Vibration Testing Fixtures The Vibration Testing Blindspot: Tony Araujo - Paragon Systems Testing

Vibration Testing
Fixtures
The Vibration Testing

Blindspot
Tony Araujo – Paragon Systems Testing

August 2, 2021
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Agenda
• Why do we perform vibration testing?
• What do we need to perform a vibration test?
• ISO 17025 definition of “Equipment”
• Can a vibration fixture affect a vibration test
result?
• The vibration fixture blind spot
• Conclusions
• Questions/Comments
4
Why Do We Perform
Vibration Testing?
“The vibration test is
designed to simulate the
vibration damage that the
DUT will experience during
its life time.”*
*Hunter, N.F., “Vibration Testing – Reviewing the

State of The Art-Prospects and Challenges”,
Proceedings of the SD 2000 Conference LA-UR-99-
3413 06/23/99
5
Why Do We Perform Vibration Testing?
 Engineering development
 Component selection
 Design verification
 Failure modes
 Reliability qualification
 Warranty
 Recalls
 Liability
6
What’s Required to Perform a Vibration Test?
• Actuator
• Produces mechanical oscillation
• Power Amplifier
• Supplies electrical energy to drive the shaker
• Accelerometer
• Measures the output from the shaker
• Controller
• Takes accelerometer signal and regulates output from
amplifier
• Vibration Fixture
• Attaches DUT to shaker
7
What’s Required to Perform a Vibration Test?
• Test method
• What is the test environment?
• Tolerances?
• The device which requires a vibration test
(DUT)
8
ISO 17025 Definition of “Equipment”
 6.4.1 The laboratory shall have access to
equipment (including, but not limited to,
measuring instruments, software,
measurement standards, reference materials,
that is required for the correct performance of
laboratory activities and that can influence
the results.
9
 In the vibration testing context what can

“influence results” is commonly interpreted to
mean
 Controller accuracy
 Accelerometer accuracy
10
 6.4.4 The laboratory shall verify that
equipment conforms to specified
requirements before being placed or returned
into service.
 6.4.5 The equipment used for measurement
shall be capable of achieving the
measurement accuracy and/or measurement
uncertainty required to provide a valid result
11
ISO 17025 Definition of
“Equipment” 1
What “specified requirements” 0.1
or “measurement accuracy” are
PSD (g²/Hz)
we trying to achieve? 0.01
 Typically +/- 3dB allowing for 0.001
the instrument error*

0.0001
10 100 1000
*IEC 60068-2-64 Part 2, Environmental Testing, Test Frequency (Hz)
Fh: Vibration, broad-band random (digital control)
and guidance, Section 4.3.4 Vibration Tolerance
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ISO 17025 Definition of
“Equipment”
Frequently confirmation of the
+/- 3dB tolerance is interpreted
as having being achieved if the
vibration test level is within this
tolerance on the shaker test
surface
13
IEC 60068-2-64 Environmental Testing Part 2

Test Fh: Vibration, broad-band (digital control)
and guidance
 The required characteristics apply to the

