PCE Instruments PCE-VM 25 Users guide

© PCE Instruments

User Manual

VIBRATION METER

PCE-VM 25

EN

Version 1.0

PCE Instruments contact information

Germany France

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Faks: 0212 705 53 93 Tel: [phone]
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Contents

Contents
English 4

1. Purpose .........................................................................................................................................................4

2. Function ........................................................................................................................................................4

2.1. The Vibration Sensor ..................................................................................................................................4

2.2. The Measuring Instrument .........................................................................................................................4

3. Measuring Ranges ........................................................................................................................................5

3.1. Measurable Vibration Quantities ................................................................................................................5

3.2. Vibration Acceleration.................................................................................................................................5

.3. Vibration Velocity ..........................................................................................................................................6

3.4. Vibration Displacement ..............................................................................................................................7

3.5. Rolling Bearing Parameters K(t) ................................................................................................................9

3.6. Rotational Speed ........................................................................................................................................9

3.7. T emperature ................................. ..............................................................................................................9

4. The Batteries ...............................................................................................................................................10

4.1. Inserting the Batteries ..............................................................................................................................10

4.2. Switching On and Off ...............................................................................................................................10

4.3. Battery Display and Battery Type .............................................................................................................11

4.4. Shut-off Timer ...........................................................................................................................................11

5. Preparation of Measuring Points .................................................................................................................12

5.1. General Information on Measurement Point Choice ................................................................................12

5.2. ISO 10816-1 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................12

5.3. VMID Measurement Point ........................................................................................................................13

5.3.1. How the VMID Measurement Point Functions ......................................................................................13

5.3.2. Mounting the VMID Measurement Point ...............................................................................................13

6. Measurement ..............................................................................................................................................13

6.1. Measurement Value Display.....................................................................................................................13

6.2. Selecting the Display Quantity .................................................................................................................14

6.3. Measurement Point Detection ..................................................................................................................14

6.3.1. Reading the VMID Data with the PCE-VM 25 .......................................................................................14

6.3.2. Entering the Measurement Point Text ...................................................................................................15

6.3.3. Editing and Deleting Measurement Point Data .....................................................................................16

6.4. Saving Measurands .................................................................................................................................16

6.6. Viewing Saved Measurement Values .......................................................................................................17

6.7. Deleting Saved Measurement Data .........................................................................................................18

6.8. K(t) Measurement ....................................................................................................................................18

6.9. Frequency Analysis ..................................................................................................................................20

6.9.1. Settings .................................................................................................................................................20

6.9.2. FFT Memory ..........................................................................................................................................22

6.10. Rotation Speed Measurement ...............................................................................................................22

6.11. Temperature Measurement ....................................................................................................................24

7. Measurement Evaluation with Standard Values ..........................................................................................25

8. Setting the Date and Time ...........................................................................................................................27

9. Calibration ...................................................................................................................................................27

10. Sensor Check ............................................................................................................................................29

11. Headphone Output .................................................................................................................................... 29

12. Reset Key ..................................................................................................................................................30

13. Connection to a PC ...................................................................................................................................30

14. Firmware Update .......................................................................................................................................30

15. Specications ............................................................................................................................................32

16. Declaration of conformity ..........................................................................................................................34

Contents

English

English

1. Purpose

The PCE-VM 25 has been developed, particularly, for the measurement and monitoring of vibrations on rotating
machines. The purpose of such measurements is to monitor the condition of the machine in order to avoid
unscheduled shut-down. Furthermore vibration measurement is carried out prior to the distribution of new machinery
and subsequently to repair with a view to quality control and the issuing of product guarantees.
The basis for successful machine condition monitoring is the measurement of the vibration severity over a longer
period of time. Measurements are taken at regular intervals of time and recorded.
The PCE-VM 25 measures and records vibration acceleration, vibration velocity or vibration displacement. The

PCE-VM 25 specication complies with the ISO 2954 regulations for machines that measure vibration velocity and

is therefore suitable for measuring, among other things, machine vibrations in accordance with ISO 10816.
In addition to vibration quantities the PCE-VM 25 also measures the temperature and the rotation speed with
contactless sensors.
An external piezoelectric accelerometer is used as the sensor, and is provided together with the instrument.

The PCE-VM 25 is tted with an electronic measurement point detector (VMID) which enables it to take routine

measurements of a large number of measurement points very effectively. A software package for transferring the
measurement data to a PC is also available from PCE.
In the common hierarchy of condition monitoring the PCE-VM 25 is equivalent to ‚Level 1‘. This represents the long
term monitoring of parameters with low technical and personnel requirements.
For fault detection (‚Level 2‘), as a further step, spectral diagnostic measurements are taken, which require a large
degree of expertise and sophisticated measurement technology.
In the development of the PCE-VM 25 value was placed on simple operation and maintenance requirements, which

enable trained personnel to operate the instrument without the need of being specially qualied.

2. Function

2.1. The Vibration Sensor

The PCE-VM 25 operates with a piezo ceramic shear accelerometer. Piezoelectric vibration transducers are
characterized by high precision and resolution with great robustness. The accelerometer of the PCE-VM 25 has
an integrated electronic circuit for impedance conversion in accordance with the IEPE standard. At the base of the
sensor a magnet has been integrated for mounting to the measurement point. In the center of the magnet there is a

contact point from which the identication number can be read. The measurement point ID is saved in the available

VMID measurement points.
The coupling surface is protected by a metal cap which attaches to the sensors magnetic base.

2.2. The Measuring Instrument

4

Figure 2: Block Diagram

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English

The Figure shows the block diagram. The PCE-VM 25 supplies the IEPE Sensor with 2 mA constant current. At

the sensor output, a vibration acceleration proportional AC voltage arises, which is amplied in the instrument

to produce an optimum level. The gain switch-over takes place automatically. The subsequent analogue/digital
converter
is a Sigma-Delta converter with 24 bit resolution.

