Correspondence Courses

(Self-Study)

For those who are unable to attend one of the Vibration Institute’s public courses, education and training through self-study is also available to help professionals expand their knowledge and skills and earn Continuing Education Credits.

As of January 2015 it is required to complete a course to take a certification exam, the course work and workshops are helpful preparation for the exam, and ultimately prepare you to be a better analyst.

Courses must be completed within four months of purchase.

Course extension requests may be made to information@vi-institute.org

Courses may be purchased directly from our ONLINE STORE.

How it Works

Upon purchase (in our online store), the participant receives related self-study materials including a training manual and workbook.
Participants review the material provided, complete the workshops, and return the workshops to the Vibration Institute (by traceable carrier) at the end of their studies. Completed Workbooks are reviewed by the Institute to assess the students' understanding of the material.
Participants also can contact the Vibration Institute by email or phone for assistance and clarification of technical concepts.
Upon completion, participants receive a Certificate of Completion and Continuing Education Credits. Courses must be completed four months after purchase.
Certification Exams are not provided as part of correspondence courses; participants will have to identify opportunities to complete certification exams in conjunction with the Institute’s regularly scheduled public training courses or through a Vibration Institute trained and approved proctor.
Course extensions must be requested within the four-month time period and may be granted at the discretion of the Vibration Institute Training Committee.

All rights reserved. The Vibration Institute material is copyrighted material. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods.

Correspondence courses are available in our online store, are non-refundable and non-transferable.

For additional information, please contact the Institute at (630) 654-2254 or information@vi-institute.org.

Course pricing subject to change without notice.

Training through self-study is available for the following subjects:

Machinery Vibration Analysis (MVA) Correspondence Course

Skill Level
Certification Preparation
Overview
Contents
Estimated Time
Materials
CEU’s Earned
Cost

The MVA correspondence course is self-paced, but students typically spend 80 – 120 hours to study the training manual and complete the workbook questions. ALL work should be shown in the workbook, the correct answer to each question should be completed, and the workbook will be returned to the Vibration Institute for review and acceptance.

The workbook should not be copied. All answers and supporting work (calculations, and markups on FFT’s, Time Waveforms, Orbits, or Charts) should be shown in the workbook. Do not submit loose papers or any work outside the body of the workbook.

The MVA correspondence course provides in-depth discussions on time waveforms, FFT’s, phase and orbit analysis techniques for the evaluation of industrial machinery. This course is partial preparation for the Vibration Analyst Category III Certification Exam. It includes ten chapters covering:

Principles of Vibration

The Physical Nature of Vibration, Vibratory Motion, Degrees of Freedom, Measures & Magnitudes, Relationships of Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration.

Data Acquisition Procedures

Accelerometers, Velocity Sensors, Proximity Probes, Encoders, Signal Conditioning, Triggering and Calibration.

Signal Processing

Instrumentation, Digital Signal Processing, Resolution, Dynamic Range, Demodulation, Data Displays.

Time Waveform Analysis

Signal Processing And Presentation, Phase Measurement and Analysis, Harmonic Relationships, and Time Waveform Shape Analysis.

Frequency and Phase Analysis

Frequency Analysis, Beats, Orders, Nonsynchronous Frequencies, Resonance, Sidebands, Modulation and Spectral Shapes.

Orbit Analysis and Shaft Centerline Position

Orbital Construction, Orbital Timing, Orbital Analysis, Centerline Position, and Case Histories.

Machine Testing

Concepts, Mode Shapes, Shaker Excitation, Impact Testing, Damping, Amplification and Critical Speed Testing.

Balancing of Rotating Machinery

Mass Unbalance, Force, Single Plane Balancing, Critical Speeds, Trial Weights, Pitfalls, One Shot Methodology, and Four Run Method.

Condition Monitoring and Evaluation

Machine Knowledge, Types of Monitoring, Route Based, Permanent Monitoring, Protection, Screening and Trending.

Machine, Components, and Potential Fault Frequencies

Common Or Shared Fault Frequencies, Fluid Film Bearings, Rotors, Rolling Element Bearings, Gearboxes, Motors, Generators, Pumps, Fans, Compressors, Belt And Roll Frequencies.

All registered students in the Machinery Vibrations Analysis correspondence course will receive the following printed materials:

MVA Training Manual (EU or SI units)
MVA Workbook (EU or SI units)
Certificate of Completion

A Vibration Analyst Category III Certification Exam will need to be scheduled outside of this training agenda.

It is recommended that attendees review the Basic Machinery Vibration course materials and the Body of Knowledge found in ISO 18436-2 Annex A, which can be found at www.vi-institute.org under “Certification” before taking the Machinery Vibration Analysis correspondence course.

Advanced Vibration Control (AVC) Correspondence Course

Skill Level
Certification Preparation
Overview
Contents
ESTIMATED TIME
Materials
CEU’s Earned
Cost

Engineers and technicians new to the area with 5+ years of experience in machine vibrations and a familiarity with machine hardware.

Advanced Vibration Analysis (AVA) Correspondence Course

Skill Level
Certification Preparation
Overview
Contents
ESTIMATED TIME
Materials
CEU’s Earned
Cost

Engineers and technicians new to the area with 5+ years of experience in machine vibrations and a familiarity with machine hardware.

Introduction to Machinery Vibration (IMV)

Basic Machinery Vibration (BMV)

These courses are no longer available as a correspondence course.

Both courses are now offered online. Please visit our Online Learning page to learn more.

If you wish to take one of these courses in person, please visit our Events Calendar

Learn About Online Learning

Correspondence Courses