complete vibration system, which includes
the power amplifier, vibrator, test fixture,
specimen and control system when loaded for
testing.
14
Can a vibration fixture affect a vibration test?
 Absolutely!
 All vibration energy enters the DUT through the
vibration fixture.
 Depending on the fixture resonant performance or the
vibration control method used, the DUT can be tested
well outside of the control profile tolerance.
 The DUT “shall be mechanically connected to the mounting
surface either directly or by means of a rigid test fixture…
or as stated in the relevant specification.”*
*IEC 60068-2-47 Tests – Mounting of specimens for Vibration, Impact and
Similar Dynamic Tests, Section 6 Mounting, where the specimen is
equipment and other articles.
15
Can a vibration fixture
affect a vibration test?
Vibration fixture experiment
DUT
4U Rackmount chassis (19” rack)
Test Profile
ISO 16750-3 Test IV – Passenger Car, Sprung
Masses (Vehicle Body) reduced to -6 dB (10
Hz to 1,000 Hz) to 1.5grms;
Z-axis only tested for brevity
Vibration Monitoring Locations
External - Vibration table surface, DUT
Mounting Flange,
Internal - HDD and Power Supply
16
DUT Mounting Methods
1. Simple sandwich clamp to
vibration table surface (Condition 1)
2. Qualified vibration fixture
simulating actual DUT installation
method Condition 2A & 2B)
17
DUT Mounting Methods
1. Simple sandwich clamp to vibration
table surface (Condition 1)
2. Qualified vibration fixture
simulating actual DUT installation
method Condition 2A & 2B)
18
Control Strategies
1. Accelerometer mounted to
vibration table surface (Condition
1 & 2A)
Vibration
2. Multi-point averaging with Table Surface
accelerometers mounted to vibration
table surface + mounting flange of
DUT (Condition 2B)
19
Vibration fixture experiment DUT Mounting
Flange
Control Strategies
1. Accelerometer mounted to vibration
table surface (Condition 1 & 2A)
2. Multi-point averaging with
Vibration
accelerometers mounted to Table Surface
vibration table surface +
mounting flange of DUT
(Condition 2B)
20
Experiment Setup
(Fixtured)
21
Vibration fixture resonant
performance 6.0
• Control on vibration table 5.0 Control (g)
Acceleration (g)
surface; fixture monitored 4.0 Fixture (g)
adjacent to flange mount. 3.0

• 0.5g sine sweep
2.0
• Two resonances evident, one
1.0
at 444 Hz and a second at
489 Hz. 0.0
10 100 1000
• Presence of a third resonance
just beyond 1,000 Hz Frequency (Hz)
22
Test Condition 1
• DUT ‘sandwich” clamped

to vibration table surface Flange
• Does not reflect design

intent mounting
• Control on vibration table
Control
surface
23
Test Condition 1
Results 10
HDD
1 Power Supply
Tolerance bands at +/- 3dB
0.1
PSD (g²/Hz)
0.01
0.001
0.0001
0.00001
10 100 1000
Frequency (Hz)
24
Test Condition 2A
• DUT attached to vibration

fixture using chassis
Flange
flanges
Control
• Design intent mounting
• Control on vibration table
surface
25
Test Condition 2A
Results 10
HDD
1 Power Supply
Tolerance bands at +/- 3dB 0.1
PSD (g²/Hz)
0.01
0.001
0.0001
0.00001
10 100 1000
Frequency (Hz)
26
Test Condition 2B
• DUT attached to vibration

fixture using chassis Flange &
flanges Control
Averaged
• Design intent mounting
• Control averaged between
vibration table surface and
mounting flange
27
Test Condition 2B
Results 10
Tolerance bands at +/- 3dB 0.1
PSD (g²/Hz)
0.01
0.001
0.0001
0.00001
10 100 1000
Frequency (Hz)
28
10
PSD (g²/Hz)
0.1
Internal results on the
0.001
HDD and Power Supply 0.00001
appear similar, but are 10 100
Frequency (Hz)
1000
they? Condition 2A
10
PSD (g²/Hz)
10
PSD (g²/Hz)
0.1
0.1
0.001 0.001
0.00001 0.00001
10 100 1000 10 100 1000
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)
Condition 1 Condition 2B
29
External results
(Mounting Flange and
Vibration Table Location
(Overall grms)
surface) appear even
Test Mounting
closer together Condition
Control
Flange
1 1.5 1.5
Regardless of mounting method
2A 1.5 1.5
the overall grms (area under
2B 1.5 1.5
the PSD curve) for the Control
location is the same as the
Mounting Flange location??
30
Test level at the 10

Mounting Flange
1 Condition 1
Condition 2A
Even though all three 0.1 Condition 2B
PSD (g²/Hz)
mounting methods have the
0.01
same overall grms level (area
under the PSD curve), 0.001
noticeable out-of-tolerance 0.0001

conditions are evident for
Condition 1 and 2A 0.00001
10 100 1000
Frequency (Hz)
31
Test level at the

0.01
Mounting Flange
Condition 1 – Sandwich 0.001
PSD (g²/Hz)
Clamp w/Table Control
- Out of tolerance
Condition 2A – Fixture 0.0001 Condition 1
mount w/Table Control Condition 2A
Condition 2B
- Out of tolerance
Condition 2B - Fixture 0.00001
100 1000
mount w/Multi-point avg. Frequency (Hz)
Control
- In tolerance
32
What’s happening inside of the DUT?
Location
Test PSD In
HDD Power Supply
Condition Tolerance?
Overall grms %* Overall grms %*

