Fluke Corporation has made available at its Web site a glossary of the key vibration terms that those involved in equipment maintenance and vibration diagnosis may encounter when evaluating machine vibration.

In the world of mechanical maintenance, vibration remains one of the earliest indicators of a machine's health and the effects of vibration can be severe. Unchecked machine vibration can accelerate rates of wear (i.e. reduce bearing life), damage equipment, create noise, cause safety problems and lead to degradation in plant working conditions. Vibration can cause machinery to consume excessive power and may damage product quality. In the worst cases, vibration can damage equipment so severely as to knock it out of service and halt plant production. Consequently, knowing the basic terminology of machine vibration and analysis is essential for anyone who is part of a preventive maintenance program or plant maintenance team.

Fluke’s “Glossary of Vibration Terms” can be viewed at http://www.fluke.com/Fluke/usen/solutions/vibration/Glossary-of-Vibration-Terms.htm .