Metrix VM2800, VibraCheck II, VM3800, VibraCheck Limited Installation Manual

MODEL VM2800 & VM3800

VibraCheck Limited and
VibraCheck II Vibration Meter

Installation Manual MN100003

M

E

T

R

IX

Experience Value

8824 Fallbrook Dr.
Houston, TX 77064, USA
Tel: [phone]
After Hours Technical Assistance: 1-713-452-9703
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.metrixvibration.com

MN100003 REV A (12/07/10)

Welcome ................................................................................................................3

What is in the box? ................................................................................................4

Specifi cations for VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II: ....................................5

General Layout of the VibraCheck II: ....................................................................6

Inside the VibraCheck Limited & VibraCheck II: ...................................................7

VibraCheck II Quick Guide: ...................................................................................9

Display of the VibraCheck II: ...............................................................................10

Operation of the VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II: ....................................12

Using your VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II: .............................................16

Vibration level defi nitions: ....................................................................................17

Setting the Units on your VibraCheck Limited & VibraCheck II ...........................18

Sensitivity adjustment: .........................................................................................19

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Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of the VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II Vibration Meter. This
instrument is built with pride and has features that you will fi nd useful in your measurements. This
manual will provide you with all the information you require to get the greatest benefi t from your
measurement system.

Engineers, technicians and maintenance personnel will fi nd that the VibraCheck Limited or
VibraCheck II is intuitive, has an easy to use keypad and is invaluable for route collection, and for
vibration measurements.

System Contents

Your system includes this manual, the VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II Meter, 9 Volt battery,
accelerometer with coiled cable, and a hard carrying case.

Quality Control - Calibration

Your system has been calibrated to the highest standards.
The VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II has been designed to be rugged and durable for

harsh environments. This instrument has rubber seals to protect it from splash and oil in harsh
environments.

The VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II is calibrated at the factory to ensure that the measurement
you are making is accurate and repeatable. It is recommended that your meter be verifi ed at least
once per year for accuracy.

Using This Manual

In this manual you will fi nd information for using the various features of the VibraCheck Limited or
VibraCheck II. Once you become familiar with the system, you will only need to refer occasionally
to this manual for specifi cations or to certain aspects of operation.

Help

Metrix wants to help you get the most from your system. If there is anything else we can do, please
feel free to call or Email us.

Telephone: [phone]
For Purchase orders; email to [e-mail] or fax to 713-559-9417
For Quotes or Technical Assistance [e-mail] or fax to 713-559-9421
For Issues or Comments - email to [e-mail] (Customer Service)
Service Department- service@metrixvibration.
Or you can visit our website at:
The website is the fi rst place to look for product updates, application notes, or technical tips.

MN100003 REV A (12/07/10)

www.metrixvibration.com

ICP is a registered trademark of PCB electronics.

Page 3

What is in the box?

The VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II measurement kit comes standard with the following
items:

Fig A. 1 ea. VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II
Fig. B. 1 ea. 9 Volt Battery
Fig. C. 1 ea. G-Spike probe and magnetic base
Fig. D. 1 ea. Coiled Accelerometer cable
Fig. E. 1 ea. Accelerometer 100 mV/ g 50 g range.
Fig. F. 1 ea. High strength magnetic base for
Accelerometer
Fig. H. 1 ea. Calibration certifi cate
Fig. I. 1 ea. Molded plastic carrying case

VibraCheck Limited or

VibraCheck II

Fig. A

9 Volt Battery

Fig B

Coiled Accelerometer cable

Fig. D

G-Spike

Fig C

Options:

Fig J 1 ea. Headset
with cable

Accelerometer with detachable

magnetic base

Fig. E, F

Molded plastic carrying case

Fig. I

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Specifi cations for VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II:

Displacement 0- 1999 um, p-p (10 1 kHz BP) (0.00 - 78.7 mil)
Velocity

0.0 – 1999.9 mm/s, 0-p (10-1 kHz, ISO 2954) (0.00 –

7.87 in/ sec)

Acceleration 0.00 – 19.99 g, rms (10 Hz HP)
Bearing Condition

0.0 – 199.9 mm/s (0-p), 500 Hz- 2 kHz) (0.00 – 7.87
in/sec.)

