Afterword Not the End

Having reached the end of this book, it is time to point out to the reader that it is only the beginning of one's study of vibration analysis. A good understanding of the principles of modern FFT vibration analysis and monitoring is only the beginning of establishing competence in the field.

The reader must now begin to learn from actual experience and must gain an understanding of why a machine is designed and constructed the way it is. Why is the pump impeller cast rather than forged or designed as a weldment? Why is the base made of wide flange beams rather than channels or box beams? Is the bearing housing design adequate for the thrust loads of the application?

The vibration analyst must ask questions like these primarily because no one else will. One of the answers may well be the key to solving the problem. Listen to the answers.

With regard to monitoring machinery, remember that almost any fool can tell the client or employer that a machine has failed again. Many can tell him that the machine is about to fail in time to avert disaster. Only a few are capable of finding out why the machine fails so often. Try to join the ranks of these competent few.

Having trained hundreds of technicians to do vibration analysis, the author has found that experience is gained quite quickly in the machinery vibration field if the problems are always attacked in the same logical way:

1. Observe the design...