (G-Grades) as defined by ISO 1940-1. Learn how grades like G2.5 and G6.3 are used to specify rotor balancing tolerances.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Analysis Glossary

What is Kurtosis in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about kurtosis, a statistical measure used in vibration analysis to detect impulsive events like early-stage bearing defects and gear tooth cracks long before overall vibration increases.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary ISO Standards

What is Rotor Balancing? Procedures, Types, and Standards

A comprehensive guide to rotor balancing. Learn about static vs. dynamic balancing, single and two-plane procedures, and the importance of standards like ISO 21940.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Laser Shaft Alignment? – Proactive Maintenance

An introduction to Laser Shaft Alignment, a high-precision method for aligning rotating machinery to minimize vibration, wear, and energy consumption.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Baseline Data? Reference Measurements

Learn about baseline data, comprehensive reference measurements including spectra, waveforms, and parameters from healthy equipment for predictive maintenance trending and analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Diagnosing Bearing Defects with Vibration Analysis

A guide to identifying rolling-element bearing defects using vibration analysis, including the four fundamental fault frequencies (BPFO, BPFI, BSF, FTF).

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Blade Pass Frequency (BPF) in Vibration Analysis

Learn about Blade Pass Frequency (BPF) and its importance in diagnosing issues in fans, pumps, and compressors. Understand the BPF formula and what high BPF vibration indicates.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

Diagnosing Cavitation with Vibration Analysis

A guide to identifying pump cavitation using vibration analysis, characterized by high-frequency, random broadband noise and potential harm to pump components.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Centrifugal Pump Defects? Specific Failures

Learn about centrifugal pump-specific defects including wear ring damage, volute erosion, cavitation, and hydraulic imbalance unique to centrifugal pump designs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Low-Pass Filter? Anti-Aliasing and Smoothing

Learn about low-pass filters in vibration analysis, signal processing tools that pass low frequencies while blocking high frequencies, essential for anti-aliasing and noise reduction.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Charge Amplifier? Piezoelectric Signal Conditioning

Learn about charge amplifiers, electronic devices converting high-impedance charge from piezoelectric sensors to low-impedance voltage, required for charge-mode accelerometers.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Machinery Protection? Equipment Safety Systems

Learn about machinery protection systems, automated monitoring and shutdown systems preventing catastrophic damage through vibration, temperature, and position monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Diagnostic Report? Vibration Analysis Documentation

Learn about diagnostic reports, comprehensive documentation of vibration analysis findings, fault identification, severity assessment, and maintenance recommendations.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Magnetic Pull? Unbalanced Magnetic Force in Motors

Learn about magnetic pull (UMP), unbalanced radial electromagnetic forces in motors from air gap eccentricity, causing vibration at 2X line frequency and rotor deflection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Differentiation in Vibration? Signal Conversion

Learn about differentiation in vibration analysis, mathematical process converting displacement to velocity or velocity to acceleration, emphasizing high-frequency components.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Mechanical Loosening? Progressive Deterioration

Learn about mechanical loosening, the progressive process where properly tightened fasteners and fits gradually lose tension from vibration, thermal cycling, and fatigue.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Displacement Probe? Position Measurement Sensor

Learn about displacement probes, non-contact sensors measuring shaft position and vibration in displacement units, essential for turbomachinery monitoring and rotor dynamics analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Shaft Misalignment? Types, Causes, and Detection

A guide to shaft misalignment, a leading cause of machinery failure. Learn about the types (angular, parallel), its causes, and how to detect its classic 2x RPM vibration signature.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Vibration Displacement? (Units and Application)

Learn about vibration displacement, a measure of how far a component moves. Understand its units (mils, µm), how it's measured, and its critical role in low-frequency analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Modal Analysis? (EMA, OMA)

A guide to modal analysis, the process of identifying a structure's natural frequencies, damping, and mode shapes. Learn about Experimental (EMA) and Operational (OMA) Modal Analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

Dynamic Balancing: Two-Plane Correction Explained

Learn about dynamic balancing, the process of correcting both force and couple unbalance in two planes. Understand when it's required and how it differs from static balancing.

