CAT III Vibration Analysis (VCAT-III)

CAT III Vibration Analysis

As a Category III vibration analyst you are expected to be able to diagnose all of the common faults conditions with rolling element bearing machines; have a good understanding of fault conditions associated with sleeve bearing machines; utilise time waveforms, phase readings and enveloping/PeakVue etc. readings to diagnose faults; and understand all condition monitoring technologies, how and when to apply them, and how to combine technologies to get the best results.

You must also understand machine dynamics (natural frequencies, resonance, etc.); how to perform resonance testing; and how to correct resonance problems.  You must also understand balancing, alignment, and isolation.  You are also, therefore, required to understand all of the single and cross-channel measurement capabilities of your analyser.

And finally, you are also expected to be able to set up the program, run a successful program, and mentor the junior analysts.

Aim

You will come away from the course with a solid understanding of:

1. How a well designed program, and the reliability centered maintenance approach (with precision balancing, alignment, lubrication and resonance control), will improve the OEE and therefore the bottom line.
2. The condition monitoring technologies: acoustic emission, infrared analysis (thermography), oil analysis, wear particle analysis, motor testing – via supplementary training
3. How to select the correct measurement location and axis, and collect good, repeatable measurements
4. What the Fmax, resolution, averaging and other single-channel and cross-channel analyser settings mean, and how to select the optimum settings for a wide variety of machine types
5. How to analyse vibration spectra, time waveforms, envelope (demodulation), and phase measurements
6. How to diagnose a wide range of fault conditions: unbalance, eccentricity, misalignment, bent shaft, cocked bearing, looseness, rolling element bearings faults, journal bearing faults, gearbox faults, resonance, and other conditions
7. How mass, stiffness and damping affects the natural frequency of a structure
8. How to use phase readings, bump tests, impact tests, negative averaging, peakhold averaging, transient (run up and coast down), ODS, and modal analysis to determine natural frequencies and visualize machine movement
9. How to set alarm limits manually and with statistics
10. How to balance and align a machine, correct a resonance conditions, and employ isolation.

Who should attend?

If you are Category II (or Level II) certified and are ready to take your career and responsibilities to the next step, and you wish to truly master vibration analysis, diagnosis and correction, then this course is idea for you.

You should have over 36 months of experience and a good understanding of fault diagnosis and spectrum analysis.   (Note that you require 36 months experience to be certified.)

The RMS / Mobius Institute course and certification program follows the ISO 18436-2:2003 standard and the ASNT Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A.

What is unique about this course?

RMS / Mobius make it unique.  We use 3D animations, Flash simulations, and numerous software simulators that completely demystify vibration analysis.  While vibration training courses have traditionally been very theoretical, difficult to understand, (and boring), you will be captivated by the Mobius Training methods, and you will enjoy our practical approach.  You will take away skills that you can immediately apply to your job, and you will truly understand what you are doing.  When senior vibration analysts attend our classes they often say “if only I could have learned this way when I got started” – well, now you can!

Addition benefits unique to RMS / Mobius Institute courses

Classroom activities:

• Sitting and watching an instructor can be boring…  When the instructor is using modern slides, 3D animations, and incredible simulators, there is no way that you will be bored, however there is nothing like hands-on participation.

Hands-on participation accelerates learning and enjoyment (depends on venue)

• In the RMS courses you can use the simulators, and you can collect readings and study real vibration patterns.  There is no doubt that the simulators make it easier to understand the topics we cover – but when you can use them yourself, the learning is further accelerated.

Workbooks provide feedback – do you really understand?

• We also provide quiz questions that help you check if you really did understand the topics, and that you will be able to make the right decisions in the field (and in the exam).  Every morning we have a lively discussion as we go through the questions.

Take away more than just knowledge

• We don’t just deliver an excellent course.  We provide you with resources that you can use before, during and after the course.

Get started before the course even starts

• Before you even start the course you can visit our Learning Zone Web site to take the self-paced iLearnVibration lessons (and read through the manual).  These lessons will help prepare you for the course – you will learn so much more if you go into the course with this knowledge.

Excellent materials that you will treasure forever

• During the course you receive a vibration analysis chart, vibration analysis pocket guide, a vibration reference guide, (a very handy booklet); a mouse pad that is covered with classic spectra representing common fault conditions; access to activity sample questions and answers, and our 400+ page VA Category III manual.  This new manual is easy to read, is filled with illustrations, follows the course slides exactly, contains an excellent “Equipment Knowledge” appendix, and can be used as a reference in the future.

Don’t stop learning just because the course ends

• For six months after the course (or longer for a small fee), you can continue to access the iLearnVibration self-paced material on the Web site.  If you forget something that you were taught, or you just want a refresher, then just jump on to the site and go through the fully narrated lessons.