Further signal processing, such as ltering, integration (for calculating velocity and displacement from acceleration)
as well as the RMS and peak value rectication is carried out in the micro controller. The micro controller also

controls the graphic display, the infrared thermometer, the rotation speed sensor, the USB communication and
storing of measurements.

3. Measuring Ranges

3.1. Measurable Vibration Quantities

The PCE-VM 25 can display the vibration quantities acceleration, velocity and displacement. Velocity and
displacement are generated by single or double integration of the sensor acceleration signal.
Furthermore, various frequency ranges can be selected.

The display rate adjusts itself according to the selected quantity in order to ensure that the RMS does not uctuate

even at lower frequencies. The following table shows the display rates.

Measurand Frequency Range Display Rate Sample Rate
Vibration acceleration 0,2 Hz – 10 kHz 5.6 s 23.438 kHz
Vibration acceleration 3 Hz – 1 kHz 1.4 s 2.930 kHz
Vibration acceleration 1 kHz – 10 kHz 1.4 s 23.438 kHz
Vibration velocity 2 Hz – 1 kHz 1.4 s 2.930 kHz
Vibration velocity 10 Hz – 1 kHz 1.4 s 11.719 kHz
Vibration displacement 5 Hz – 200 Hz 2.8 s 2.930 kHz

3.2. Vibration Acceleration

The PCE-VM 25 has the following frequency ranges for vibration acceleration:

• 0.2 Hz to 10 kHz: full frequency bandwidth of the accelerometer

• 3 Hz to 1 kHz: lower frequency acceleration

• 1 kHz to 10 kHz: high frequency vibration only
In this way specic signal components can be measured whilst others are attenuated. For example, when taking

measurements on machines, at a frequency of 1 kHz to 10 kHz predominantly the running noise of rolling bearings
can be monitored, whilst vibrational unbalances are attenuated.

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Figure 3: Frequency response curves for acceleration

.3. Vibration Velocity

Measuring vibration velocity is a common procedure for assessing the running smoothness of rotating machines.
Vibration velocity, commonly known as vibration severity, represents the energy expenditure of occurring vibrations.
Vibrations are caused by rotational unbalances, for example as a result of loose screws, bent parts, worn or slack
bearings or dirt residues on the fan blades. Often several factors have a mutually reinforcing effect. Besides rotating
machines, the measurement procedure is also suitable for reciprocating machines.

The specications of vibration velocity measuring instruments are described in ISO 2954. In the ISO 2954 a band
lter for the vibration velocity of 10 to 1000 Hz is dened.The displayed value of the vibration severity is the true

RMS.
Besides the frequency range of 10 to 1000 Hz, the PCE-VM 25 has a further frequency range for vibration severity
measurements from 2 to 1000 Hz. This is suitable for measurements on slow running machines with a nominal
speed of less than 120 min-1 and on reciprocating engines according to ISO 10816-6.
The corresponding PCE-VM 25 frequency response graph can be viewed here:

Figure 4: Frequency response curves for velocity

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Vibration velocity is formed through integration of the acceleration measured by the sensor.The following formula
applies to sinusoidal signals:

Figure 5: Amplitude range for velocity (RMS)

It is evident that in the case of constant acceleration (a) the value of velocity (v) drops at higher frequencies (f). As
a consequence the measuring range limits of the velocity measurements are frequency dependent. (Figure 5).The
maximum velocity measurable with the PCE-VM 25 is around 1000 mm/s (RMS). It yields a frequency independent
modulation range of up to 40 Hz. At higher frequencies (RMS) the measuring range limits for acceleration of around

240 m/s² take effect. In the attenuation range of the low pass lter the modulation is further restricted.

3.4. Vibration Displacement

The vibration quantity most easily observed is displacement, also known as the deection of the vibration. It is

formed by double integration of the acceleration. In comparison to velocity, the practically usable frequency range is

even more restricted. On the one hand it requires a high pass lter in order to attenuate low frequency noise signals,
which would otherwise appear amplied in the measurement values because of the double integration. On the other

hand, frequencies in the range of less than one hundred Hertz are so strongly dampened that an evaluable display
value is no longer recognizable.
Due to these restrictions, displacement measurements should only be applied where acceleration or velocity is not
capable of delivering the desired assessment. The PCE-VM 25 measures the vibration displacement from 5 to 200
Hz. The frequency response diagram is shown in Figure 6. The curve ends at 200 Hz because even in the case of
a fully modulated sensor only single digit measurement values still occur.

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Figure 6: Frequency response curves for displacement

The following formula applies to sinusoidal signals which have been formed through double integration:

In the case of constant acceleration (a) it is visible that the displacement value (d) decreases quadratically with
increasing frequency (f). As a consequence the measuring range limits of displacement measurements are strongly
frequency dependent. The next Figure 7 shows the measurement range limits depending on frequency.

Figure 7: Frequency response curves for displacement (RMS)

The maximum displacement of the PCE-VM 25 that can be measured is around 60 mm (RMS). It yields a frequency
independent modulation range of up to 10 Hz. At higher frequencies the measuring range limits for acceleration of
around 240 m/s² take effect.

