Vibration Analysis Severity Guide

Version 2.8 Unbalance Coupling Looseness Bent Shaft Resonance Blade Pass Bearing fault Lubrication fault Rub Broken Gear Broken Rotor Gear Gear Wear/ Belt Faults Pump Cavitation Eccentric Air Gap Loose Rotor Bars Gear assembly
Misalignment Tooth Bars Misalignment Eccentricity phase error
Overall

Target Minor Moderate Major Minor Minor

Common alarm levels
<1.4 mm/s rms 2.8 mm/s rms(or +1) 4.5 mm/s rms(or +2) 7.1 mm/s rms 1 g rms 1 g rms n/a n/a
(Disp below 10 hz)
<62 um p-p 127 um p-p 200 um p-p 320 um p-p (based on AS2625-4) avg +2SD for pkview avg +2SD for pkview

OA/spect Alarm Increase Increase x1.6 for flex mounting or short term and x2.5 for very rough machines (eg reciprocating) Do not increase
1x 1x 2x 1x 1x blade pass blade pass log . log 1x ELEC 1x GM 2xGM GM 2xGM blade pass 100Hz 2xRBPF GM
. BPOR .
. 1/3x 2/nGM
Spectrum
1/nGM
10kHz

Target < 1 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 0.5 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms NIL NIL NIL NIL NIL 0.3 mm/s x rpm/1000 NIL 0.1 mm/s rms 0.2 mm/s rms 0.2 mm/s rms 0.2 mm/s rms NIL

Good < 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 1.5 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 0.1 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.2 g rms 0.1 mm/s rms 1 g peak 0.05 mm/s rms 1 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.1 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.3 mm/s rms 0.5 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 0.5 mm/s x rpm/1000

Minor > 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 1.5 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 0.1 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.2 g rms 0.1 mm/s rms 1 g peak 0.05 mm/s rms 1 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.1 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.3 mm/s rms 0.5 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 0.5 mm/s x rpm/1000

Moderate > 4 mm/s rms 4 mm/s rms 3 mm/s rms 4 mm/s rms 4 mm/s rms 4 mm/s rms 0.3 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.5 g rms 0.2 mm/s rms 2 g peak 0.1 mm/s rms 2 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.3 mm/s x rpm/1000 0.6 mm/s rms 1 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 2 mm/s x rpm/1000

Major > 6 mm/s rms 6 mm/s rms 5 mm/s rms 6 mm/s rms 6 mm/s rms 6 mm/s rms 1 mm/s x rpm/1000 1 g rms 0.5 mm/s rms 3 g peak 0.3 mm/s rms 3 mm/s x rpm/1000 1 mm/s x rpm/1000 1.5 mm/s rms 2 mm/s rms 3 mm/s rms 3 mm/s rms 3 mm/s x rpm/1000
Bearing Defect Gear mesh freq &
Peak in spectrum

"Haystack" above Sidebands at No. of Sidebands around 2x RBP (Rotor Bars x

Dominant Frequency in 1x or at other forcing No. of blades x Frequencies (non- 1/2x or 1/3x 1x spikes in time harmonics - BF (Belt Frequency) Subharmonics of
1x 1x 2x or 1x 1x 1kHz (around a poles x slip around GM at 1x input shaft Raised noise floor 2x Line Freq (100Hz) running speed) -
velocity spectrum frequency running speed integer multiples of harmonics waveform particularly 2xGMF usually 0.2x to 0.5x gearmesh
resonance) 1x,2x etc. &/or 1x output shaft usually 50x to 100x
running speed) and 3xGMF
Running speed Possible slight Sidebands at No. of Sidebands at 2x line
Raised noise floor Blade pass Brg Freq harmonics + 1/2x or 1/3x Sidebands around Many multiples of BF Blade pass freq &
Other Frequencies None 2x & sometimes 3x harmonics, possible None Brg Freq harmonics increase in 1x and poles x slip around None freq (100Hz) around
near resonance harmonics 1x or FTF sidebands harmonics harmonics of GM - particularly 2xBF harmonics
1/3x or 1/2x multiples gearmesh 1x,2x etc. 2x RBP
NB For shaft speeds NB For shaft speeds NB For shaft speeds
above 2000 rpm use 1.Gear mesh vibration is above 2000 rpm use above 2000 rpm use
2000 rpm in very load sensitive - 2000 rpm in 2000 rpm in
calculation should be measured at calculation calculation
Notes normal loading.
2. For shaft speeds
above 2000 rpm use
2000 rpm in calculation

Notes: i) Vibration must be collected under normal load in a steady state condition for severity values to be valid. ii) Based on AS 2625 part 4:2003 Group 2 rigid mounted machines which is the most universal category.

Produced by Bruce Evans 0429 984 282 Printed on 23/03/2015