Review of condition monitoring technologies and the ISO standards

Signal processing and data acquisition

• Filters: Low pass, band pass, high pass, band stop
• Signal to noise ratio
• Analog and digital integration
• Testing low speed machines
• Sampling, aliasing, dynamic range
• Resolution, Fmax, data collection time
• Averaging: linear, overlap, peak hold, negative averaging, time synchronous
• Windowing and leakage
• Order tracking
• Cross channel testing
• Correlation and coherence

Time waveform analysis

• Collecting data – ensuring you have the correct setup
• When should you use time waveform analysis
• Diagnosing unbalance, misalignment, bend shaft, eccentricity, cocked bearing, resonance, looseness and other conditions

Phase analysis

• Collecting data
• Bubble diagrams
• Diagnosing unbalance, misalignment, bent shaft, eccentricity, cocked bearing, resonance, looseness and other conditions

Dynamics (natural frequencies and resonance)

• Natural frequencies and resonances
• Mass, stiffness and damping
• SDOF and MDOF

Testing for natural frequencies

• Run-up coast down tests
• Bode plots and Nyquist (polar) plots
• Impact and bump tests
• Analysis of induction motors

Operating Deflection Shape (ODS) analysis

• Can we prove the existing of a natural frequency?
• Visualizing vibration
• Setting up the job
• Collecting phase readings correctly
• Interpreting the deflection shape

Modal analysis and intro to FEA

• How does modal analysis differ from ODS?
• How does Finite Element Analysis (FEA) differ from modal analysis
• A quick review of the modal testing process

Correcting resonances

• The effect of mass and stiffness
• Beware of nodal points
• Adding damping
• A ‘trial and error’ approach
• A ‘scientific’ approach
• Isolation
• Tuned absorbers and tuned mass dampers

Rolling element bearing fault detection

• Why do bearings fail?
• Cocked bearing, sliding on shaft or inside housing, looseness
• EDM and DC motors and VFDs
• Bearing frequencies and what to do when you don’t have all the details
• The four stages of bearing degradation
• Ultrasound
• High frequency detection techniques
• Shock Pulse, Spike Energy, Peak Vue, and other techniques
• Demodulation/enveloping
• Selecting the correct filter settings
• Spectrum analysis
• Time waveform analysis
• Low speed bearings

Journal bearing fault detection

• What are journal bearings
• Measuring displacement
• Introduction to orbit plots
• Using your analyser to acquire orbit plots
• Introduction to centerline diagrams
• Eccentricity ratio
• Glitch removal
• How the orbit changes with pre-load, unbalance, misalignment, instabilities, oil whir and whip

Electric motor testing

• How do motors work?
• Diagnosing a range of fault conditions: eccentric rotor, eccentric stator, soft foot, phasing, broken rotor bars, rotor bar and stator slot pass frequencies
• Motor current analysis

Pumps, fans and compressors

• Unique fault conditions
• Flow turbulence, recirculation, cavitation

Gearbox fault detection

• Spectrum analysis versus time waveform analysis
• Wear particle analysis
• Gearmesh, gear assembly phase frequency (and common factors)
• Tooth load, broken teeth, gear eccentricity and misalignment, backlash and more

Corrective action

• General maintenance repair activities
• Review of the balancing process and ISO balance grades
• Review of shaft alignment procedures

Running a successful condition monitoring program

• Setting baselines
• Setting alarms: band, envelope/mask, statistical
• Setting goals and expectations (avoiding common problems)
• Report generation
• Reporting success stories

Acceptance testing

Review of ISO standards

Student eligibility for certification

CAT-I: you’ll need 6 months or more experience in VA. When completing the experience section on the online registration form please confirm you have sufficient experience. Note that when completing the official exam registration form you will be required to provide a witness who can verify your declared experience.

CAT-II: you’ll need 18 months or more experience in VA. When completing the experience section on the registration form please confirm you have sufficient experience. Note that when completing the official exam registration form you will be required to provide suitable evidence.

CAT-III: you’ll need 36 months or more experience in VA and have a valid CAT II certificate. When completing the experience section on the registration form please confirm you have sufficient experience. Note that when completing the official exam registration form you will be required to provide suitable evidence.

CAT-IV: you’ll need 60 months or more experience in VA and have a valid CAT III certificate. Certification process: Those who successfully pass the course assessments (70% or greater pass mark required), will be eligible to sit an accredited exam at the end of the course (or at a later date if preferred).

Sitting the examination

Public Course: Mobius Institute or BINDT
Online Course: Mobius Online Examination

We offer certification that follows ISO 18536-2 and ASNT standards for Mobius, as well as BINDT. It is our policy not to favour one certification institute over the other – use the links above to make your own assessment. The BINDT certification exam price includes postage and packaging of the exam papers, and postage of your printed certificate. Important: If you opt for the BINDT certification you must also complete their Admission Form. This editable form will be sent to students after course registration.