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3.5. Rolling Bearing Parameters K(t)

The rolling bearing parameter, also known as the diagnosis coefcient of Sturm K(t), is an approved parameter for
the condition analysis of rolling bearings, as dened in the VDI 3832 (and other guidelines). It is formed by the RMS
and peak value of acceleration at a frequency range of 1 to 10 kHz. The 1 kHz high pass lter ensures that the

rolling bearing signal is not overlapped by the vibration of foreign mechanical parts, such as imbalances.
The K(t) value relates the currently measured RMS and peak values to the RMS and peak values at a starting point
in time as follows:

within this:

(0) RMS for the start point in time (reference point in time)

a

rms

(0) maximum value (peak value) for start / reference point

a

pk

(t) current RMS

a

rms

(t) current maximum value (peak value)

a

pk

The start or reference measurement is subsequent to rst-time operation of the bearing. Ideally after the elapse of a

certain running-in time. At this point in time the K(t) value is 1. Following ongoing wear and tear of the machine i.e.
running dam-age, the K(t) decreases. During operation the K(t) value may also increase at a low

rate. In this way the condition of the rolling bearing can be classied:

K(t) Rolling Bearing Condition

> 1 Improvement
1 .. 0.5 Good condition

0.5 .. 0.2 Damage progressive inuences

0.2 .. 0.02 Advanced damage process
< 0.02 Damaged

Multiplication of the RMS and peak value indicates the acceleration over the course of time as well as changes
caused by shock, local damage (pitting), a general increase in mechanical vibration due to distributed damage

(worn race rings, corrosion, wear of rolling elements) or also insufcient lubrication.

The K(t) value only provides a statement about the condition of the bearing when the trends are viewed. One single
measurement does not enable a diagnostic statement to be made.
The K(t) value is strongly dependent on the rotational speed. It is therefore important to ensure that the rotational
speed is the same, when viewing trends.

3.6. Rotational Speed

Alongside vibration the PCE-VM 25 measures the rotational speed by means of an inbuilt contactless optical sensor
(Figure 34 on page 25). To enable this, the instrument needs to be aligned with the rotating part, for which a laser
pointer can be used to help with the positioning.

Notice: Please do not cover the sensor apertures on the back of the instrument with your ngers during measurement.

3.7. Temperature

The PCE-VM 25 has an inbuilt infrared thermometer for taking contactless temperature measurements (Figure 34).

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4. The Batteries

4.1. Inserting the Batteries

The PCE-VM 25 is supplied by three alkaline standard cell type AAA (LR03) batteries. NiMH batteries (HR03) may
also be used. The minimum energy requirement of the PCE-VM 25 enables maximum utilization of the batteries.
Attention: Please switch the instrument off before changing the batteries. When switched off, the contents of the
memory are stored for a few minutes, without need of the batteries, and the internal clock continues to run. If the
batteries are removed when the instrument is switched on or if they remain in the instrument until the batteries
have been completely discharged, the date and time will need to be reset. Further settings as well as the saved
measurands, are stored without need of the batteries
T o insert the batteries, remove the two screws from the back cover of the device and open the battery compartment
(Figure 8). When inserting the batteries, please ensure that their polarity is correct, (see the engraved markings
inside the compartment).

Figure 8: Battery Compartment

Important:

• Always use three batteries of the same type and same date of manufacture.

• Remove old batteries from the instrument, and take out the batteries if the instrument

will not be used for a long period of time. Otherwise leaking battery acid
may cause severe damage to the instrument.

Please use your local collection point to dispose of batteries.
Batteries do not belong to the household waste.

4.2. Switching On and Off

The instrument is switched on by a short press of the ON-OFF button. A start screen
will be shown on the display for 3 seconds. (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Start screen

This displays the hardware version number (the 3 digits before the point) and the software version number (the 3
digits after the point) followed by the serial number corresponding to the type label. The month and year of the last
calibration are displayed (cf. Section 9) along with the memory capacity.

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By pressing the ON-OFF button again the PCE-VM 25 switches itself off. In addition, the instrument has an
automatic shut-off timer for saving the battery power (cf. Chapter 4.4).

4.3. Battery Display and Battery Type

In the upper left corner of the PCE-VM 25 display there is a battery level indicator (10). When the green battery
symbol is full, the battery is fully charged.

Figure 10: Battery indicator upper left / Figure 11: Select battery type

While non-rechargeable batteries have a cell voltage of 1.5 V, NiMH rechargeable batteries deliver only 1.2 V per
cell. The PCE-VM 25 battery indicator can be adjusted to both voltages. To adjust the voltage, open the main menu

by pressing F3 and scroll through the menu options by repeatedly pressing the ▼ button until you reach ‚Instrument

Settings‘, then press OK.
Within the sub-menu select “Battery type” (Figure 11) by following the same instructions as before and then by

pressing▼ select between “Alkaline” (nonrechargeable, 1.5 V) or “NiMH accu” (rechargeable, 1.2 V). Conrm your

choice by pressing OK and exit the menu by pressing F3 repeatedly.
If the power supply drops below 3.3 V when using alkaline batteries or below 3 V with rechargeable batteries, the
battery indicator becomes red. Further measurements can be taken until the power supply reaches 2.8 V in keeping

with the instrument specications. At this point the battery level indicator is completely empty and the instrument

switches itself off automatically.
If the PCE-VM 25 is connected to a USB port, it will be supplied by the USB voltage in order to spare the batteries.
In this case, “external” is displayed on the screen instead of the battery level indicator.

4.4. Shut-off Timer

The PCE-VM 25 has a shut-off timer to help prolong the battery operating life. To set the shut-off timer, open the

main menu by pressing F3. Scroll down into the sub-menu ‚Instrument Settings‘ by pressing▼and OK, and within
this sub-menu select the menu option “Shut off Timer”. Press keys ▼▲ to select the timer duration from the options

1, 5, 15 and 60 minutes or to deactivate the timer select (‚none‘). The switch off timer starts to run after the last
press of a button. If any button is pressed then the timer restarts and counts down again according to the duration
selected.

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5. Preparation of Measuring Points

Y

Y

5.1. General Information on Measurement Point Choice

When monitoring machines it is important to take measurements under the same operating conditions, at the same

measurement point. Choosing the suitable measurement point is therefore decisive. Where possible, qualied staff

experienced in machine monitoring should be called upon.
It is generally advisable to record machine vibrations near to their source. This helps to reduce distortion of the
measuring signal to a minimum when it is being carried through transmission parts. Suitable measurement points
include rigid machine components such as bearing housings or gearboxes.