Accuracy 5% (10 – 10 kHz)
Temperature Rating -10°C to +69°C
Battery Indicator Low / 25%, 50%, 75%, Full, graphical indicator
Sensor bias indicator Normal/ Open/Short, graphical indicator
Back light LED back light, auto off
Sensor Sensitivity 100 mV/g +- 30% adjustable
Housing rating IP 65, with EMI protection
AC output 2.8V
Power supply 9V alkaline battery (approx. 30 Hours operation)
Auto power off 5 minutes after pressing any key
Display 120 x 32 graphic mode LCD
Size 180 x 92 x 32 mm (7.1 x 3.6 x 1.2 in.)
Weight 300 grams (including battery)
Hold function Freezes the display
Average function Display the averaged value of the last 10 data points
Peak hold function Displays the maximum value

Gain

X10, increases the reading precision by 1 decimal
place.

Displacement w/ Gain 0.00 – 199.9 um, p – p, (0.00 – 7.87 mil)
Velocity w/ Gain 0.00 – 19.99 mm/s, 0-p (0.000 – 0.787 in/s)
Acceleration w/ gain 0.00 – 1.999 g, rms
**Memory Up to 1000 points can be stored
**Review function Recall and display the saved data

** VibraCheck Limited

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General Layout of the VibraCheck II:

Headphone Jack

Alpha numeric LCD display

Accelerometer input ICP
type only.

9 Volt battery

Keypad

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Inside the VibraCheck Limited & VibraCheck II:

The VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II comes equipped with the highest quality components for accurate
and repeatable vibration measurements. In the next sections, we will discuss how measurements are detected,
fi lters and the reasons for having them.

How is the vibration values measured? Internally, a (RMS) Root Mean Square detector is used to process the
vibration signals. Peak to peak values are computed directly from this RMS value. One of the nice features of
the VibraCheck and VibraCheck II is the ability of the user to select the desired units for measurement, ie. RMS
or Peak to Peak (p-p) for example. Because the VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II has smart features, the
user can make vibration measurements using their favorite unit of choice.

Filters: Each VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II has built in fi lters to condition a vibration signal. A
vibration signal whose frequencies are not within the fi lter range will result in null reading or decreased values.

Acceleration: 10 Hz, High Pass fi lter

Velocity: 10 – 1KHz, Band Pass fi lter (conforming to the ISO2954 Standard)

Bearing Condition: 500 Hz to 2 kHz Band Pass Filter

Displacement: 10 – 1KHz, Band Pass fi lter (conforming to the ISO2954 Standard)

Note that the fi lters are forth order, -24dB/Octave roll-off.

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Typical high pass fi lter

Typical band pass fi lter

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VibraCheck II Quick Guide:

To begin:

1. Press and hold the on/ off button for 4 seconds. Press
the on/ off button again to illuminate the display.

2. Connect accelerometer and headphone or optional
thermometer if desired.

3. Select desired test you wish to make; Displacement,
Velocity or Acceleration.

4. You may also choose in addition other functions such as
hold. This “freezes” the display until the hold is pressed
again. Gain will increase the resolution by one decimal
place. Avg./ PK (peak) allows you to select either A verage
or Peak. Selecting Average will slow the display by only
displaying average of the last 10 readings. Peak displays
only the highest peak value. BRG (bearing) is a high
pass fi lter that fi lters values below 500 Hz. This means
that you will not see anything on the display below 500
Hz bandwidth.*

Note: Hold, Gain, Avg/ Pk, and BRG are used with the
test mode selected: disp, vel, or accel.

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Display of the VibraCheck II:

1. Bias Indicator status:
OK-

2. Numerical value of the
vibration level

3. Vibration units and
method of detection

4. Battery Indicator

Open­Short-

5. Hold, Gain,

Average or Peak and

memory review modes –
V=Pod II only

6. Storage location label for point storage or
route based data collection storage- V-Pod II

7. Stored data indicator
V-Pod II only

only

1. Bias Indicator: The Bias indicator is located on the left side of the display. The VibraCheck Limited and

VibraCheck II continuously monitors the bias condition of the ICP accelerometer and indicates the status on the
display. There are 3 conditions: OK, High and Low.

OK

High

OK: ICP bias is in the normal range, everything is working correctly including the cable.
High: Usually the sensor or cabling is not connected to the meter.
Low: The ICP circuit is shorted. Check the cabling immediately.

 Caution: Do not operate the meter when you observe a high or low bias condition. Inspect and replace as
required.

Low

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2. Numerical Value of the vibration level: This is where the vibraiton levels are displayed for the function you

have selected. For example, you may have selected hold to “freeze” the numerical display.

