An existing senior level elective course on vibration in Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Georgia Southern University has been modified significantly. Two major components have been added to this course. Those are theoretical topics on preventive maintenance and laboratory experiments. As a part of laboratory experiments, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was introduced as a possible tool for vibration analysis for the purposes of machine diagnosis. Utilizing the current laboratory set up for the data acquisition systems, LabView software has been used for FFT analysis of signals from various sources. Four different modules were developed and implemented. The modules are as follows: random variation in acceleration of a toy cart due to roughness of the track and pulley, regular uniform wave signal which is generated by the lateral vibration of a cantilever beam at its natural frequency, signal generated by the imported raw data from other sources (e.g. MATLAB) and vibration signal of a shaft mounted on ball bearings in order to detect the defects in the bearing. Each of these modules is illustrated in this paper with suitable examples and suggested student activities and involvements. The results from FFT analysis have been cross checked using other methods and observations. As a follow up, students have been taken to a local industry where significant amount of emphasis is given to preventive maintenance of machineries by vibration data analysis using FFT. Future possible projects include the analysis of vibration data gathered from actual machine shop. This project opens the scope for greater collaborative effort between local industries and classroom activities.
Board # 63 : Teaching Microcontrollers with Emphasis on Control Applications in the Undergraduate Engineering Technology Program