Light or mechanically exible machine components such as cladding and casing are unsuitable for the measurement

of vibrations.

5.2. ISO 10816-1 Recommendations

The standard ISO 10816-1 recommends bearing housings or their immediate surroundings as preferred measuring
location points for the measurement of machine vibrations (Figures 13, 14, 15 and 16). For the purpose of monitoring

a machine it is normally sufcient to take measurements in only one direction, either vertically or horizontally.

On machines with horizontal shafts and rigid foundations the largest vibration amplitudes occur horizontally. With

exible foundations, strong vertical components also arise.

For the purpose of acceptance tests, measurement values are to be taken from all bearing point locations at the
center of the bearing and in all three directions (vertical, horizontal and axial).
The following illustrations give a few examples of suitable measurement point locations.
The Standard ISO 13373-1 also gives recommendations for measurement points on various machine type.

X

Z

Figure 13: Measuring points on verticalbearings Figure 14: Measuring points on ange bearings

X

Z

Z

X4

Figure 15: Measuring points on electric motors Figure 16: Measuring points on machines with vertical
rotors

Y4

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5.3. VMID Measurement Point

5.3.1. How the VMID Measurement Point Functions

The PCE-VM 25 is equipped with an electronic measuring point detector. PCE Instruments offers a type VMID
measurement point, which is made of magnetic stainless steel and has aninbuilt memory with an individual serial
number.
The serial number stored inside the measurement point is a unique 16-digit hexadecimal number, e.g.
“000000FBC52B”.

Figure 17: VMID Measuring point

Each measurand can be easily and reliably allocated to a specic measuring point. To read the serial number,

contact is made through the sensor‘s magnetic base.
The maximum permissible operating temperature for the VMID is 80 °C.

5.3.2. Mounting the VMID Measurement Point

A VMID measurement point is mounted onto the machine using two component epoxy adhesive. For an accurate
vibration transmission, PCE Instruments recommends the following adhesive:

• LOCTITE Hysol 3430 without ller for even surfaces

• LOCTITE Hysol 3450 with ller for uneven surfaces

Before applying the adhesive ensure that all residues of grease have been thoroughly removed from both contact
surfaces. The two component adhesive can be applied directly onto the chosen surface. The adhesive takes 5

minutes to harden and after 15 minutes the rst measurement can be taken.

6. Measurement

6.1. Measurement Value Display

In the top margin of the screen (Figure 18) the battery power is displayed. Next to this the date and time are also
indicated.

Figure 18: Measurement display

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Below the measurand (v: 10 Hz-1 kHz RMS) the currently measured value. The display “No Point ID” indicates that

a measurement point number has not been identied.

Note: The decimal point may appear in one of two positions, dependent on the measurand. This is due to the
automatic gain switch-over. In this way smaller measurands with high resolutions are sure to be detected

6.2. Selecting the Display Quantity

With keys ◄► you can select from among the six available operation modes:

• Vibration velocity 10 Hz – 1 kHz

• Vibration velocity 2 Hz – 1kHz

• Vibration acceleration 0.2 Hz – 10 kHz

• Vibration acceleration 3 Hz – 1 kHz

• Vibration acceleration 1 kHz – 10 kHz

• Vibration displacement 5 Hz – 200 Hz

• K(t) value for rolling bearing monitoring

• Rotational speed and temperature

By pressing F2 you can switch between RMS and peak value for the acceleration velocity and displacement.
The RMS is the so-called “true” root mean square value.
The peak value, also known as crest or maximum value, is the highest vibration value since the last displayed value.
The crest factor, is the relation between crest value and RMS. It is used to describe the curve form. For a sinusoidal

signal it amounts to √2 = 1,41. The more impulsive the signal, the higher the crest factor.

Note: When saving measurement values (chapter 6.4) the RMS and peak value are always saved both irrespective
of the currently selected setting.

If the sensor locates a VMID measuring point which is already saved in the PCE-VM 25 memory, in order to prevent
unintentional switch-over, a warning signal will be displayed when the measurand changes (Figure 19). By pressing
OK the measuring range can still be changed. The warning signal will not appear again until the next
measuring point is detected.

Figure 19: Warning at mode change

6.3. Measurement Point Detection

6.3.1. Reading the VMID Data with the PCE-VM 25

The VMID measurement points are designed, so that the magnetic sensor base centers itself. To avoid mechanical
shock do not let the sensor snap onto the measurement point, instead, roll it slowly over the edge. To improve the
vibration transmission the measuring point can be lightly lubricated.
As soon as the Sensor base comes into contact with the measurement point, the PCE-VM 25 displays the

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measurement point number (Point ID) (Figure 20).

Figure 20: Newly recognized VMID

6.3.2. Entering the Measurement Point Text

If a measurement point has not yet been assigned a text, press the▼ key to reach the text edit menu (Figures 20

and 21). A space of two rows consisting of 10 characters each is assigned for each measurement point text. The

text is entered using keys ▼▲. By pressing keys ◄► you can change the character position. Both capital letters (A

to Z) and numbers (0 to 9) are available. To move down to the next row press F1. By pressing F1 again and using

keys▼▲ the operation mode can be selected.

Figure 21: Entering ID text

By pressing OK the entries will be saved and the menu exited.
Press F3 to exit the menu without saving the changes.

Note: More conveniently, the measurement point texts can also be entered using the available computer software.

Figure 22: ID text display

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Once you have assigned the VMID serial number a text, the PCE-VM 25 will display the text continually, as soon as
the sensor makes contact with the measuring point (Figure22).
Aside from this, the PCE-VM 25 reverts automatically to the saved operation mode. In this way it is ensured that
measurements are always taken with the correct settings.