3. Vibration units and method of detection: Availalbe units for each selection:

Displacement: um (P-P), Mil (P-P)
Velocity: mm/s (0-P), mm/s (RMS), in/s (0-P), in./s (RMS)

2

Acceleration: g (RMS), g (0-P), m/s

(RMS), m/s2 (0-P)

4. Battery Indicator: The battery indicator is located on the right side of the display, illustrating the battery

condition. Change the battery immediately if you observe a low condition.

Full

75%
Full

50%
Full

25%
Full

Low
battery

Battery Installation: The VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II is powered by a 9V alkaline battery. When
installing the battery, use a screwdriver to remove the batery compartment cover. After installation, attach the
cover by fastening the screws with correct torque, since the housing of the VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck
II is IP 65 rated.

Note: The VibraCheck II has a built in non-volitle EEPROM that will keep your saved data in memory even if
you change the battery.

 Caution: It is recommended to remove the battery from the vibration meter when it will not be in operation
for long periods of time. Alkaline batterys will provide the best performance. Operating the meter in low battery
conditions is not advised since the meter accuracy can be degraded.

5. Hold , Gain, Average or Peak and memory review modes: The V ibraCheck Limited and V ibraCheck II of fer

very useful functions such as Hold, Gain, average and peak readings. These functions are used together with your
selection of displacement, velocity, acceleration and bearing.

V ibraCheck II only: The memory review has 3 modes: Review : points saved, Review: points available. Review:
All

6. Storage location label for point storage or route based data collection storage- VibraCheck II only: The

VibraCheck II can store up to 1000 points. Because the VibraCheck II can be used for route data collection, you
can download via a computer to the VibraCheck II a route that has alpha- numeric labels. This will be discussed
in more detail later. A number will appear, ie. 001, 002, 003 etc. if the memory does not contain a downloaded
route in this area.

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7. Stored data indicator- VibraCheck II only: In the lower right side of the display, when you see a black bar,

indicates a value stored in this location. If this area is left blank, no value is stored at this memory location.

Operation of the VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II:

The VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II vibration meters are simple to use but yet very powerful. Each
function has a distinct purpose and is shown on the display. We will review each function and it’s use in the
following paragraphs.

ON/ OFF: Press and hold the ON/Off button for 4 seconds to turn on
the meter. Pressing the button again will illuminate the display.. The
meter will automatically shut off after 5 minutes of idle. Pressing
any key will cancel the auto shut off for an additional 5 minutes.

Disp: Press the displacement key if you want to measure vibration in
displacement. The display will show the units in either um or mils.

Vel: Press the Velocity key if you want to measure vibration in
velocity. This display will show the units in either Velocity: mm/s
(0-P), mm/s (RMS), in/s (0-P), in./s (RMS)

Accel: Press the Acceleration key if you want to measure vibration
in acceleration. The display will show the units in either g (RMS), g
(0-P), m/s

2

(RMS), m/s2 (0-P).

Hold: Press the hold key to “freeze” or hold the value on the display.
When the hold mold is turned on, a camera icon will appear in the
bottom left of the display. To turn off, press the hold key again.
The hold key can be used together with gain, or average functions.
You may also save the reading to memory by pressing the save key.
(VibraCheck II only)

Application tip: This function is very useful when vibration levels vary. An example would be during startup
of a rotating machine. By pressing hold every 1000 rpm, you can “freeze” the display at each predefi ned rpm
position.

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Gain: Press the gain key to increase the display
Resolution. In this mode, the vibration signal will be amplifi ed
by 10 times. When this mode is turned on, you will observe a
gain icon in the lower left display. To turn off, press the gain key
again.

Application tip: This function is very useful for low level vibration measurement.
For example, the displacement level of a precision machine tool is typically within
1 um peak to peak.

 Caution: When you turn off the gain mode, the reading will take about 5 seconds to stabilize, because the rms

detector requires time to average out the previous signal with gain. When using the gain key, the vibration signal will
be amplifi ed by 10 times to increase the s/n (signal to noise ratio). Also amplifi ed is the dynamic range of the internal
A/D converter. The chart below shows the maximum range readings with and without gain.

Units Range with gain Range without gain

g (rms) 0.001~1.999 0.01~19.99

mm/s (0-p) 0.01~19.99 0.1~199.9

μm (p-p) 0.1~199.9 1~1999

Average/ Peak Hold: Pressing this key once selects the moving average mode.
Pressing this key again, selects the peak hold mode. Pressing this
key a 3rd time will disable this mode.

