Shaft alignment certification through the Vibration Institute
In 2006 the Board of Directors of the Vibration Institute voted to begin the process of certification in shaft alignment. A technical review committee was formed to develop the Vibration Institute Guideline 2 - Requirements for Training and Certification of Personnel - Alignment of Rotating Machines. There are four categories of certification through the Vibration Institute. Currently, the requirements for Category II have been finalized and testing began in 2008. Work is continuing to establish the requirements for the three remaining categories with the eventual goal to achieve approval from the International Standards Organization (ISO) similar to the approval granted for vibration analysts (ISO 18436).
Certification Testing Information
Category II
Individuals certified to Category II are qualified personnel who are certified to perform industrial machinery alignments using the Reverse Radial Method and Face-Rim Method according to established and recognized procedures. Personnel certified to Category II: Machine alignment require all the knowledge and skills as listed in Annex A and shall:
a) understand the detrimental consequences of poor alignment on rotating machinery;
b) understand the nonintrusive methods of detecting misalignment on running rotating machinery (i.e. visual inspections, vibration analysis, and thermography methods);
c) be proficient in the use and care of basic measuring tools and instruments (e.g. feeler gauges, dial indicators, and laser - detector systems);
d) be able to identify excessive runout conditions;
e) be able to identify and correct soft foot problems;
f) be able to identify excessive piping strain;
g) understand alignment tolerances and how misalignment is measured;
h) basic rough alignment methods
i) perform the Reverse Radial method;
j) perform the Face-Rim method;
k) apply basic mathematical and graphical modeling principles for alignment;
l) Determine effective alignment corrections using the Reverse Radial and Face-Rim methods. Understand the concepts that: all machines are movable, that there is an infinite number of solutions to any misalignment condition, that movement restrictions should be taken into consideration, how to superimpose these restrictions onto the alignment model, and how to arrive at an alignment solution that is effective and nondestructive to the machinery;
m) keep records of alignment work;
n) understand and apply safety practices.
The Category II Certification test is two hours in length. For information on how to get certified through the Vibration Institute, you may contact them directly by phone 630-654-2254, e-mail (vibinstit@att.net), or visit their web site http://www.vibinst.org/.
What you need to know about Accreditation and Certification
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) does not accredit organizations to certify personnel to any standards (e.g vibration analysis, balancing, or shaft alignment).
ISO does not certify individuals to the categories listed in its standards. It is incorrect to use the term “ISO certified”. Only an accredited, certifying organization can issue a certificate to an individual who has met the minimum qualifications of a given category.
ISO publishes the documents (known as standards) which third party organizations use to accredit organizations and certify personnel. An accredited, third party organization must conform to requirements set by ISO to operate as an entity to accredit or certify people. The document ISO/IEC 17024, Conformity Assessment - General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification to Personnel, sets forth the criteria for third parties to operate as certifying body. These third party organizations must be audited by an representative of ISO in that country. In the United States for example, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the ISO representative. The Vibration Institute has been accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by ANSI.