Note: Changing the measuring point data also effects the display of saved measurands (cf. Chapters 6.5 and

6.6). The current saved text of the respective VMID serial number is always displayed in the measurement data.
Changing the operating mode of a measuring point only affects measurands saved subsequently and does not have
any effect on the measurands that have already been saved in the memory.
The measurement point data is saved in the instrument. If several instruments are used at the same measurement
point location, the measurement point data will need to be saved within each instrument. The available PC software
enables the convenient management of measurement points.

6.3.3. Editing and Deleting Measurement Point Data

Open the main menu by pressing F3 and select the sub-menu “Point ID memory” by using keys ▼▲.

Within the menu option “Edit Point ID”, as previously explained in section 6.3.2, the measurement point texts and
the operating mode allocated to the measuring point can be changed. In the sub menu “Edit Point ID” press or hold

down▼▲, until the text you wish to edit is displayed and then press OK to edit.

Within the menu option “Erase Point ID”, measurement point data records, each consisting of a VMID serial number,
text and operational mode, can be deleted one by one. In the subsequent menu “Erase Point ID”, press or hold

down ▼▲, until the record you wish to delete is shown, then press OK and conrm the warning by

pressing OK again(Figure 23).

Figure 23: Deleting an ID record

In the same way, the entire measurement point data can be deleted as a whole by selecting “Erase all Point IDs” in
the “ID Menu”. The PCE-VM 25 memory can store data for a maximum of 1600 measurement points.

Note: Deleting measurement point data effects the display of saved measurements. (chapter 6.6). Instead of
the measurement point serial number and the measurement point text being shown, “none” is displayed. The
measurement point data records can always be newly generated, as described in 6.3.2.

6.4. Saving Measurands

Pressing the ▼ key saves the currently displayed measurand. Independently of whether RMS, peak or crest factor

display has been selected, the PCE-VM 25 always saves the RMS and peak value. Furthermore the respective
measurement point number (if known), the chosen display mode and the date and time are also saved.
Note: If the sensor locates a measurement point which has not yet been assigned a text or operational mode (cf.

Chapter 6.3.3), use the ▼ key to enter the text.

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6.5. Graphical Trend Display

The purpose of measuring vibration according to ISO 10816 and ISO 13373 is as follows; To make assessments
concerning the operating condition of a machine based on changes in its vibration behavior. To achieve this it
is imperative, that measurements are taken at regular time intervals, from the same points and under the same
conditions.
To deliver the service staff on site a report about the periodic changes in vibration severity and consequently the
previous history of the measurement point concerned, the PCE-VM 25 provides a graphical trend display. The
prerequisite for retrieving graphical trends is placing the sensor on the relevant VMID. The trend display is obtained
by pressing the F1 key (Figure 24).
The trend display only takes values from the data memory into account which belong to the VMID operation mode
currently active. If the VMID operation mode is changed (cf. Chapter 6.3.3), the previously saved data with a
different operation mode will not be shown in the trend display.

The vertical axis indicates the RMS of the vibration quantity and the horizontal axis indicates time. The K(t) values

Figure 24: Trend display

are represented by the vertical axis K(t). Both are scaled to their respective maximum value. The time axis shows

the interval between the rst and last saved measurement. Below the diagram there is a red marker. This can be
moved horizontally to read the magnitude, using the◄► keys. The marker only skips forward to time points which

already have a measurand. At each data point the date and time of the measurement as well as the measured RMS
or K(t) value are displayed. Above the diagram the text assigned to the measurement point is displayed. In order to
be able to display trends, the points are joined together by a line.
Press F3 to exit the trend display.
If only one or zero measurands for a selected measurement point can be located in the memory, the error message
“Too few data for trending” will appear instead of the trend graphic.

Note: The available PC software enables you to view the trends more conveniently, even without it being connected
to the measuring point .

6.6. Viewing Saved Measurement Values

In addition to the graphical trend readings for current measurement points, saved measurement data can be viewed
in text format. Open the main menu by pressing F3, then select the sub-menu option “Meas. data Memory”. From
within the submenu select “View meas. data memory”. The measurement data can be viewed in order of the VMID

serial number or the date it was saved. Select your preferred menu option using keys ▼▲ and press OK to conrm.
The rst data record will now be displayed. At the top, a consecutive number and the number of the data record

within the memory will also be shown. Below these, the measuring point serial number and its assigned text are

also displayed. The RMS and peak value are displayed underneath the date, time, display mode and lter type.

(Figure 25).

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Press ▼▲ to scroll to the next measurand. The currently displayed measurands can be deleted by pressing F1.

Press F3 to exit the menu. The PCE-VM 25 memory can hold 16000 measurement values.

6.7. Deleting Saved Measurement Data

In the menu option “Measurement data” / “Erase meas. data Memory” you can delete the entire measurement data.
After pressing OK a warning message will appear showing the total number of records.

6.8. K(t) Measurement

The basics of rolling bearing parameters K(t) can be found in section 3.5

First, use keys ◄► to select the operation mode “Roll. bearing” (Figure 26).

K(t) measurements are only intended for use in conjunction with a VMID measurement point. The start / reference
values RMS and peak of values which have been measured on the new rolling bearings are required for calculating
K(t). These start values are saved in the PCE-VM 25 together with the measuring point ID. Place the sensor on a
VMID measuring point of the relevant bearing. If the VMID measurement point ID has not yet been saved in the

PCE-VM 25 (Figure 27), then rst of all enter the ID name by pressing the ▼ key (cf. Section 6.3.2).

Figure 25: Display of saved measurements

Figure 26: PCE-VM 25 in K(t) mode without VMID

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Figure 27: K(t) mode with newly detected VMID

If the VMID point ID has been saved but not the K(t) start values, then this is the next step. By pressing the ▼ key

the currently measured RMS RMS(t) and peak value Peak(t) are saved as K(t) the start value RMS(0) and Peak(0)
(Figure 28).