L Average: In the average mode, the meter calculates the average

value of the last 10 measurements (moving average) and display
the results. This is useful when vibration levels are not stable.
The moving average mode will provide a more stable reading by averaging the
collected data.

L Peak Hold: The meter will display the maximum value

over time. This mode is used to measure the maximum
vibration levels during a transient event. For example, you
may use peak hold to measure the resonance vibration level
during a start up process.

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BRG: Press the bearing key to activate the high pass fi lter. This will
eliminate most frequencies below 500 Hz bandwidth. Therefore you
will NOT see any vibration readings below 500 Hz. **

The Bearing function uses velocity method of measurement. The
available units are mm/s or in/ s. The method of detection available is
B-P or B-R. B-P represents “Bearing – 0-Peak” and B-R represents “Bearing – RMS”.

**Occasionally you may view some readings below 500 Hz, due to the roll off of this internal fi lter, but in general,
the fi lter cutoff is 500 Hz.

Application tip: Measuring the vibration of bearings can be diffi cult because of the excessive vibration
levels at lower frequencies. Use this feature when measuring bearings to eliminate lower frequencies in your
measurement.

PREV and NEXT : The Previous and next keys
are used to change the active memory address.
When the VibraCheck II is initially turned on,
the number in the bottom right hand corner of
the display is the active address of memory.
Pressing the NEXT key will increase the number
of the active address, while pressing the PREV key will decrease the value of the active address. The number
of the address ranges from 000 to 999. You can use these keys to set the correct address when saving data or
reviewing the data.

Pressing once the PREV or NEXT key will increment the stored value by one. When you press and hold the
PREV or NEXT key, you will fast forward or backwards by increments of 10.

Review: There are 3 review modes. Pressing the
review key once will show the review icon in the
lower left corner of the display. Note: You cannot
store data in the review modes.

In Review Mode 1, you may review the points with
no data stored. In Review mode 2, you may review points that has data stored, and in review mode 3: you may
review all points.

 Review mode 1: The fi rst review mode shows a empty square symbol.

This indicates the available location points to save data. In this example,
there are 100 available locations to save data.

 Review Mode 2: By pressing the review key again, you will access the

second review mode. This mode shows a fi led in square symbol. This is an
indication of how many points have been saved.

MN100003 REV A (12/07/10)

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A Review Mode 3: By pressing the review

key again, you will access the third review
mode. This mode shows the letter A along with
either 1K or a number. The number listed is the
number of points on a scheduled route, whereas
the 1K is the default for 1000 available points.

Save: Pressing the save key will overwrite any data stored in a memory location
and automatically advance to the next memory location. If you downloaded a
scheduled route, this next location may be a label vs. a point number ie. 001, 002
etc. Note: You cannot save data in the review mode. The save fl ag left blank
indicates that this memory storage location is empty.

Press and hold the review and save keys at the same time will clear out the
memory.

 Caution: When you press the save key, you can overwrite existing data.

MN100003 REV A (12/07/10)

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Using your VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II:

Sensor Mounting: Each VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II is equipped with
an accelerometer with a high-strength magnetic base and touch spike for sensor
mounting. The accelerometer magnetic mount is capable of a wider frequency
measurement than the spike. The spike is designed for measurement of vibration
signals that range below 1 khz. It is always recommended to use the magnetic
base where applicable. The touch spike is ideal for non-ferrous surfaces or limited
areas.

G-Probe: Changing between the spike and magnetic base is easy during in-fi eld
measurement.

Step 1: Attach the G-Probe as shown to fi t the magnetic base.
Step 2: Turn the G-Probe to the correct position.

Headphones: When collecting data with the VibraCheck II, you may use the
optional headphone to listen to the mechanical noise sensed by the accelerometer.
For an experienced operator, this is a good way to fi nd out the problems of a
machine. For example, when a rolling bearing is damaged, it will generate
certain pattern of noise that can be heard clearly with the headphones. Simply
attach the headphone cable to the 6-pin connector on the VibraCheck II as
illustrated.

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Vibration level defi nitions:

The chart below describes vibration levels for various machine types.

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Setting the Units on your VibraCheck Limited & VibraCheck II:

The default unit system is set at the factory to be: acceleration= g (rms), velocity = mm/sec (0-peak) and
displacement = um (peak-to-peak) respectively . However, you may select your own unit system by the following
steps.

Acceleration:

Press acceleration key to select acceleration measurement.1.

