Overview

There are many stories of catastrophic machine failures that could have been avoided if a vibration monitoring program was in place. Sometimes notes show that vibration data was collected. The vibration analyst and software trending program found no problems. Could the problem have been a defective analyzer that was not operating properly or did not meet its published specifications? If the analyzer is not properly acquiring vibration data, the trending software and analyst can not make an accurate assessment of machine condition.

"Is my data collector/analyzer functioning properly? Is it operating within its stated performance specifications? Does the internal calibration signal perform an adequate system conformance test of my analyzer?" Anyone who uses a data collector or FFT analyzer to monitor the condition of critical machinery should ask these questions and periodically verify the integrity of the analyzer used to perform these tests.

The implementation of an analyzer operational verification procedure or a complete calibration and test to the manufacturer's published specifications should be carried out on a regular basis. If the analyzer is sent to a calibration lab, the calibrations should be traceable to the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and performed in accordance with MIL-STD-45662A.

This appendix will guide us through a number of key tests that should be the core of an operational verification procedure.

Most of today's data collectors, specifically FFT spectrum analyzers, are designed to provide the user with a multitude of analysis settings. The most...