By admin, 4 months ago January 18, 2026

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Modal Balancing? Advanced Flexible Rotor Technique

Learn about modal balancing, an advanced method that targets specific vibration mode shapes rather than speeds, essential for flexible rotors operating above multiple critical speeds.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Hanning Window?

Learn about the Hanning window, a widely used windowing function in FFT analysis that reduces spectral leakage by tapering the ends of the time waveform.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Mode Shape in Rotor Dynamics?

Learn about mode shapes, the characteristic deflection patterns of rotating shafts at natural frequencies, essential for understanding critical speeds and flexible rotor behavior.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Laser Tachometer? Non-Contact Speed Measurement

Learn about laser tachometers, optical speed measurement devices using laser reflection from rotating surfaces or reflective tape for precise RPM and phase reference measurements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Motor Bar Pass Frequency? Rotor Slot Diagnostics

Learn about motor bar pass frequency, the rate at which rotor bars pass stator slots, used for diagnosing rotor and stator alignment issues in induction motors.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Laser Vibrometry? Non-Contact Optical Measurement

Learn about laser vibrometry, optical measurement of vibration using laser Doppler effect, enabling non-contact velocity and displacement measurements on rotating or inaccessible surfaces.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Motor Defects? Electric Motor Diagnostics

Learn about electric motor defects including rotor bar problems, stator issues, bearing failures, and electromagnetic faults, detectable through vibration and current analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Lateral Vibration in Rotating Machinery?

Learn about lateral vibration, the side-to-side or perpendicular motion of rotating shafts caused by unbalance, misalignment, and other radial forces in machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Mounting Resonance? Support System Dynamics

Learn about mounting resonance, vibration amplification in equipment mounting systems including isolators, rails, and brackets when excitation matches their natural frequencies.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Mechanical Looseness? Vibration Diagnosis

Learn about mechanical looseness, excessive clearances or inadequate fastening in rotating machinery causing multiple harmonics and non-linear vibration behavior.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Sensor Mounting? Installation Methods

Learn about sensor mounting methods for vibration measurements, from permanent stud mounting to magnetic bases, critically affecting measurement accuracy and frequency response.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Rolling Element Defects? Ball and Roller Damage

Learn about rolling element defects in bearings, damage to balls or rollers including spalls, cracks, and material flaws, detectable through BSF frequency and FTF sidebands.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Multi-Plane Balancing? Flexible Rotor Methods

Learn about multi-plane balancing, an advanced technique using three or more correction planes for flexible rotors and complex machinery operating above critical speeds.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Rotor Eccentricity? Geometric Imbalance

Learn about rotor eccentricity, the offset between geometric and rotational centers causing vibration similar to unbalance, common in motors, generators, and impellers.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is the N+2 Method in Multi-Plane Balancing?

Learn about the N+2 method, an advanced balancing technique for flexible rotors requiring N correction planes plus two additional trial runs for accurate multi-plane corrections.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Stiffness? – A Fundamental Property in Vibration

An explanation of Stiffness, a fundamental mechanical property that describes a component's resistance to deflection under an applied force, and its critical role in determining natural frequencies.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Natural Frequency? (And Its Role in Resonance)

Learn about natural frequency, the frequency at which a system naturally vibrates. Understand how it relates to mass and stiffness and why it is the key factor in causing resonance.

By admin, 4 months ago February 7, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Stroboscope? – Visual Inspection Tools

An introduction to the Stroboscope, a tool that uses a flashing light to visually freeze the motion of rotating objects, aiding in inspection and speed measurement.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Nodal Point in Rotor Vibration?

