Measuring vibrations: simple and precise
Motors and drives in machinery and equipment lead to vibrations that should be kept as small as possible. Since the vibrations generally increase over time, due to wear and overlapping, thus increasing wear and resulting in failures, many plant operators must measure the vibrations.
You can measure vibration with appropriate piezoelectric Vibration Sensors and the appropriate transmitter. The vibration sensors are selected according to the frequency band required for measuring the vibration and other criteria such as sensitivity and weight.
Althen provides a simple method for vibration measurement to its customers with the vibration measurement system VibroMatrix. The VibroMatrix measuring system consists of a 2-channel A / D converter for IEPE vibration sensors and various software instruments for PC and notebook.
This makes it possible for customers who do not measure vibrations on a daily basis to easily measure and evaluate the vibrations without any in-depth knowledge of vibration measurement technology.
Vibration measuring systems for every measuring task
General, flexible instruments, such as a digital display, an oscilloscope, data logger or long-term recorder, are available as well as special, application-based instruments for measuring vibration. These include solutions for:
- Measurement of building vibration
- Influence of vibrations on people in buildings
- Influence of vibrations on people in
- Rail vehicles and on ships
- Human Vibration Measurement
- Vibrations of wind turbines
In addition to the vibration sensors and the software Althen also offers services to measure vibration. This affects u.a. Measure the configuration of the measuring system before delivery, vibration measurement on behalf of the customer or trainings around the topics VibroMatrix and vibrations.
VibroMatrix: Easy to measure complex vibrations
We source the VibroMatrix software from IDS and connect it with sensors from renowned manufacturers in the USA and England, with whom we have a long-term cooperation. We combine the whole thing into a system that we can offer the customer in a very flexible and very modular way.
The Vibromatrix software itself also consists of various modules, such as InnoAnalyzer, InnoScope and InnoLogger, which the customer can put together independently or on the basis of our advice. They can be connected and repeatedly access the same sensor or the same transmitter. Depending on the application, be it the measurement of building vibrations or the balancing of a warehouse, he can also buy modules.
In the best case, he does not have to buy a new system if he wants to do a different kind of measurement, but can use the original system over and over again with a different combination of modules, which saves an enormous amount of money. And while high vibration frequencies dominate in the machine area, low-frequency so-called seismic measurements in the building area can even be used repeatedly with one and the same sensor. But you can also split the system and thus capture such measurements via an additional uniaxial sensor.
A key problem with indoor measurements is the placement of the sensor, which should ideally be positive fit with the building. For this, we offer a wide range of accessories, such as a base plate with round feet, to place the sensor directly on the concrete floor. Carpets prevent a positive placement and falsify the measurement results, so there are optionally also pointed feet that push through the carpet. For measurements on magnetic parts, there is also a magnetic form to which the sensor is applied. For positive connections with walls and ceilings, we offer a system in which the sensor is attached to the masonry by means of a dowel and a union nut. Adapters with different diameters for cases where none of these methods works, we manufacture in our own house, also according to individual specifications. The ideas ultimately come from the customer's wishes, because no job is similar to the last one.
The vibration sensor itself is made of piezoceramic, similar to a lighter, in which the impact of the hammer on the piezoceramic ignition element causes a certain charge, which in turn triggers the spark. We, on the other hand, take advantage of this charge by measuring it. Because every vibration, every vibration corresponds to its own charge strength. This is recorded via the InnoBeamer box and evaluated electronically. The fact that you put three axes into one sensor is a question of cost and effort: I only have one cable and one sensor that I can place in one place. The whole thing is compact and easy to handle. In the field of building automation, we measure on three axes. The specially designed sensor is equipped with a measuring amplifier, which also feeds it and transmits the measuring signal. The result is displayed live via a USB interface on a notebook in the Vibromatrix software, where we can view all three axes. The colored envelopes of the vibration data from green to yellow to red indicate whether you are still in the range of the limit values specified by the respective DIN standard.
The advantage for the customer is that we implement the limit values of DIN for him in the software. So he can make his measurements, without having to deal with the standard values in advance. Of particular importance is e.g. in the standard DIN 3834 for vibrations on wind turbines and their components, because it recommends that measurements be taken under stable operating conditions. Who wants to decide when they will be available? To read this out of the norm costs a lot of time. But most of the time, the customer has to get his measurement done pretty quickly. That's exactly why IDS has developed the InnoMeter 3834 Vibromatrix software. The customer does not have to worry about how to implement these stable operating conditions, but they are already included in the software. The software evaluates the existing conditions, matches them with the stored requirements, filters out the background noise and informs the user whether stable operating conditions exist. The measurement results are recorded as raw data, i. if I set filters in the software or set limits, these are displayed on the user interface. However, the raw data are stored, so that I can do a more detailed analysis of the data afterwards.
IDS develops the VibroMatrix software for us. We also pass on customer wishes and regularly try to identify recurring requirements, so that we can take them into account in the software, the measurement technology and the organizational processes right from the start.