Testing Standards

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Industry testing standards have been developed and improved upon based on historical data. Wayne Tustin, founder and former president of the Equipment Reliability Institute at Santa Barbara, CA, notes that many vibration standards find their historical roots in the military. In many cases, these standards were “written around” shaker capabilities of the time.

Many original standards have a good foundation but are no longer valid. Nevertheless, some are still in use. In the following anecdote, Tustin helps us to understand why some of the standards are still used today:

“Here is a non-vibration example: the standard US railway gauge (distance between centers of the tracks) is 4 feet 8.5 inches. Why? Because that was the gage of the earliest railway equipment, imported from England. Why? Because that was the gage of English tram cars. Why? Because that was the gage of English wagons. Why? Because that was the spacing of the ruts on early British roads. Why? Because that was the gage of Roman chariots, brought in by the conquerors. Why? Because that was the width of the rear ends of a pair of Roman horses” (Tustin, pg. 197).

Over the years, many standards have been updated to reflect new technology, testing abilities, and industrial requirements. For example, MIL-STD-810 provides test requirements for a range of vibrations—from gunfire to transport shock—and is revised as weapons and transportation methods change.

Two organizations working to establish product testing standards are ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials) and ISTA (International Safe Transit Association). These organizations have established numerous test standards for various industries. Research and development teams must demonstrate the quality, safety, and reliability of their product by meeting or exceeding these standards.

Figure 1. A list of ASTM standard test profiles in the VibrationVIEW control software.

ASTM was founded in 1898 by a group of engineers and scientists who wanted to solve frequent rail breaks in the railroad industry. Their work led to the development of standards in the steel industry that improved rail construction. ASTM now develops standards for a range of industrial needs and has contributed to safer, longer-lasting, and more cost-effective products.

Testing standards ensure that industries provide safe and usable products for the market. A lack of standards could lead to poorly constructed products or, even worse, disaster.