Learn about nodal points, locations on a vibrating shaft where deflection remains zero, critical for understanding mode shapes, balancing, and sensor placement in rotating machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Test Run in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about test runs, the systematic procedure of operating a machine at specific conditions to collect vibration data during the balancing process using trial weights.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)?

An introduction to Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), a broad group of analysis techniques used to evaluate the properties of a material, component, or system without causing damage.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Notch Filter? Frequency Rejection Tool

Learn about notch filters (band-stop filters), signal processing tools that reject narrow frequency bands while passing all others, used to eliminate interference and dominant components.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Nyquist Plot in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about the Nyquist plot (or polar plot), a powerful tool in vibration analysis for visualizing changes in a vibration vector's magnitude and phase, especially during transient events.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Operating Deflection Shape (ODS) Analysis?

Learn about Operating Deflection Shape (ODS) analysis, a technique that uses vibration data to create an animated model of a machine's actual movement during operation.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Oil Analysis (Tribology)? – Condition Monitoring

An introduction to Oil Analysis, a key condition monitoring technology that analyzes lubricant properties to assess both the health of the oil and the mechanical condition of the machine.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Oil Whirl in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about oil whirl, a self-excited vibration in fluid-film bearings that occurs at a subsynchronous frequency of approximately 0.4X to 0.48X of the shaft's running speed.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Online Monitoring? Continuous Condition Assessment

Learn about online monitoring, permanently installed systems providing continuous or frequent automatic vibration measurements for real-time equipment condition assessment and protection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is an Optical Tachometer? Light-Based Speed Sensor

Learn about optical tachometers, non-contact speed sensors using visible or infrared light to detect rotation, providing RPM and phase reference for vibration analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Shaft Orbit in Vibration Analysis?

Learn about the shaft orbit, a powerful diagnostic plot in rotordynamics. Understand how orbit shapes (circular, elliptical, figure-8) are used to diagnose unbalance, misalignment, and rubs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Order Analysis in Vibration Monitoring?

Learn about order analysis, a key technique for analyzing vibration in variable-speed machinery. Understand how order tracking eliminates spectral smearing and clarifies diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is an Overhung Rotor? Balancing Cantilever Designs

Learn about overhung rotors, cantilever-mounted designs where the rotor extends beyond its bearings, creating unique balancing challenges and requiring special considerations.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Peak Amplitude in Vibration Analysis?

An explanation of Peak (Pk) and Peak-to-Peak (Pk-Pk) amplitude measurements and their use in vibration analysis for assessing machinery condition.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Peak Hold? Maximum Value Capture

Learn about peak hold, measurement mode that captures and displays maximum vibration values over time, essential for detecting transient events and intermittent problems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

Peak vs. Peak-to-Peak Vibration Measurement

Understand the difference between Peak and Peak-to-Peak amplitude in vibration analysis. Learn when to use each measurement and how they relate to machine diagnostics and clearance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Pedestal Looseness? Structural Vibration

Learn about pedestal looseness, a condition where bearing supports are inadequately secured, causing high vibration with multiple harmonics and non-linear behavior.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Periodic Monitoring? Route-Based Condition Assessment

Learn about periodic monitoring, scheduled manual vibration measurements at fixed intervals providing cost-effective condition monitoring for general industrial equipment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Permanent Calibration in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about permanent calibration, a time-saving technique that stores influence coefficients for repeated balancing of identical rotors without trial weight runs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Phase Angle? Timing Relationship in Vibration

Learn about phase angle, the timing relationship between vibration and reference mark or between two signals, essential for balancing, critical speed identification, and fault diagnosis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Phase in Vibration Analysis?