1 NO 5.5 -5.2 2.6 -21.2
2A NO 4.5 -22.4 4.4 +33.3
2B YES 5.8 N/A 3.3 N/A
*% over or under the grms value for Test Condition 2B
33
What’s happening inside of the DUT?
Test PSD In
HDD
Condition Tolerance?
(Peak g2/Hz %*
at 20 Hz)
1 NO 7.1 97.2
2A NO 3.4 5.5
2B YES 3.6 N/A
*% over or under the peak g2/Hz value at 20 Hz for Test Condition 2B
34
The Vibration Fixture
Blind Spot
 Equipment that can

“influence results” is
commonly understood to
mean
 Controller accuracy
 Accelerometer accuracy
 The vibration fixture can
also significantly influence
test results
35
The Vibration Fixture Blind Spot
 Equipment must conform to specified requirements and

be capable of achieving measurement accuracy to
provide a valid result
 Typically +/- 3dB allowing for the instrument error
 The vibration fixture can significantly influence test
results
36
The Vibration Fixture Blind Spot
IEC 60068-2-47 Tests – Mounting of specimens for vibration,

impact and similar dynamic tests
 The purpose of a vibration fixture is:
“… to transmit faithfully the mechanical stimulation from the

test apparatus to the specimen, and to ensure that the
specification requirements can be met at the fixing points of the
specimen”
37
Blind Spot
Consider how we normally
perform a high temperature
exposure test on electronic
components
Tolerance: 120C +/-2C
38
Blind Spot
 Can we achieve + at the

fixing points?/- 3dB
And…
 Is the vibration energy
entering the DUT in the
manner the DUT was
intended to receive it?
39
Blind Spot
Then consider…
Tolerance: 120C +/-2C
Will this approach influence

results?
40
Conclusions
 The laboratory should consider the method of
attachment of the DUT to the shaker when planning a
vibration test
 The DUT attachment method should be representative
of the manner the DUT is designed to receive vibration
unless the specification specifies otherwise
 The dynamic performance of the attachment method
can influence the control strategy employed
41
Conclusions
 Vibration fixtures correspond with the ISO 17025
definition of equipment, accordingly…
The laboratory must treat the attachment method of

the DUT in the same manner as all other equipment
42
Questions?
Tony Araujo
Vice President – Business Development
Paragon Systems Testing
tonya@paragonsystems.ca
43
Contact Us
Thank You! Contact Us
A2LA
5202 Presidents Court, Suite 220
Frederick, MD 21703
301 644 3248 Main

301 662 2974 Fax
info@A2LA.org
www.A2LA.org
44
 2021 by A2LA
All rights reserved. No part of this document
may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without the prior written permission of A2LA.
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Vibration Testing

The Vibration Testing

Tony Araujo – Paragon Systems Testing

*Hunter, N.F., “Vibration Testing – Reviewing the

 In the vibration testing context what can

What “specified requirements” 0.1

or “measurement accuracy” are

 Typically +/- 3dB allowing for 0.001

the instrument error*

IEC 60068-2-64 Environmental Testing Part 2

 The required characteristics apply to the

• Control on vibration table 5.0 Control (g)

adjacent to flange mount. 3.0

• DUT ‘sandwich” clamped

• Does not reflect design

• DUT attached to vibration

Tolerance bands at +/- 3dB 0.1

• DUT attached to vibration

Tolerance bands at +/- 3dB 0.1

Test level at the 10

noticeable out-of-tolerance 0.0001

Test level at the

What’s happening inside of the DUT?

Overall grms %* Overall grms %*

What’s happening inside of the DUT?

 Equipment that can

 Equipment must conform to specified requirements and

IEC 60068-2-47 Tests – Mounting of specimens for vibration,

 The purpose of a vibration fixture is:

“… to transmit faithfully the mechanical stimulation from the

Tolerance: 120C +/-2C

 Can we achieve + at the

Tolerance: 120C +/-2C

Will this approach influence

The laboratory must treat the attachment method of

301 644 3248 Main

A Better World Through Accreditation

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