Base of precise diagnosis by vibration analyzer VA-12 NO.

110719

RION CO., Ltd.

This document introduces some cases of precise diagnosis by Vibration analyzer VA-12. The VA-12 is a
portable vibration analyzer with FFT analysis function especially designed for the field use. The VA-12 has
three analyzer modes; vibration meter mode, time waveform mode, and FFT analysis mode. In vibration meter
mode, acceleration, velocity, displacement, acceleration peak, and acceleration crest factor can be measured
simultaneously. In time waveform mode and FFT analysis mode, the 3200 lines spectrum can be obtained with
the real time frequency of 20 kHz.
The data in chapter 1 to chapter 4 are typical machine faults generated in the machine fault simulator
“Mini-master”. The data in chapter 5 are measured from actual machines.

Vibration analyzer VA-12

Contents
1. Diagnosis of rolling element bearing
Outer race defect
Inner race defect
Ball defect
2. Diagnosis of unbalance
3. Diagnosis of misalignment
4. Diagnosis of gear
Machine fault simulator “Mini-master”
5. Other diagnosis cases

1
1. Diagnosis of rolling element bearing
1.1 Outer race defect
Bearing type: NSK#1302, Number of balls: 10, Diameter of ball: 6.4mm, Pitch diameter: 27.6mm, Contact
angle: 10degrees, Rotating speed: 1200rpm, Ball Pass Frequency of Outer race: 77.2Hz.

Measurement by vibration meter mode

In case of fault, acceleration increases very much though velocity and displacement do not change so much.
Also crest factor (C.F.) becomes large value that exceeds 10.

Vibration meter (Normal) Vibration meter (Fault)

Time waveform and frequency analysis
- Time waveform (Acceleration): The continuous pulses generated by ball contact to the defect are observed.
The peak amplitude of the pulse is almost constant.
- Spectrum (Acceleration): High frequency components higher than 3kHz are large.
- Envelope spectrum (Acceleration): The BPFO (Ball Pass Frequency of Outer race) can be observed. The
calculated BPFO is 77.2Hz, the measured BPFO is 77.8Hz.

Pulse amplitude is
almost constant BPFO
Large high frequency
components

Time waveform (Acceleration) Spectrum (Acceleration) Envelope spectrum (Acceleration)

2
1.2 Inner race defect
Bearing type: NSK#1302, Number of balls: 10, Diameter of ball: 6.4mm, Pitch diameter: 27.6mm, Contact
angle: 10degrees, Rotating speed: 1200rpm, Ball Pass Frequency of Inner race: 122.8Hz.

Measurement by vibration meter mode

In case of fault, acceleration increases very much though velocity and displacement do not change so much.
Also crest factor (C.F.) becomes large value that exceeds 10.

Vibration meter (Normal) Vibration meter (Fault)

Time waveform and frequency analysis
- Time waveform (Acceleration): The continuous pulses generated by ball contact to the defect are observed.
The peak amplitude of pulse varies, and it shows some amplitude modulations.
- Spectrum (Acceleration): High frequency components higher than 3kHz are large.
- Envelope spectrum (Acceleration): The BPFI (Ball Pass Frequency of Inner race) can be observed. The
calculated BPFI is 122.8Hz, the measured BPFI is 122.9Hz. The side bands of the BPFI mean amplitude
modulation caused by shaft rotation of 20Hz.

Pulse amplitude BPFI

varies Large high frequency
components
Amplitude
modulation by
shaft rotation

20Hz 20Hz

Time waveform (Acceleration) Spectrum (Acceleration) Envelope spectrum (Acceleration)

3
1.3 Ball defect
Bearing type: NSK#1302, Number of balls: 10, Diameter of ball: 6.4mm, Pitch diameter: 27.6mm, Contact
angle: 10degrees, Rotating speed: 1200rpm, Ball Spin Frequency: 81.8Hz.

Measurement by vibration meter mode

In case of fault, acceleration increases very much though velocity and displacement do not change so much.
Also crest factor (C.F.) becomes large value that exceeds 10.

Vibration meter (Normal) Vibration meter (Fault)

Time waveform and frequency analysis
- Time waveform (Acceleration): The continuous pulses generated by ball contact to the defect are observed.
The peak amplitude of pulse varies, and it shows some amplitude modulations.
- Spectrum (Acceleration): High frequency components higher than 1.5kHz are large.
- Envelope spectrum (Acceleration): The BSF (Ball Spin Frequency) can be observed. The calculated BSF is
81.8Hz, the measured BSF is 81.9Hz. The side bands of the BSF mean amplitude modulation caused by
ball revolution frequency of 8Hz.

