Up Time Magazine- April/May 2008 - (Page 58) vibration upload A New Age Of Certification & Training Providing Better Returns on Vibration Analysis by Jason Tranter I t has been proven time and time again that the key to success in vibration analysis is training. There is so much to learn, and not all of it is immediately intuitive. So that leaves us with two options; rely on wall-charts and limit the scope of the vibration analysis program, or step up and make the most of the vibration monitoring equipment and achieve the best possible results. It is within all of us to achieve these results; with the right training and support. vibration analysis, and multimedia software that could be used to train vibration analysts in a way that had never been done before. I could see a way to help the vibration analysts meet the new challenges being imposed upon them. What were those challenges? In brief, the commercial vibration analysis systems were becoming more powerful, but the people using them were being given less training and limited resources to successfully run their programs. Let me explain. Certification is the icing on the cake; it proves that you have what it takes to be a professional vibration analyst. But what does “certification” mean these days? Is it enough to attend the data collector vendor’s training course and be tested to their “Level II”, or should you be trained and tested to an international standard? This article describes the evolution of training and certification; at least, through the previous 22 years that the author has been involved. This article will discuss the need for training, and the mistakes that are made by vibration analysts as a result of inadequate training. It will discuss the need for training at all levels, from the shopfloor through to upper management, so that the true rewards of condition based maintenance can be achieved. It will discuss the various delivery options available (computer-based, distance learning, and classroom-style training), and how that relates to the possibility of restricted travel and training budgets. And it will review the current state of vibration analysis certification. Fifteen years of frustration For the previous 15 years (prior to 1999) I had been involved with vibration analysis, mostly from the development side of the industry; I was involved in the development of two commercial vibration analysis software programs, an expert system, a few portable data collectors, and an on-line monitoring system. For those 15 years I saw the industry change in important ways. When I started my career in 1984, everyone used large, sophisticated spectrum analyzers and tape recorders. Most of the analysts were given plenty of time to collect and analyze the data - because they needed it! And many of the analysts were engineers, or had some kind of science degree. Forewarning I will make lots of generalizations in this article. These comments are based on over twenty years of involvement in the industry, and my personal experience and observations. During that time I have met (and trained) a large number of vibration analysts. These comments do not apply to every analyst. I have met some analysts who have excellent programs, who do everything very well, and I have learned a great deal from those people. But I have also seen what happens when people do not have adequate training. As you read this article, I ask you to reflect, as honestly as possible, whether these comments could apply to you. Introduction I should say up front that I own and operate a training company; therefore I have a biased view. I started the company in 1999 because of the reasons I discuss in this article. I could see changes occurring in the industry that frustrated me, so I decided to do something about it. I was very fortunate in that I had years of development experience that allowed me to write signal processing, Figure 1 - Old school vibration analysis But then along came the portable data collectors from IRD, TEC, DLI, Palomar Technology and CSi. They made it much easier to collect the data, and the software packages made it easier to manage the data and perform analysis. Year by year the data collectors became more 58 april/may 2008
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