Vibration test according to standard MIL, VG, GL, ASTM, IEC, etc.

Recording vibrations in detail

Vibration test according to standard MIL, VG, GL, ASTM, IEC, etc.

Vibrations always occur during transportation of a (packaged) product - due to the environment (equipment on board an aircraft, ship or train, wind and the like) or due to the appliance itself, such as motors. The actual vibration level can be low, but due to vibrations caused by resonances in the device, it can increase considerably. The vibration can be up to ten or twenty times the original vibration level. The packaged product or appliance can be vibrated at different frequencies, possibly depending on temperature and humidity, to check whether it meets the specified requirements (e.g. ASTM, ISTA, ISO, IEC MIL STD) or the standards of the classification societies (e.g. Lloyds, DNV, GL, etc.).

Vibration tests (random and sine wave)

There are many types of vibration tests: sinus, random, sinus-on-random and more. Vibration levels and corresponding frequencies differ for each requirement.

• A sinus sweep test is a sinus test using a specific frequency range, with a given amplitude and speed. Think about playing all the notes on a piano from left (low tones = low frequency) to right (high tones = high frequency). This sweep test is used to determine the resonance frequencies of a product and/or its packaging. Following the sweep test, the product will be submitted to a long-term test (dwell test) using these frequencies. In practice, resonance leads to damage, as it will cause scuffing damage and material fatigue.
• A sinus dwell test tests using a fixed frequency and amplitude. It is used for testing the packaging of, including others, hazardous goods (DOT-test). It is also a typical test for products used in the maritime sector. In the IEC 60945, a shipping industry test is described for two hours at 30 Hz with 0,7 g, functionally testing the product.
• Random vibration tests are commonly used for transportation simulations using ASTM, ISTA, IEC, NEN, IEC, ISO or field measurements. These tests simulate the vibration behavior of a truck, train, aircraft or other vehicles. A broad frequency spectrum is struck, using an alternating, simultaneous level of vibration. Products in trains also need to comply with random vibration tests described in the IEC 61373. Similarly, products attached to vehicles, as described in the SAE J1455 and MIL STD 810, must also comply. These are only a few examples, as random vibration tests can be used for any vibration simulation.