The Different Types Of Vibration Test Tables And Their Effectiveness

Vibration testing is an important part of every invention. A product that functions well in a specific location but fails to operate in another location is practically useless. To avoid this, manufacturers usually test their products to ensure that they can withstand reasonably stressful conditions. Vibration testing is important because it does not only affect the durability, but it also affects the reliability and performance of the product. Some of the things factored in a vibration test range from intensity to duration, reliability, functionality and design among other factors.

While some of these things can be simulated using applications and software, the need for physical testing will never go away because things such as material weaknesses and manufacturing defects can only be tested after the manufacturing process is over. The increase in demand for consumer electronics has also seen better alternative testing pieces of equipment such as vibration test tables become popular in the market. The available vibration table systems include electrodynamic shakers, hydraulic shakers, and mechanical shakers.

Electrodynamic shakers (ED): The ED shakers use an electromagnet driven armature that is wrapped in coils, which act against the magnet at the base of the shaker. When activated, the coils force the test fixture and armature upwards at the desired test rate. The design of the ED shakers allows them to be used in a large variety of testing profiles that range from 0 to 3000Hz. The electrodynamic shakers are ideal for testing objects that weigh less than 100lbs. They are also popular because they offer higher frequencies than the mechanical and hydraulic shakers, which allow them to accurately test electronic components and boards with resonant frequencies.

Hydraulic Shakers: The hydraulic test tables are designed around a hydraulic piston to handle the basic frequencies necessary for a prediction testing. Unlike the electronic shakers that use an electromagnetic armature, the hydraulic tables are designed to test objects with higher force potential of up to several hundred pounds. However, since hydraulic systems are designed for bigger loads, they cannot reach the high frequencies of between 300 and 500Hz necessary to test smaller electronics and equipment.

Mechanical Shakers: The mechanical shakers are built to design a wide range of components used in the device as well as the device as a whole. The mechanical systems grade tests as either pass or fail and can provide a detailed side-by-side comparison of several design concepts as well as provide a comparison to a recognized baseline. The systems are composed of a suspended ridged test platform that is controlled by a computer system, a variable speed control or a customizable test profile. They are useful in determining the integrity of an object during the early and mid design stages.

Conclusion

To determine the ideal test system, you should take into consideration the variables that define the parameters of the vibration test and the individual needs of your object.