No great shakes measured by 'point-and-shoot' vibrometer

Citation

(1998), "No great shakes measured by 'point-and-shoot' vibrometer", Sensor Review, Vol. 18 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.1998.08718bad.004

No great shakes measured by 'point-and-shoot' vibrometer

No great shakes measured by "point-and-shoot" vibrometer

Keywords Non-contact, Ometron, Sensors, Vibration

Tiny changes in the vibration patterns of industrial plant and machinery can provide tell-tale evidence that a motor or compressor bearing is in need of some attention, long before a breakdown occurs.

But measuring vibration patterns accurately on the shop floor has always meant tedious mounting and wiring of sensors on the surface of the machinery.

Until now, the only non-contact equipment capable of accurately measuring such small vibration changes directly for condition monitoring purposes has been confined to the laboratory. Single-point laser vibrometers have been too cumbersome and temperamental for use on the factory floor.

Ometron's new VH 300 unit (Plate 2), however, now offers precise laboratory performance in rugged, portable format. Not only is it the world's first fully portable laser vibrometer with an accuracy to match laboratory models, its "point-and-shoot" action makes it ideal for on-site use, claim Ometron.

Plate 2 Ometron's VH 300 portable laser vibrometer

With a range of up to 25 metres, the VH 300 can be used to measure most machinery surfaces without any special preparation. For joints and flanges which are difficult to reach, the VH 300 has an optional mini-mirror kit to direct the laser beam onto the target area.

The surfaces being measured do not require physical contact to be made, and the VH 300's two-hour power pack ensures there are no trailing cables across the shop floor.

The VH 300 displays the amount of vibration instantly on a bar graph as a surface-velocity measurement. It measures vibration as the component of surface velocity parallel to the measuring laser beam.

With a frequency range from DC to 25kHz, the VH 300 also provides a velocity time-history output which can be used to drive a data recorder, for example, or a fast Fourier-transform (FFT) analyser for subsequent condition-monitoring analysis.

For further information contact: Ometron Division, Image Automation Ltd, Kelvin House, Worsley Bridge Road, Sydenham, London SEE26 5BX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 181 461 5566; Fax: +44 (0) 181 698 3768; E-mail: metron@image-main.ccmail.compuserve.com .