Pulse amplitude
varies Amplitude
Large high frequency
components BSF modulation
by ball
revolution

8Hz intervals

Time waveform (Acceleration) Spectrum (Acceleration) Envelope spectrum (Acceleration)

4
2. Diagnosis of unbalance
Case: unbalance, Rotating speed: 1200rpm (frequency: 20Hz).

Measurement by vibration meter mode

In case of fault, velocity and displacement increases very much though acceleration does not change so
much.

Vibration meter (Normal) Vibration meter (Unbalance)

Time waveform and frequency analysis

- Time waveform (Velocity): The time waveform is almost sine wave.
- Spectrum (Velocity): The component corresponding to the shaft rotating is dominant. Other components
are very few.

Shaft rotating
frequency
Almost sine wave

Time waveform (Velocity) Spectrum (Velocity)

(1200rpm)

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3. Diagnosis of misalignment
Misalignment type: Center alignment, coupling: Star flexible type.
Rotating speed: 1200rpm (frequency: 20Hz).

Measurement by vibration meter mode

In case of fault, velocity and displacement increases very much.
Acceleration increases compared with an unbalance example.

Vibration meter (Normal) Vibration meter (Misalignment)

Time waveform and frequency analysis

- Time waveform (Velocity): The complex waveform with rotating frequency and its harmonics can be
observed.
- Spectrum (Velocity): In this example, the rotating frequency, the 3rd harmonics and the 6th harmonics are
dominant, that is caused by star flexible type coupling.

Complex waveform with Shaft rotating

rotating frequency and its frequency 3rd harmonics
harmonics

6th harmonics

Time waveform (Velocity) Spectrum (Velocity)

(1200rpm)

6
4. Diagnosis of gear
Case: Static eccentricity, number of teeth: 44, Rotating speed: 1725rpm (frequency: 28.75Hz).
Gear meshing frequency: 1265Hz, modulation frequency: 28.75Hz.

- Time waveform (Acceleration): The amplitude is modulated by the shaft rotating frequency.
- Envelope spectrum (Acceleration): There are a lot of side bands around the gear meshing frequency. The side
bands mean amplitude modulation caused by shaft rotating frequency.

Shaft rotating
frequency

Gear meshing
frequency

Time waveform (Acceleration) Envelope spectrum (Acceleration)

(Frequency Span 2000Hz)

Shaft rotating
frequency
Gear meshing
frequency
Amplitude
modulation by
shaft rotation

Envelope spectrum (Acceleration) Envelope spectrum (Acceleration)

(Around rotating frequency) (Around gear meshing frequency)

7
5. Other diagnosis cases
The effectiveness of 3200 line analysis is described in this chapter.

5.1 Measurement of slip frequency of an induction motor.

This graph shows a vibration spectrum of 2-pole induction
motor. FFT line resolution is 3200 lines. The frequency of
AC power supply is 50Hz. The vibration of 100Hz is
generated by rotating electric magnetic field. The 99.56Hz
corresponds to the twice frequency of rotating speed of rotor.
The difference between these frequencies is the slip
frequency of induction motor. It is easy to see it by 3200
lines of FFT.

5.2 Precise diagnosis of centrifugal pump

This graph shows a velocity spectrum of a centrifugal
pump with 5 impellers at rotating speed 2987rpm. The
249Hz is the pass frequency of impellers. The 356.9Hz is the
ball pass frequency of inner race caused by bearing defect.
The side band components correspond to the amplitude
modulation caused by shaft rotating speed of 49.8Hz. The
two peaks of 249Hz and 257.3Hz can be distinguished
clearly. If we can not distinguish them, it is difficult to
recognize the pass frequency of impellers.

5.3 Measurement of damped free vibration

This graph shows a time waveform of damped free vibration obtained by impact excitation. The damping
ratio ζ can be obtained by this wave form,
1 1 x
ζ = × × ln 1
2π f n × (t2 − t1 ) x2 t1
where fn is the frequency of this time wave form.
x1
t2
When the damping ratio ζ is small, the amplitude in
x2
resonance state becomes large, and the time waveform by
impact excitation does not decrease easily. When we
measure the damping ratio ζ, it is necessary for the time
waveform to be decreased enough in a sampling frame time.
In that case the 3200 lines analysis is efficient, because the
sampling frame time is long enough to decrease.