Here you’ll find the BINDT VA syllabus. The MOBIUS certification exam price includes postage and packaging of the exam papers, and postage of your printed certificate. The Mobius exam registration is completed by each student once they are logged into their Mobius online portal. This login also gives access to the online pre-study portal.

What can I study online?

We are pleased to offer the following online training courses and learning solutions that include community-based digital support and personal instructor mentoring. You can learn at your own pace, with assistance from an instructor, and optionally take the exam at the end of the course.

• Vibration Analysis: CAT-I, CAT-II, CAT-III and CAT-IV
• Asset Reliability Practitioner (ARP): Advocate, Engineer and Leader
• iLearnReliability CM
• iLearnReliability Professional
• iLearnReliability Enterprise

Distance learning benefits

If the high cost of travel and accommodation, and the time away from your family and work has stopped you from receiving the training that you need, then you should consider our distance learning courses.

At a time that is convenient to you, and at a pace that works best for you, you can take our lessons and learn in a very similar way to attendees of our classroom courses. Depending upon the course, you can either view fully narrated slides, or you can watch a video of the class in action.

Narrated slides

Utilizing the popular iLearnVibration and iLearnAlignment products, we offer distance learning courses where you can view the lessons at your own page, in your own time, and get assistance from an instructor when any questions arise. Of course, you can just buy the products and learn at your own pace without assistance, but you are sure to benefit from interaction with the instructor. In certain courses, you can also interact with other students.

Video lessons

These are not noisy, unprofessional videos taken from actual classrooms, each video was carefully created and edited so that you receive the full benefit. As you can see in this sample, you see the instructor talking and you see the slides (and simulators) being used in high resolution. All you need is a good Internet connection and a good monitor (1024×768 or better) and you will be ready to start learning. You can pause and rewind the video so that you can see and hear the instructor cover the topic again.

In addition to the lessons, hands-on videos are presented where a variety of vibration analyzers are used to perform a range of tests. The tests include demonstrations of averaging (linear, rms, and peak hold), bump tests, run up and coast down tests, simple ODS tests, bearing fault detection tests, phase analysis, live spectrum analysis, time waveform analysis, and more.

You can also perform activities defined by the instructor, and take quizzes that will be reviewed by the instructor.

This is a great way to learn. The convenience of learning from home, and the reduced costs associated with travel, meals and accommodation make this a very attractive option – especially while the world’s economy is still recovering.

Updated (02/11/2021)

1. The registration form must be completed and returned to confirm a place on the course. A valid email address must be supplied for each candidate.
2. Bookings are taken on a first come, first served basis, and must be received prior to attending the course.
3. If you are an existing customer then a valid purchase order must accompany the registration form. Please add the po number to the registration form and send the PO to [email protected].
4. If you are a new customer then payment will need to be made on receipt of the invoice. For credit card payments, add your card details to the registration form, or if you prefer, call the accounts department on +44 (0)1206 791917. Please note that in accordance with UK law, there are no processing fees for using personal credit or debit cards. If you are paying with a commercial credit or debit card the processing fee is currently 2.5%.
5. Any cancellations would need to be received at least four weeks before the start of the course, (so we have enough time to offer the place to someone else) otherwise a cancellation fee of half the course costs would be payable. Cancellations need to be confirmed in writing or by email.
6. Notification of a change of candidate or change of course would need to be received at least two weeks before the start of the course. An admin fee of £ 100.00 per candidate will be charged. Any changes need to be notified to us in writing or by email.
7. If a candidate does not attend the course and we have not been notified in advance or we are given less than 1 weeks’ notice, then the full course fee would be payable.

Languages

We would assume that as the course and exam are delivered in English, your level of spoken and written English is sufficient for you to be able to attend the course and take the exam. If English is not your first language we can apply for extra time in advance of the course. Please notify us as soon as possible if there is any other reason why you need extra time in the exam (eg. Dyslexia), so we can see if we can arrange extra time for you in the exam. The exam body will need to be contacted to arrange this.

Pricing & VAT

Prices listed are exclusive of UK VAT, currently at 20%. This applies to all training courses conducted in the UK. Please contact the Training team on +44 (0)1206 791917 if you have any queries.

Training Coordinator

Wendy Whittle
[email protected]

General enquiries

Training Team
[email protected]

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MIBoC or BINDT examinations can be taken as part of an Instructor-led course. Self-paced online courses are currently MIBoC only. Full details can be found here.

The CAT I course price can be seen in blue at the top of the page. Depending on the options chosen the final price is then calculated. More information about the other VA levels: CAT II, CAT III and CAT IV can be found on the Vibration Analysis Courses page.

It is our policy not to make recommendations. We recommend reviewing each exam body in turn. Both Mobius and BINDT conform to ISO 18436-2 standard.