Figure 28: Saving K(t) start values

When the sensor is newly placed on the VMID measuring point, the instrument automatically switches to the K(t)
display. It then reads the start values from the memory and calculates the K(t) value from the currently measured
RMS(t) and Peak(t) values (Figure 29).

Press the ▼ key to save the K(t) values. Press F1 to view the graphic trend display. (cf. Section 7.5)

Note: If the instrument displays OVERLOAD, it is not necessarily the result of a too high acceleration value. It can
also be due to a base value of zero, which causes a division through zero.

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T o view or delete the saved K(t) start values open the menu “K(t) base memory” (Figure 30). In the sub-menu “V iew

K(t) base memory” you can scroll through the saved start values using the ▼▲ keys. Press F1 to delete an entry.

In the sub-menu “Erase K(t) memory” all saved K(t) start values can be deleted as a whole.

6.9. Frequency Analysis

6.9.1. Settings

In addition to the measurement of RMS and peak values the PCE-VM 25 has a simple frequency analysis function.
To access this function, switch to the main menu by pressing F3 and select the menu option “Frequency analysis
(Figure 31).

Figure 29: K(t)-display

Figure 30: K(t)-base memory menu

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Figure 31: Frequency analysis menu

The peak value spectrum of the currently measured acceleration or velocity is shown in Figure 32).

Figure 32: Spectral display for acceleration and velocity

The vertical axis of the diagram represents the peak value with linear scaling and the horizontal axis the
frequency. The diagram shows 125 lines. The frequency range in display can be halved by pressing F1 and
doubled by pressing F2. The following ranges are available: 23, 46, 91, 188, 366 and 732 Hz for velocity and
additionally for acceleration 1466, 2928, 5856 and 11712 Hz. The velocity ranges follow after the accelerations by
further pressing F2. Acceleration and velocity spectra can be distinguished by the headline and a different color of
the cursor line.
The left end of the frequency axis always represents 0 Hz. However, the 0 Hz line and for velocity also the next
line are not displayed to suppress DC and low noise errors.
The line above the diagram shows magnitude and frequency of the main spectral line.To measure the spectral

lines the cursor can be moved along using the ◄► keys.

The red pointer below the diagram marks the cursor position. The currently measured spectral line is highlighted
red. The frequency and amplitude are also displayed below the diagram.
The amplitudes can be scaled using the Auto-range function. In the case of variable signals this can cause an

instable spectrum. If so, select between auto-ranging (“Ampl. auto”) and xed amplitude scaling (“Ampl. xed”) by
pressing OK repeatedly. In the case of xed amplitudes, the scaling type most recently selected is retained.
You can save the spectrum by pressing the ▼ key. Press F3 to exit the spectral view.

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6.9.2. FFT Memory

To view stored FFTs in the instrument open the main menu, select “Meas. data memory” and “View FFT data
memory”. The FFT data can be viewed in order of the VMID serial number or the date it was saved. Select your

preferred sorting option and press OK to conrm. After a short waiting time the rst FFT record will be displayed

(Figure 33).

Figure 33: FFT memory

Use the keys ▼▲ to load the next or the previous record in the selected order. Above the diagram you see a record
number and the total number of records in the memory. In the second line you nd a VMID text if a VMID measuring

point was used and a text entered (see section 6.3.2). If no text was entered you will see here the VMID code or
“No ID”.

To measure the spectral lines the cursor can be moved along using the ◄► keys. The red pointer below the

diagram marks the cursor position. The currently measured spectral line is highlighted red. The frequency and
amplitude are also displayed below the diagram.
Press F1 to delete the displayed spectrum from the memory. Saved Spectra can also be transferred via USB to the
PC software VM2xMDB.

6.10. Rotation Speed Measurement

The PCE-VM 25 has an inbuilt RPM laser sensor for contactless measurements. This is located in the lower part at
the back of the instrument (Figure 34).

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For taking rotation speed measurements the rotating part needs to be marked with a piece of reective lm. Self-

Figure 34: Rotation speed and temperature sensor, laser pointer

adhesive reective lm can be purchased from Sick, for example the material REF-PLUS.
Press the ◄ or ► key, until rotation speed and temperature are shown (Figure 35). Set the instrument up on the
measuring point, without covering the light beam range with your ngers. To help with the positioning, the PCE-VM

25 has a laser pointer which can be switched on and off by pressing F1.

Figure 35: RPM and temperature display

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Caution: The laser beam has a radiation power of < 1 mW at 650 nm wavelength. Never look into
the light beam! It can cause permanent damage to your eyesight!

Depending on the size of the reective measurement point the measurement distance can be between 0.3 and 1 m.
The measurands can be saved by pressing the ▼ key. The saved data record is auto matically assigned the number

of the VMID measurement point on which the sensor is placed.

6.11. Temperature Measurement

The temperature measurement is carried out together with the rotational speed measurement. (Figure 35). The
PCE-VM 25 contains an infrared temperature sensor inside the upper part at the back of the instrument (Figure 34)
To take a measurement, align the instrument with the relevant point. The inbuilt laser pointer can be used to align
the instrument precisely (F1 Key). The best results can be achieved at a distance of 10 to 20 cm. The directionality
of the sensor can be seen in Figure 36.
Every infrared temperature sensor shows a dependency on the emissivity of the measuring object. The PCE-VM
25 is calibrated for an emission level of 1. With some materials, such as Aluminum, this can cause measurement
errors.