A guide to phase analysis in vibration monitoring. Learn what phase is, how it is measured using a tachometer, and its critical role in diagnosing faults like unbalance and misalignment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Photoelectric Sensor? Optical Detection Device

Learn about photoelectric sensors, optical devices detecting objects or marks using light beams, used for speed measurement, position sensing, and triggering in machinery monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Piezoelectric Accelerometer? Vibration Sensor

Learn about piezoelectric accelerometers, vibration sensors using piezoelectric crystals to convert mechanical acceleration into electrical signals for vibration monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Pitting in Bearings and Gears? Surface Damage

Learn about pitting, small surface cavities in bearings and gears caused by fatigue or corrosion, detectable through vibration, oil analysis, and visual inspection.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Polar Plot in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about polar plots, circular diagrams that represent vibration data as vectors showing both amplitude and phase angle, essential for visualizing balancing procedures and corrections.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Pole Pass Frequency? Motor Electromagnetic Forces

Learn about pole pass frequency (PPF), the vibration frequency generated by rotor interaction with stator poles, diagnostic for air gap eccentricity and electromagnetic issues in motors.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Portable Analyzer? Field Vibration Instrument

Learn about portable vibration analyzers, handheld instruments providing advanced FFT analysis, balancing, and diagnostics for field troubleshooting and condition monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Power Spectral Density? PSD Analysis

Learn about power spectral density (PSD), frequency spectrum normalized by bandwidth showing energy distribution, essential for random vibration analysis and noise characterization.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Predictive Maintenance? Condition-Based Strategy

Learn about predictive maintenance (PdM), using condition monitoring data to predict failures and schedule maintenance at optimal times, maximizing uptime and minimizing costs.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Bearing Preload? Stiffness and Precision

Learn about bearing preload, the controlled axial or radial force applied to eliminate clearance, increasing stiffness, accuracy, and preventing skidding in rolling element bearings.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Prognosis? Remaining Life Prediction

Learn about prognosis in predictive maintenance, estimating remaining useful life and time to failure from vibration trends to optimize maintenance timing and planning.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Proximity Probe (Eddy Current Sensor)?

Learn about proximity probes (eddy current sensors), non-contact transducers used to measure shaft vibration and position in critical turbomachinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Pump Defects? Common Failures and Diagnosis

Learn about pump defects including cavitation, impeller damage, seal failures, and hydraulic problems, detectable through vibration analysis and performance monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Quasi-Static Unbalance?

An explanation of Quasi-Static Unbalance, a special case of dynamic unbalance where static and couple unbalance components are present but have a specific phase relationship.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Radial Vibration in Rotating Machinery?

Learn about radial vibration, the perpendicular motion of rotating shafts measured in horizontal and vertical directions, essential for machinery condition monitoring.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Recirculation? Low-Flow Pump Instability

Learn about recirculation in pumps, flow reversal and instability at low flow rates causing sub-synchronous vibration pulsations, efficiency loss, and potential damage.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Reflective Tape? Tachometer Reference Marker

Learn about reflective tape, adhesive markers applied to rotating shafts for optical tachometer detection, essential for phase reference in balancing and vibration analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Remaining Useful Life (RUL)? Failure Prediction

Learn about remaining useful life (RUL), estimated time before equipment requires maintenance or fails, calculated from vibration trends to optimize intervention timing.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Residual Unbalance? – The Goal of Balancing

Learn about Residual Unbalance, the small amount of unbalance that remains after a rotor has been balanced to a specific tolerance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Resonance in Mechanical Systems?

Learn about resonance, a dangerous condition where a machine's operating frequency matches a natural frequency, causing extreme vibration. Understand its causes, symptoms, and solutions.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Rigid Rotor in Balancing?

An explanation of a Rigid Rotor, a rotor that operates well below its critical speeds and does not experience significant bending or flexing due to unbalance forces.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is RMS (Root Mean Square) in Vibration Analysis?

Learn why RMS (Root Mean Square) is the most important measure of vibration severity. Understand how it relates to the destructive energy of vibration and its use in ISO standards.

