What Is Vibration?
The vibration test is a test in which the specimen is exposed on a shaker to vibration at a defined frequency, amplitude and duration, evaluating structural strength and continuity of function. Sine, random and mixed profiles are used.
Purpose of Vibration
The purpose is to represent, in an accelerated manner, the vibration the product will experience during transport and on its operating platform, and to verify its resistance.
Which Products Is Vibration Applied To?
- Battery cells, modules and packages
- Aerospace avionics units
- Defence and rail equipment
- Marine electronics
- Packaged shipment products
In Which Sectors Is Vibration Used?
Standards Related to Vibration
- IEC 60068-2-6sine vibration test test
- IEC 60068-2-64random vibration test test
- UN 38.3 T.3
- MIL-STD-810 Method 514
- RTCA DO-160 Section 8
- IEC 61373vibration and shock in railway vehicle equipment test
- ISO 16750-3mechanical loads on vehicle equipment test
Vibration Conditions
- Profile
- Sine sweep, random, or sine-on-random; defined in the specification
- UN 38.3 T.3
- Sine sweep from 7 Hz to 200 Hz, three hours per axis
- Axis
- Generally separately in three perpendicular axes
- Time
- Duration per axis as defined in the specification
Equipment for Vibration
- Electrodynamic shaker and power amplifier
- Accelerometers and vibration control system
- Mounting fixture
- Explosion-protected arrangement (in battery tests)
- Function-monitoring system
Sample Requirements for Vibration
- The specimen must be mounted with a fixture representing the actual installation method
- Fixture resonance must lie outside the test band
- The specimen must be fully charged in battery tests
- Function must be checked before and after the test
Duration of Vibration
Owing to the defined duration per axis and three axes, the total duration is generally several days.
Vibration Procedure
- 1The specimen is mounted on the fixture and accelerometers are placed.
- 2A resonance search is performed to identify critical frequencies.
- 3The specification profile is loaded and control is verified.
- 4Vibration is applied for the defined duration in each axis.
- 5Function and physical condition are checked during and after the test.
- 6Voltage and temperature are monitored in battery tests.
Vibration Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is defined in the specification: no structural damage, no loosening of connections, and continuity of function. In battery tests, the absence of leakage, fire and explosion is also required.
Evaluation of Results
The pre- and post-test resonance searches are compared; a frequency shift indicates structural loosening. Visual inspection and the function test are evaluated together.
Vibration Report
- Applied standard and profile
- Frequency range, amplitude/PSD and duration
- Axis information and fixture description
- Resonance search results
- Function status and visual inspection
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- UN 38.3 (battery transport)
- UNECE R100
- Aerospace and rail equipment requirements
Aerospace Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Vibration test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Aerospace testing shows that equipment keeps working in the flight environment and provides evidence for the airworthiness file. In this family the acceptable probability of failure is several orders of magnitude lower than in other sectors; this directly determines the scope of testing and the certification burden.
The most distinctive feature of the field is TRACEABILITY. Which melt an aircraft part came from, in which heat treatment furnace and with which cycle it was processed, which operator made the weld and which inspector approved it are all recorded. The test report is one link in this chain; if the chain is broken, the report carries no value on its own.
Environmental qualification runs through RTCA DO-160, with categories selected according to the equipment's MOUNTING LOCATION in the aircraft. A device mounted on the cockpit panel and one mounted inside the wing pass the same section under different categories. When reading a DO-160 report it is therefore essential to know which sections were applied at which categories.
On the software and complex hardware side the approach changes entirely: the evidence is not testing but PROCESS ASSURANCE. DO-178C for software and DO-254 for complex electronic hardware define how the development process is to be run and which evidence is to be produced. Every step, from requirement to code, from testing of the code to coverage analysis, must be traceable. Testing software does not make it certifiable; the process record does.
A separate body of work applies on the material and special process side. AWS D17.1 is used for welding, SAE AMS 2750 for pyrometry in heat treatment and NAS 410 for non-destructive testing personnel. For special processes (heat treatment, coating, welding, NDT, bonding) NADCAP accreditation is effectively mandatory in the supply chain; without NADCAP it is not possible to sell parts to many OEMs.
On the quality system side the AS/EN 9100 series is used: 9100 for manufacturers, 9110 for maintenance organisations and 9120 for distributors. Without these certificates it is practically impossible to enter the aerospace supply chain, and audits are markedly more detailed than in other sectors.
Counterfeit part risk is a subject peculiar to the field. Separate standards and verification methods (visual inspection, X-ray, decapsulation and internal structure examination, XRF) are used to detect counterfeit or reworked parts in the electronic component supply chain.
Space applications add further layers: outgassing in vacuum, radiation tolerance, long-duration thermal vacuum cycling and assessment of single event effects.
Method groups in this field
Environmental qualification
RTCA DO-160 sections: temperature and altitude, vibration, shock, humidity, sand and dust, fungus, salt fog, fluid susceptibility, icing, lightning.
Electromagnetic
The EMC sections of DO-160; MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-704 power characteristics on military platforms.
Software and hardware assurance
DO-178C software life cycle and DO-254 hardware design assurance evidence; requirement traceability and coverage analysis.
Materials and welding
Welding qualification under AWS D17.1, mechanical testing of materials, metallography and non-destructive examination.
Special process control
SAE AMS 2750 pyrometry, coating and heat treatment process verification, preparation for NADCAP audits.
Space environment
Thermal vacuum cycling, outgassing, radiation tolerance and acoustic/vibration qualification.
Commonly confused in this field
- There is no such document as a "DO-160 certificate"; DO-160 is a test specification and its output is a qualification report.
- The selection of sections and categories comes from the customer's equipment specification; the laboratory cannot make that selection on its own.
- DO-178C and DO-254 cannot be satisfied by testing; the evidence is the traceability of the development process.
- An AS9100 certificate is not a product approval; it is a quality system certificate and part approval runs separately.
- For special processes, work carried out without NADCAP is not accepted in the supply chain even when it is technically correct.
- MIL-STD-810 and DO-160 are often confused: one is a military and the other a civil aviation specification, and their profiles differ.
Which decisions these results support
- Airworthiness and TSO/ETSO files
- Entry into the aerospace supply chain and supplier approval
- Special process approval and NADCAP preparation
- Determining the impact of a design change on qualification
- Managing counterfeit part risk and component verification
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Vibration
According to which standard is Vibration made?
Vibration is executed in scope IEC 60068-2-6, IEC 60068-2-64, UN 38.3 T.3, MIL-STD-810 Method 514, RTCA DO-160 Section 8, IEC 61373 and ISO 16750-3. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.
Which products does Vibration apply to?
Mainly applied to Battery cells, modules and packages, Aerospace avionics units, Defence and rail equipment, Marine electronics and Packaged shipment products. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.
Under what conditions is Vibration done?
The determining parameters are: Profile — Sine sweep, random, or sine-on-random; defined in the specification, UN 38.3 T.3 — Sine sweep from 7 Hz to 200 Hz, three hours per axis and Axis — Generally separately in three perpendicular axes. The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.
What kind of sample is needed for Vibration?
The specimen must be mounted with a fixture representing the actual installation method, Fixture resonance must lie outside the test band and The specimen must be fully charged in battery tests. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.
How long does Vibration take?
Owing to the defined duration per axis and three axes, the total duration is generally several days. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.
What is the Vibration result called "appropriate"?
The acceptance criterion is defined in the specification: no structural damage, no loosening of connections, and continuity of function. In battery tests, the absence of leakage, fire and explosion is also required.