Figure 36: Field of view of the temperature sensor

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7. Measurement Evaluation with Standard Values

To be able to derive statements from the measured vibration velocity values about the condition of a machine,
experience is necessary. If experienced personnel are not available, in many cases one can refer to the ISO 10816
recommendations. In these sections of the standard, the vibration severity zone limits for various machine types

are dened, which can provide an initial evaluation of a machines maintenance condition.The four zone boundary

limits characterize the machine in categories according to vibration severity:
A: New condition
B: Good condition for unrestricted continuous operation
C: Poor condition - allows restricted continued operation only
D: Critical condition - Danger of damage to the machine.

Table 1:Typical zone limit values for vibration severity according to ISO 10816-1

In the standard it is pointed out that small machines, for example electric motors with a power rating of up to 15 kW,

tend to lie around the lower zone limits, whereas large machines, for example motors with exible foundations, lie

around the upper zone limits.

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In part 3 of ISO 10816, revised in 2009, the zone borders are specied for vibration

severity of machines with a power of 15 kW to 50 MW (Table 2).

Table 2: Vibration Severity classication in accordance with ISO 10816-3

Part 7 of the ISO 10816 deals specically with rotodynamic pumps (Table 3).

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Table 3: Classication of the vibration severity of rotodynamic pumps in accordance

with ISO 10816-7

English

8. Setting the Date and Time

When saving measurement values the date and time need to be correctly recorded. To set the date and time, open

the main menu by pressing F3. From the main menu scroll down by pressing ▼ to the menu option “Instrument

Settings” and press OK. Within this sub menu select “Time and Date”.

Figure 37: Setting time and data

Using keys ▲▼ you can adjust the chosen value. Upon reaching the maximum value, e.g. in the 23rd hour, the
counter starts again from the beginning. Press ◄► to skip between hour, minute, month, day and year. The date

takes the leap year into consideration. It is, however, important to ensure that no invalid day-month combinations
are entered. Additionally, clock inaccuracy can be corrected. This can be done using the setting at “Cal.” in ppm
(parts per million). The clock frequency can be increased with positive values and decreased with negative. The
sign changes to minus at +254 ppm.

Example: The clock is 5 seconds slow. There are 24 * 60 * 60 s = 86400 seconds in a day. The difference amounts
to 5 s / 86400 s = 58 * 10-6 = 58 ppm. The adjustable value is -58 ppm.

To exit the menu press OK followed by F3 repeatedly.

9. Calibration

The PCE-VM 25 comes with with a factory calibration, which is traceable to the reference standard of the
Physikalisch-Technischen Bundesanstalt (PTB). The calibration is only valid with the supplied vibration transducer.

The serial number of the instrument and the transducer are stated on the calibration certicate. The month and year

of the factory calibration are displayed when the instrument is switched on (cf. Figure 10).
The value set upon calibration is the sensor sensitivity in mV/ms-2. This can be viewed in the calibration menu.

Open the main menu by pressing F3. From the main menu scroll down with ▼ until you reach the menu option

“Sensor calibration” and select OK. Within this sub-menu select ‚By entering sensitivity‘. The displayed value is the
sensor‘s calibrated sensitivity (Figure 38). It should not be changed, unless a new calibration is being carried out.
Press OK followed by F3 repeatedly to exit the menu.

Figure 38: Entering the sensitivity

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Apart from the factory calibration an accuracy test or re-calibration can be carried out by the user. For this a
vibration calibrator is required. PCE Instruments offers the instruments PCE-VC20 and PCE-VC21 (Figure 39).

They can generate one or more vibration amplitudes and frequencies with dened accuracy. For the calibration of
the PCE-VM 25 a sufcient acceleration would be 10 m/s² at 159.2 Hz (radian frequency 1000 s-1).

Figure 39: Vibration Calibrator PCE-VC21

To calibrate the instrument, open the “Calibration” menu and select „Vibration calibrator”. You will be requested to
mount the sensor on to the vibration exciter (Figure 40). This is done using the magnetic base. Press OK.

Figure 40: Calibration menu

The PCE-VM 25 is now ready for the reference vibration signal. It displays the measured acceleration (Figure 41).

Figure 41: Calibration

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With the ▲▼ keys the displayed value can be increased or decreased, until it amounts to 10.00 m/s². To save the

setting press OK and exit the menu. By adjusting the transducer sensitivity the instrument has now been calibrated.
Check the calibration in the measuring mode. A vibration acceleration of 10.00 m/s² at 159.2 Hz corresponds
to a vibration speed of 10.00 mm/s s.

10. Sensor Check

The PCE-VM 25 input is designed for use with a low power IEPE accelerometer. These sensors are supplied
by constant current, which produces a positive DC voltage potential at the output. Due to this DC voltage an
assessment can be made of the sensor‘s operating condition. The PCE-VM 25 detects three operational conditions:

< 0.1 V: short circuit

0.1 – 11 V: in working order
>11 V: open input, e.g. broken cable

If a short circuit occurs or the input is open the instrument will display “SENSOR ERROR” instead of the measurand.

11. Headphone Output

Some maintenance technicians possess experience in the acoustic assessment of mechanical vibration on
machines. For this purpose the PCE-VM 25 has a headphone connection socket, which is also used for the USB
connection. To connect a standard headphone set with a 3.5 mm phone jack to the 8 pin socket, use the PCE­VM2x-HP
adapter cable which is included with the PCE-VM 25 (Figure 42).

Figure 41 Headphone cable PCE-VM2x-HP

To use the headphone connection open the main menu by pressing F3 and select “Headphone output”. Within this

operation mode the volume can be adjusted using keys ◄►(Figure 44). Press F3 to nish using the headphones.

Figure 43: Headphone menu Figure 44: Volume control
Attention: Considerably loud volume levels can occur, especially when the sensor is moved, which can potentially

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lead to hearing damage. Before positioning the vibration transducer always reduce the volume level or remove the
headphones.

12. Reset Key

If it occurs that the PCE-VM 25 does not respond to the press of any button, press the reset key to restart the
instrument. The reset key is reached with a thin object through the aperture next to the type label (Figure 45).