By admin, 4 months ago March 3, 2026

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What are Rotor Bar Defects? Broken Bars in Motors

Learn about rotor bar defects in squirrel cage motors, including broken bars and cracked end rings, detectable through slip frequency sidebands in vibration and current analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Rotor-Bearing System? Integrated Dynamics

Learn about rotor-bearing systems, the integrated combination of rotating shaft, support bearings, and foundation that determines overall dynamic behavior and vibration characteristics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Rotor Dynamics? Theory and Applications

Learn about rotor dynamics, the branch of engineering that studies the behavior of rotating systems including vibration, critical speeds, stability, and response to unbalance.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Rotor Instability? Self-Excited Vibration

Learn about rotor instability, a dangerous self-excited vibration condition where energy from rotation sustains or amplifies oscillations, leading to potential catastrophic failure.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Rotor Rub? Contact Between Rotating and Stationary Parts

Learn about rotor rub, the contact between rotating shafts and stationary components that causes erratic vibration, thermal damage, and potential catastrophic failure.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is a Rotor in Mechanical Engineering?

Learn about rotors, the rotating components of machinery. Understand the critical difference between rigid and flexible rotors and how their dynamics affect design and balancing.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Route-Based Data Collection? – Predictive Maintenance

An explanation of Route-Based Data Collection, the systematic process of using a portable data collector to periodically gather vibration data from plant machinery.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Rubbing in Rotating Machinery? Friction Contact

Learn about rubbing, the friction phenomenon when rotating parts contact stationary surfaces, creating heat, wear, and characteristic sub-synchronous vibration patterns.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Shaft Runout? (Mechanical vs. Electrical)

Learn about shaft runout in vibration analysis. Understand the critical difference between true mechanical runout and electrical runout, and how it is compensated for in balancing and diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Run-Up Analysis? Startup Vibration Testing

Learn about run-up analysis, measuring vibration during equipment acceleration to identify critical speeds, natural frequencies, and startup-specific problems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Running Speed (1X) in Vibration Analysis?

An explanation of Running Speed, also known as 1X, a fundamental frequency in vibration analysis that corresponds to the rotational speed of a machine's shaft.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Runup in Rotating Machinery Analysis?

Learn about runup, the controlled acceleration of rotating machinery from rest to operating speed used to identify critical speeds and validate rotor dynamic characteristics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Seal Defects? Leakage and Friction Problems

Learn about seal defects in rotating machinery including wear, leakage, friction, and damage, affecting lubrication retention, contamination exclusion, and vibration.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Seismic Transducer? Inertial Reference Sensor

Learn about seismic transducers, vibration sensors using internal mass as inertial reference to measure absolute motion, including velocity pickups and accelerometers.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Self-Excited Vibration? – Unstable System Responses

An explanation of Self-Excited Vibration, a dangerous type of vibration where the motion itself creates the forces that sustain or amplify the vibration, such as oil whirl and chatter.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Sensor Sensitivity? Output per Input Unit

Learn about sensor sensitivity, the ratio of output signal to input vibration defining sensor gain, critical specification affecting measurement range, resolution, and signal quality.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Shaft Bow? Causes, Detection, and Correction

Learn about shaft bow, a permanent or temporary curvature in a rotor shaft that causes vibration symptoms similar to unbalance but requires different diagnostic and correction approaches.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is the Shaft Centerline in Vibration Monitoring?

Learn about the shaft centerline position, a key measurement from proximity probes that indicates the average position of a shaft within its bearing, used to diagnose bearing wear and alignment changes.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Shaft Crack? Detection and Diagnosis

Learn about shaft cracks in rotating machinery, their causes, characteristic vibration signatures including 2X components, and critical detection methods to prevent catastrophic failure.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Shaft Whip? Severe Rotor Instability Explained

Learn about shaft whip, a severe self-excited vibration instability in fluid-film bearings that occurs at high speeds, causing violent oscillations at natural frequency.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is a Shear Accelerometer? Premium Vibration Sensor

Learn about shear-mode accelerometers, piezoelectric sensors with superior base strain isolation and temperature stability, the premium choice for critical vibration measurements.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is the Shock Pulse Method (SPM)? – Bearing Condition Monitoring

An introduction to the Shock Pulse Method (SPM), a specialized condition monitoring technique for detecting and analyzing impacts from rolling-element bearings.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Shutdown? Equipment Stop Procedure

Learn about equipment shutdown procedures in rotating machinery, planned and emergency stops including coastdown monitoring, trip systems, and post-shutdown inspection protocols.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What are Sidebands in Vibration Analysis?

