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Vibration testing is one of those activities that separates “looks okay on the bench” from “survives shipment and field use.” ASLI’s vibration table lineup spans compact lab shakers up to full-size high-force electrodynamic systems — the kind that test modules, sub-assemblies, and complete units under repeatable mechanical stress. Public listings and datasheets for comparable systems show frequency ranges covering low-frequency transport simulation to high-frequency resonance hunting, with rated forces that permit both sine and broadband random testing.
What you really want from a vibration test machine is predictable behaviour in three scenarios: resonance discovery, endurance (fatigue) testing, and transport simulation. Resonance tests usually use swept-sine or dwell methods to map natural frequencies. Fatigue uses repeatable random or sine-on-random profiles to accelerate life-limiting damage. Transport simulation tries to match measured spectra (truck, rail, air) so that packaging and product interfaces get validated before shipping. Industry standards (IEC, MIL-STD and others) give the test recipes; the job of the test engineer is to match those recipes to the product’s real exposure.
A few practical tips from experienced test engineers:
Pre-test modal survey: run a low-level sine sweep to detect resonances and avoid fixtures that amplify motion unintentionally.
Use realistic fixturing: a poorly designed fixture changes how the structure vibrates; confine stress to the DUT, not to the harness.
Plan channel count and sensor placement: multi-axis testing is often needed; accelerometer placement should capture both global and local responses.
Document and version control: keep test profiles, firmware versions, and calibration records together — repeatability depends on this housekeeping.
Finally, if your program includes electronics, think beyond static vibration. Combine thermal cycling and vibration when environmental stress interactions are possible — many failure mechanisms are multi-physics in nature. If speed to market is the driver, use a staged approach: screening tests on small samples, then full-system qualification on the survivors.
