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EDWartens UK

Free course · Condition monitoring

Machinery Fault Diagnosis and Condition Monitoring

The layer that separates a data collector from a diagnostician: what the analyser is doing to your data, how to choose Fmax, lines of resolution and averaging for the fault you are actually hunting, how to read the time waveform, the orbit and the shaft centreline beside the spectrum, how to measure sideband spacing and name the shaft that is modulating, how to place a rolling element bearing on the four stages of failure, and how to write the condition report a planner can schedule a job from.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Advanced
Modules
10
Video
17 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Set Fmax, lines of resolution and averaging for a stated fault and show the arithmetic; recognise a peak that is an artefact of the settings rather than a machine force; read a spectrum, a time waveform, an orbit and a shaft centreline together instead of one at a time; measure sideband spacing and name the shaft or component doing the modulating; identify a rolling element bearing defect, place it on the four stages and set the monitoring interval it justifies; and write a one page condition report that names the fault, the evidence and the action with a date.

  • Choose Fmax, lines of resolution and averaging for the fault you are hunting, and show the arithmetic
  • Spot a peak that is an artefact of the analyser settings rather than a real machine force
  • Read the time waveform, the orbit and the shaft centreline alongside the spectrum
  • Measure sideband spacing and name the shaft or component that is modulating the signal
  • Identify a rolling element bearing defect and place it on the four stages of failure
  • Write a condition report that names the fault, the evidence and the action with a date

Software

None required. A vibration analyser or data collector if your employer has one.

Hardware

None required. Access to one running machine, its nameplate and its bearing part numbers makes the practice tasks worth far more.

Syllabus

10 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1How vibration analysis finds a fault1 lesson
  2. 2Setting up the FFT analyser: filters, Fmax and resolution5 lessons
  3. 3Averaging: how many, how much overlap, when to hold the peak4 lessons
  4. 4What the spectrum hides: waveform, orbit and shaft centreline3 lessons
  5. 5Modulation and sidebands1 lesson
  6. 6Envelope, cepstrum and order analysis3 lessons
  7. 7Rolling element bearing faults2 lessons
  8. 8Fault signatures: unbalance, misalignment, cracked shaft and looseness4 lessons
  9. 9Phase, resonance, trending and the condition report4 lessons
  10. 10Final assessment0 lessons

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Machinery Fault Diagnosis and Condition Monitoring

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • Mobius Institute

    the short technique lessons behind modules 2 to 4: analyser settings, filters and the FFT, spectral resolution and its limits, averaging, overlap percentage, peak hold, time waveform analysis, orbit plots and the shaft centreline diagram

  • Mobius Institute webinars

    the long sessions the course is built around: the animated introduction to vibration analysis and its question and answer session, the modulation and sidebands session, and the bearing failure analysis session

  • nptelhrd

    8 lessons in "Envelope, cepstrum and order analysis", "Fault signatures: unbalance, misalignment, cracked shaft and looseness" and "Phase, resonance, trending and the condition report"

  • Turbo mass

    2 lessons in "Phase, resonance, trending and the condition report"

  • Machinery Fault Diagnosis And Signal Processing

    a lesson in "Phase, resonance, trending and the condition report"

Questions

About this course

Who is this course for?
Maintenance, mechanical and reliability engineers, and condition monitoring technicians who already collect data on a route and want to stop handing the interpretation to somebody else. It assumes you have seen a spectrum before.
Do I need an analyser or any software?
No. Every module can be studied on a phone or a laptop, and the practice tasks are done with a nameplate, a bearing data sheet and a pen. If your employer has a data collector, run the practice tasks on a real machine and the course is worth several times more.
What should I know before I start?
Running speed, mm/s, and what a spectrum is. If those are new, do a basic vibration or maintenance course first. This one starts at the analyser setup and goes through to bearing damage and reporting.
Does this make me a certified vibration analyst?
No. Category certification under ISO 18436-2 is issued by training and examination bodies that run their own courses and their own exams, and EDWartens is not one of them and is not affiliated with any of them. Treat this course as preparation and background reading. What EDWartens issues is its own Certificate of Completion, and it is described as nothing more than that.
Does it cover oil analysis, thermography and motor current analysis?
No. The video lessons in this course are vibration based. Oil and wear debris analysis, thermography, ultrasound and motor current signature analysis are named in the notes as the other legs of a condition monitoring programme, but they are not taught here.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, every practice task and every assessment. You create an account so that your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want one.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you have finished every module and passed the final at 60 per cent, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
Mobius Institute, on their own YouTube channel, and they are credited at the foot of this page. EDWartens did not make the videos, does not host or sell them, and is not affiliated with Mobius Institute. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module