A guide to sidebands in vibration analysis. Learn how these modulated frequencies are generated and how they are used to diagnose gear and bearing faults with high confidence.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Signal Filtering in Vibration Analysis?

An introduction to Signal Filtering, the process of removing or isolating specific frequency ranges within a vibration signal to aid in machinery diagnostics.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Single-Plane Balancing? Methods and Applications

Learn about single-plane balancing, a method for correcting static unbalance using a correction weight in one plane, suitable for narrow disc-type rotors and rigid rotor systems.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Slip Frequency? Motor Diagnostic Parameter

Learn about slip frequency, the difference between synchronous and actual rotor speed in induction motors, critical for diagnosing broken rotor bars and motor loading.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Soft Foot in Machine Alignment?

Learn about soft foot, a common machine condition where one or more feet do not sit flat on the baseplate, causing frame distortion and vibration when bolted down.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Measurement

What is Sound Pressure Level? Noise Measurement

Learn about sound pressure level (SPL), acoustic noise measurement in decibels indicating machinery noise emission, correlated with vibration for comprehensive condition assessment.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Spalling in Rolling Element Bearings?

Learn about spalling, the flaking away of bearing surface material due to fatigue, the primary failure mode in rolling element bearings detectable through vibration analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Spectral Analysis? – Vibration Diagnostics

An introduction to Spectral Analysis, the process of decomposing a complex vibration signal into its constituent frequencies, and its central role in machinery fault diagnosis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Spectral Leakage in FFT Analysis?

Learn about spectral leakage, an error in FFT analysis caused by discontinuities in the time signal, and how windowing functions like Hanning are used to prevent it.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is a Vibration Spectrum?

A guide to the vibration spectrum (FFT plot), the most important tool for machine diagnostics. Learn how to read a spectrum and what its peaks, harmonics, and sidebands indicate.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Spike Energy? Impact Detection Parameter

Learn about spike energy, vibration analysis parameter measuring high-frequency impact energy from bearing defects, providing early warning of developing failures.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Rotor Balancing

What is Split Correction in Rotor Balancing?

Learn about split correction, a technique for dividing a single correction weight into multiple smaller weights placed at different angular positions to meet installation constraints.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is a Squeeze Film Damper? Vibration Control Device

Learn about squeeze film dampers, passive devices using oil films to provide damping in rotating machinery, controlling critical speed vibration and preventing rotor instabilities.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Analysis Glossary

What is Startup Vibration? Transient Analysis

Learn about startup vibration, the characteristic vibration behavior during machine acceleration including thermal bow effects, critical speed passages, and transient phenomena.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

Static Balancing: Single-Plane Correction Explained

Learn about static balancing, the method for correcting a simple 'force' unbalance in a single plane. Understand when it is applicable and how it differs from dynamic balancing.

By admin, 4 months ago January 18, 2026

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What are Stator Defects? Winding Failures in Motors

Learn about stator defects including insulation failures, turn-to-turn shorts, and winding damage, causing 2X line frequency vibration and detectable through current and thermal analysis.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025

Glossary Vibration Diagnostics

What is Steam Whirl? Aerodynamic Instability in Turbines

Learn about steam whirl, a self-excited vibration instability in steam turbines caused by aerodynamic cross-coupling forces in labyrinth seals and blade tip clearances.

By admin, 4 months ago October 31, 2025