What is Vibration Testing?
Products and machines involving dynamic loads must be able to operate reliably while dealing with vibrations caused by moving parts within the product or from external sources.
The material properties of components lose their integrity over time based on the physical shocks they endure – screws may come loose, bearings may fail, and joints may shear. In addition to testing the durability of products for their use cases, vibration testing is critical for observing how products may fare during shipping.
The process of packing and shipping products inflicts many shocks and stresses that specific components aren’t designed to handle – fragile elements such as thin lenses, optics, and calibrated sensors must be adequately packaged to absorb and dissipate vibrations caused during transport.
- Vibration testing is a type of accelerated stress testing done to ensure a product meets specific standards with respect to this physical occurrence.
- Vibration testing is typically conducted by placing products on a shaker table within the testing apparatus. The table’s force and vibration frequency are configurable, and different vibrations (sinusoidal, random, constant, or pulsating) can be chosen based on the standard being tested for.
- Vibration System is a testing platform for packaging, transportation, mechanical shock, mission profile, and real-world vibration simulation.
Some basic vibration test standards are set by organizations such as ASTM, ISO, and IEC, including Mil-Std 167.
