Mechanical Excitation Resource Center

Welcome to the Mechanical Excitation Resource Center!

Below, please find educational materials to aid you in your teaching efforts. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact us. Additions to the site are frequent, please check back for updates!

Newsletters

Sensors and Calibration Newsletter - A monthly resource for sound and vibration technical information.

Presentations

Do's and Don'ts of Excitation Techniques - A presentation on the do's and don'ts of excitation, given by Dr. Pete Avitable at IMAC XXX. Outlined are the basic considerations when impact testing and shaker testing.

Practical Aspects of Shaker Measurements for Modal Testing - A review of practical shaker setup and use. Featured at ISMA 2010.

Shaker Excitation Tutorial - An overview of shaker excitation techniques commonly employed in modal testing.

Excitation Techniques - Hammers and Shakers - A tutorial on two popular excitation techniques for structural testing.

Video Tutorials

Modal Shaker Application Tutorial	Modal Shaker Setup	Packing a Modal Shaker
SmartShaker	SmartShaker Ruler Demo	SmartShaker Car Demo

Technical Papers & Articles

Modal Testing Excitation Guidelines - A recent article featured in Sound & Vibration Magazine that examines the practical aspects of shaker setup and use. 

Impact Hammer Excitation - A classic technical article on impulse testing when using an instrumented impact hammer.

Technical Notes

Frequently Asked Questions about Modal Shakers - Questions and answers about shakers, sensors and amplifiers.

Vibration 101

Fundamentals of Modal Analysis - This application note emphasizes experimental modal techniques, specifically the method known as frequency response function testing.

Shaker/Stinger Effects of Measured Frequency Response Functions - An overview of problems typically encountered during applications using shakers and stingers.

Selection Tutorial

Shaker Selection Guide - A selection guide to help determine if a vibration or modal shaker will best suit a testing application.