Vibration Analysis

Condition-monitoring technique · Updated 2026-06-01

Vibration analysis measures the vibration signature of rotating equipment and decomposes it by frequency to identify faults such as imbalance, misalignment, bearing wear and looseness — often weeks before failure. It is the workhorse technique of predictive maintenance for rotating machines.

How it works

Accelerometers capture the vibration signal, which is transformed (typically via FFT) into a frequency spectrum. Because each fault type excites characteristic frequencies — running speed for imbalance, twice running speed for misalignment, bearing-defect frequencies for bearing wear — the spectrum reveals not just that something is wrong but what and how severe. Trending the signal against a baseline turns a vague 'it sounds rough' into a dated, prioritised work order.

What the data shows

Rising amplitude at running speed points to imbalance; high vibration at twice running speed suggests misalignment; energy at specific bearing-defect frequencies indicates bearing wear; broadband high-frequency noise can mean lubrication problems or, on pumps, cavitation.

Vibration Analysis by equipment

Glossary: Vibration Analysis →