How to choose and use shakers for modal

analysis
Mehdi Batel - September 10, 2002

Structural test engineers use modal analysis to understand the dynamic behavior of structures,
including airframes, buildings, and automobile frames. Basically, the procedure is to excite the
structure with a force of known frequency and amplitude and measure the response of the structure
by measuring the output of accelerometers placed in various locations on the structure. Using the
data acquired from the accelerometers, structural test engineers construct a modal model of the
structure under test. Then, using this model, they calculate important modal parameters, including
resonant frequencies, mode shapes, and damping values.

The key to building accurate modal models for structures is having the proper excitation force. An
important part of the process is determining a structure's frequency response function (FRF), which
you calculate by dividing the response of the structure (measured with the accelerometers) by the
excitation force (provided by a shaker). As in all areas of engineering, the principle “garbage in,
garbage out” applies. If you don't have a clean input, then it will be impossible to obtain good
results.

To ensure a good excitation force, the test engineer must:

• choose the right shaker,

• set up the shaker in a good location,
• build a fixture that minimizes the mechanical impedance between the shaker and the structure
under test, and
• generate a clean waveform.

Choose the right shaker technology

There are four different shaker technologies in use today: electrodynamic, servo-hydraulic,
mechanical, and pneumatic. The type most often used for modal analysis is the electrodynamic
shaker. Electrodynamic shakers are versatile and relatively inexpensive. Using technology similar to
the technology used in audio speakers, electrodynamic shakers convert electrical energy into
dynamic motion. Typically, the frequency range is 5 Hz-20 Hz, and you can use them with nearly any
test waveform. They provide a sufficient stroke for modal analysis tests (typically 0.5-in. to 2-in.
displacement).

In general, you must choose a shaker that provides a high force-to-weight ratio-for automotive
applications, this ratio should be greater than 8. To ensure that you choose a shaker that can
generate enough force, you must know the masses of your test structures and the accelerations
specified for your tests. You can then use Newton's law of dynamics-force = mass * acceleration-to
calculate how much force the shaker will have to generate. When calculating this force, be sure to
include the mass of the shaker armature in your calculation. The total mass that the shaker must
accelerate is the mass of the armature plus the mass of the test structure.

Another important shaker specification is frequency range. The low frequency limit will determine
the shaker's maximum displacement. Because modal analysis tests low frequencies (low frequency
modes being the most relevant ones in a structure), the maximum stroke of the shaker has to be
chosen judiciously. Be sure to choose a shaker with a stroke of at least one inch.

Set up the shaker in a good location

Often, you will have to evaluate many different locations before choosing the final shaker location.
The best locations are at a point where you will be able to excite many different modes
simultaneously, including bending, torsion, and compression. Avoid placing them on node lines or
node points (stationary modal degrees of freedom).

Remember also that shakers for automotive tests tend to be big, as the shaker needs to be about as
big as the size of the structures you are going to shake. So, when choosing a location you need to
have enough room for the shaker, as well as the test structure.

Figure 1. A trunnion helps you position the shaker so you can excite all of the modes of a
structure under test. Note the piano stinger and transducer for measuring the input force.

Also, it's helpful to choose a location at which you can use a lateral exciter stand, or trunnion. Using
a trunnion (Figure 1) lets you position the shaker in many different ways, which makes it easier to
excite different modes.

Building fixtures and measuring the input force

Although fixtures are a necessary evil when it comes to modal analysis, you need to take steps to
minimize their influence. The fixture must transfer the excitation force to the structure under test
with as little mechanical impedance as possible.

For example, side loads and bending moments are undesirable when performing a modal analysis, as
the desired direction of force is purely axial. To minimize these transverse effects, you can use a pre-
tensioned piano wire, or stinger, in your fixture. Stingers have high axial stiffness and very low
bending stiffness, minimizing the influence of transverse force components. They also help to
position the shaker and protect the shaker and input force transducer by acting as a “mechanical
fuse.”

To obtain accurate frequency response measurements, you must accurately measure the input force
to the structure under test. You do this by mounting a piezoelectric force transducer, sometimes
called an impedance head, on the test fixture. The impedance head not only will measure the force
at the excitation point, but the acceleration as well.
How you attach the transducer to the structure influences the vibration characteristics of the test
specimen. It constrains the structure, primarily because it affects the stiffness of the
fixture/structure system. This is another consideration in building a fixture that will transmit the
input force as transparently as possible.

Generate a clean waveform

Another consideration when using shakers for modal analysis is the type of waveform and the
cleanness of the waveform. There are five different types of waveforms used for modal analysis.
They are swept-sine, sine, random, burst-random, or pseudo-random.

When choosing the type of input waveform, you must consider:

• the application,
• the non-linearities in the structure,
• the time available for test,
• the dynamic range of the measurement,
• whether the noise is present mostly at the input or output, and
• the type of shaker you are using.

Each waveform has advantages and is useful in certain applications (Table 1).

Using more than one shaker

In certain applications, you may need to use more than one shaker to better distribute loading
forces. There also may be applications where it is necessary to drive the structure at very high force
levels. These force levels will generate non-linear behaviors that you cannot easily analyze using
modal analysis. For these applications, you can use MIMO (Multiple-Inputs Multiple-Outputs)
analysis.

MIMO analysis is also well suited for cases where the structure exhibits local modes that occur only
when excitation forces are high. It is also used in analyzing symmetrical structures that exhibit
separate mode shapes but have the same resonance frequency (repeated roots case).
Taking into account all the considerations mentioned in this article definitely leads to a good
understanding of the dynamics of a shaker’s structure. They also will help you obtain accurate
results that you can use in the future, whether to modify your design, study your structure's dynamic
characteristics, or to refine your finite element models.