2

Press and hold the acceleration key for 5 seconds, the units g(rms) and g(0-p), m/s2.
(0-P), will appear cyclically. Release the acceleration key when the desired unit appears.

Velocity:

Press velocity key to select velocity measurement.1.
Press and hold the velocity key for 5 seconds, the units mm/s(0-p) mm/s(rms), in/s(0-p) and 2.

in/s(rms) will appear cyclically. Release the velocity key when the desired unit appears.

Displacement:

Press displacement key to select displacement measurement. 1.
Press and hold the displacement key for 5 seconds, the units um(p-p) and mil(p-p) will appear 2.

cyclically. Release the displacement key when the desired unit appears.

(RMS), m/s2

LOnce you have set the desired units, the VibraCheck Limited or VibraCheck II will keep these

settings, unless you change them again.

Sensitivity Adjustment:

Each meter is calibrated at the factory prior to shipment, and it is recommended for best results to return the
product to Metrix to perform calibration.

In the event that in-fi eld adjustments are necessary, the following procedure describes sensitivity calibration.

LSensitivity calibration

Turn the meter on while pressing the acceleration key. Continue to press the key until the data collector beeps 3 (1)
times. At this time, the calibration mode is selected and indicated on the LCD display. Release the acceleration
key.
In the calibration mode, the defi nitions of keypad functions change as follows:(2)
Displacement key: increase the sensitivity (mV/g)
Velocity key: decrease the sensitivity (mV/g)
Acceleration key: save the setting
Set the sensitivity value according to the attached accelerometer using the keys defi ned in (2). Remember to press (3)
the Acceleration key to save your fi nal setting.
Turn the data collector off to complete the calibration process.(4)

MN100003 REV A (12/07/10)

Page 18

 Caution: The VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II accepts ICP* type accelerometers only. The

accelerometer must be 100mV/G +- 30% for proper functionality.

*ICP is a trademark of PCB piezoelectric Inc.

Calibration and factors:

Calibration should be completed by Metrix Instruments or by authorized dealers only.
Calibration of the VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II is performed via a set of gain factors. Each gain factor

is set at the factory prior to shipment.
Factor 1: acceleration = gain x 1 Factor 5: Displacement = gain x 1

Factor 2: acceleration = gain x 10 Factor 6: Displacement = gain x 10
Factor 3: Velocity = gain x 1 Factor 7: Bearing = gain x 1
Factor 4: Velocity = gain x 10 Factor 8: Bearing = gain x 10

Adjusting the Factors:

Turn the data collector on while pressing the acceleration key. Continue to press the key until the data collector
beep 3 times. At this time the calibration mode of accelerometer sensitivity is selected. Continue to press (and
hold) the acceleration key again and wait for 10 seconds. The data collector will beep 3 times again. At this time
the calibration mode of the correcting factors is selected. Release the acceleration key.

Press the “backlit” (on/ off) key to select the correcting factors. The number of correcting factors will appear at
the right hand bottom corner when pressing the backlit key.

Press displacement key to increase the selected correcting factor (%). Press velocity key to decrease the selected
correcting factor (%). Press the acceleration to save the setting.

Turn the data collector off to complete the calibration process.

Calibration procedure

Set all the correcting factors to be 100.0 (%)

Install the accelerometer on a shaker, on which a standard accelerometer is installed. The standard accelerometer
is connected to a standard rms data collector.

Drive the shaker with appropriate sine signal and record the readings of acceleration (x1, x10), velocity (x1, x10)
and displacement (x1, x10) respectively.

Compare the reading with the standard values that derived from the standard accelerometer and data collectors.
Adjust the correcting factors, such that the readings multiplied by the correcting factors will be equal to the
standard values.

DC offset

The calibration for DC offset is not needed because the VibraCheck Limited and VibraCheck II vibration meter
always calibrates the DC offset error automatically when power on.

MN100003 REV A (12/07/10)

Page 19

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

This electronic equipment was manufactured according to high quality stan­dards to ensure safe and reliable operation when used as intended. Due to
its nature, this equipment may contain small quantities of substances known
to be hazardous to the environment or to human health if released into the
environment. For this reason, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(commonly known as WEEE) should never be disposed of in the public
waste stream. The “Crossed-Out Waste Bin” label affi xed to this product is
a reminder to dispose of this product in accordance with local WEEE regu­lations. If you have questions about the disposal process, please contact
Metrix Customer Services.

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