Saved data and settings are not lost when the instrument is reset.

Figure 45: Reset key

13. Connection to a PC

The PCE-VM 25 has a USB port. For connection to a PC the VM2x USB cable is provided (Figure 46), which is
connected to the 8 pin socket on the PCE-VM 25. Switch the instrument off before connecting it to the PC.

Figure 46: USB cableVM2x-USB

Connect the other end of the cable to a USB port of the computer and switch the PCE-VM 25 on again. If the

instrument is being connected with a particular computer for the rst time, a driver installation will be necessary.

The driver can be found on our website: https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/software-and-driver-download­win_4.htm

Unpack and save both data les in a directory on your computer. When Windows requests details of the source

of the device driver, this directory should be entered. The device driver is digitally signed and runs with Windows.

14. Firmware Update

The instrument software (Firmware) can be updated via the USB port. First of all, check whether a more up-to-date
version than currently installed is available. To view the latest version visit our ‚Software Download‘ site:
https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/software-and-driver-download-win_4.htm

Here you will see the most recent rmware version available. The version number is composed of three digits for the
hardware and three for the software (hhh.sss). Only the last three digits are relevant for the rmware. The version

currently installed in your instrument is displayed on the start screen.

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1. Download the rmware le vm2x.hex from the above named internet address.

2. Also download the program “Firmware Updater” from the above named internet address and install it on your PC.

3. Start the “Firmware Updater”, then select the instrument type “PCE-VM2x” and the virtual COM port assigned
by the PC. If you are not sure which of the available COM ports is correct, you can check in the Windows system
control manager located within the instrument manager.

4. Click on “Load” in the “Firmware Updater” and enter the path to the le where the downloaded rmware le pce-

vm2x.hex is located.

5. Connect the PCE-VM 25 to the PC using the USB cable.

6. Within the PCE-VM 25 “Instrument Settings” select the option “Update Firmware” and conrm the warning and
subsequent hint messages by pressing OK. By carrying out this step the old rmware is deleted. The PCE-VM 25
will then indicate that it awaits new rmware data from the USB port (Figure 49).

7. Click on “Send” in the “Firmware Updater”. Transfer of the Firmware data has now begun. The transfer progress

is displayed as a time bar on the PC ans also on the PCE-VM 25. When the update is nished the PCE-VM 25

will start up and the “Firmware Updater” will close. Please do not interrupt the update process. Following transfer
failures the update can be restarted at point 3.

If a Firmware version with a higher number is available on the website, proceed as follows:

Figure 48: Firmware Updater

Figure 49: Firmware update

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15. Specications

Displayed measurand True RMS and peak value (crest value) of vibration acceleration,

Measuring range at dened accuracy Acceleration: 0.1 – 240 m/s²

Display resolution Acceleration: 0.01 m/s²

Measurement accuracy ± 5 % ± 2 digits
Frequency Ranges Acceleration: 0.2 Hz – 10 kHz

Overload indication at > 200 m/s² vibration acceleration on the sensor or

Frequency analysis 125 lines,

Measurand memory Flash, 16000 measurement records, 1000 FFT records
Sensor input low power IEPE, 2 mA / 12 V, socket binder 711, 3 pins
Analog/digital converter 24 bit
Rotation speed sensor 1 – 9999 revolutions / min

Temperature sensor infrared, -40 .. 125 °C, ± 2 K
Laser pointer < 1 mW, 650 nm (class 2)
Display OLED, colored, 128 x 160 pixels
USB port USB 2.0, full-speed, CDC-mode, with cable VM2x-USB
Batteries 3 cells type AAA

Battery operating life 7 – 11 hours, depending on battery capacity
Automatic shut down 1 / 5 / 15 / 60 minutes or off
Menu languages German / English / French / Spanish / Italian / Dutch

velocity and displacement,
K(t) rolling bearing parameters,
rotation speed,
temperature

Velocity: 0.1 – 1000 mm/s; > 40 Hz frequency dependent
Displacement: 0.01 – 60 mm; > 10 Hz frequency dependent

Velocity: 0.1 mm/s
Displacement: 0.001 mm
temperature: 1 °C
rotation speed: 1 min-1

Acceleration: 3 Hz – 1 kHz
Acceleration: 1 kHz – 10 kHz
Velocity: 10 – 1000 Hz,
Velocity: 2 Hz – 1000 Hz
Displacement: 5 Hz – 200 Hz

3rd order Butterworth lter

>1000 mm/s or > 60 mm after the integrator

peak value of vibration acceleration or velocity,
frequency ranges: 23, 46, 91, 183, 366, 732, 1466, 2928, 5856,
11712 Hz,
lowest frequency: 1 Hz
refresh rate: 1/s
Window type: Hamming

measuring distance: 0.3 .. 1 m,

laser reex sensor, insusceptible to ambient light

Alkaline (LR03) or
NiMH accumulators (HR03)

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Operating T emperature Range -20 ... +60 °C
Dimensions 125 mm x 65 mm x 27 mm
Weight 140 g (with batteries, without sensor)

Vibration Transducer:

Type KS82L
Measuring principle Piezo electric shear accelerometer
Output Low power IEPE
Sensitivity 3.5 mV/ms-2 (common)
Operating temperature range -20 ... +80 °C
Dimensions Ø = 21 mm, h = 34 mm
Weight 53 g
Sensor cable spiral cable, extended length 1.6 m

Measurement Point Detection:

Principle digitally stored in VMID measuring point, read through sensor

Coding 16 digit unique hexadecimal number
Measuring point ID memory (PCE-VM 25) 1600 measuring points with serial number and text
Mounting the VMID Mounting the VMID Mount with two part adhesive, e.g. LOCTITE

Maximum temperature +80 °C

base

Hysol 3430 or 3450

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Declaration of conformity

Specications are subject to change without notice.