VCAT-IV Expert Vibration Analyst

Achieve the highest status as a vibration analysis professional – capable of handling any condition that may be presented, capable of performing any test, fully understanding flexible rotor machinery - with advanced 3D animations and interactive simulations that make everything easy to understand.

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Congratulations on being ready to tackle the Mount Everest of vibration analysis.

The good news is you are in the right place. We have developed an amazing set of 3D animations and simulations that even make the Category IV topics relatively easy to understand. Topics that were once only suitable for PhDs and math geniuses are now accessible to practical vibration analysts – as it should be.

There is a lot to learn. You are required to take 64 hours of training according to ISO 18436-2, but we provide over 80 hours with combined online learning and 5-day in person learning (including Day 5 optional certification exam). To make it easier to master all the topics on the syllabus, and to minimize travel and accommodation requirements, we have created videos that cover all the topics. You can watch them again and again until the topics and techniques are crystal clear.

When you are ready, you must attend the face-to-face course where the instructor will review the topics and take you through a series of “worked examples” until you feel ready for the exam.

This training process will ensure you understand the topics so that you can apply the techniques in your role as the expert vibration analysts.

This training process will also help you achieve the pinnacle of the vibration world – the ISO Category IV Vibration Analyst.

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Learn More about VCAT-IV Training and Certification

  • Like two courses in one

    The topics are roughly broken into two groups:

    1. There is an entire course that could be called “Category III on steroids”. Many of the topics you covered in Category III are covered again but we go into more detail. Those topics include signal processing, dynamics, ODS, modal analysis, and so on.
    2. And then the course goes into overdrive. Now you get into the topics that are unique to Category IV. You will learn about fluid film bearings and flexible rotors, including measurements with proximity probes, diagnosing a variety of fault conditions, and even balancing flexible rotors.
  • Mobius animations and simulations to the rescue

    Category IV does cover a lot of practical content, but there is a good dose of theory as well. It is the theory and the calculations that can intimidate many vibration analysts. But we have done our best to make it all understandable and achievable. We provide you with a long list of worked examples with clear explanations on how to perform the calculations. But we also have animations and simulations that let you understand exactly what is going on. Rather than abstract concepts that only PhDs feel comfortable with, you will be able to connect theory with reality because you will see it right there on the screen.

    Once you complete the training, you can take the exam with confidence, and become certified to ISO 18436-2 Category IV via the internationally respected Mobius Institute Board of Certification™ [MIBoC]. The MIBoC certification is accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 – there is no higher standard. You will join thousands of other Mobius™ certified analysts around the world.

  • Why learn with Mobius Institute™?

    There are three major reasons why over 4,000 vibration analysts choose Mobius Institute every year:

    1. We make complex topics simple with amazing 3D animations and simulations that make you say, “Ah, now I get it!”
    2. We give you access to the entire course before the class begins so you are better prepared, and for six months after the course, just in case you still have questions
    3. We use anonymous, stress-free polling throughout the course, so you know if you truly understand each topic, and the instructor knows not to move on to the next topic – no student is left behind

    There are many other reasons why vibration analysts, and their managers, choose Mobius Institute.

  • How can I take this course?

    We offer the ultimate flexibility:

    • PUBLIC: You can take the public, instructor-led course with other people like you. You can find a public course here.
    • VIRTUAL: You take the course from the comfort and safety of your computer, with an instructor guiding you through the course. You can find a virtual course here.
    • ON-SITE: You can invite the instructor to your site and save yourself the cost, hassle, and risk. You can find partners who can deliver the course here.
    • VIDEO: You can have the ultimate in safety and flexibility by watching a video of the course. You can watch it multiple times! You can place your order here.
  • VCAT-IV Candidate profile
    This course is intended for the vibration analyst who will:
    • You have a minimum of five years of experience
    • Have a senior role in the condition monitoring team but you want to go beyond and truly reach the peak of the vibration world
    • Be able to understand the measurements associated with critical turbomachinery and other fluid-film bearing machines
    • Be able to do everything the Category III can do – only better!
  • VCAT-IV fast facts

    Duration:

    • 64 hours: Everything on video, then a 5-day course with exam

    Format:

    • VCAT IV is a two-part course.  Part 1 is a distance learning online course.  Part 2 is a public classroom instructor-led course

    Compliance:

    • Training and certification: ISO 18436-2
    • Certification: ISO 18436-1, ISO/IEC 17024
    • Training: ISO 18436-3

    Exam:

    • Five hours
    • 60 multiple-choice questions, with calculations required
    • 70% passing grade
    • Can be taken online or in-person at the course

    Certification requirements:

    • Training course completed
    • 60-months of vibration analysis experience, verified by an independent person
    • Pass the exam
    • Valid for 5 years
    • Have previously been VCAT-III certified by an approved certification body

    Pre-study:

    • You will be required to watch over 64 hours of videos

    Post-study:

    • Continue to access the movies for 4-months after the course
    • Continue learning, without charge, on Mobius CONNECT® via www.mobiusconnect.com
  • Which topics are covered?
    There is a great deal to learn, but it will help you to perform your role with confidence. The topics covered in this course include:
    • Advanced signal processing
    • Cross channel measurements
    • Dynamics (mass/stiffness/damping, natural frequencies, modes)
    • Resonance testing (run-up/coast down tests, impact tests, ODS, modal analysis)
    • Corrective action (flow control, resonance correction, isolation, and damping)
    • Proximity probe and casing measurements
    • Orbit and centerline plot analysis
    • Rotor dynamics (natural frequencies, modelling)
    • Journal bearings (design, fluid film instabilities)
    • Flexible rotor balancing
    • Torsional vibration

    The key is that on the VCAT-IV course you will transition from being a very good vibration analyst to a vibration super-hero!

  • Why become certified by Mobius Institute Board of Certification?

    Vibration Analysis Category IV (VCAT-IV) Certification

    • You should be recognized for your achievements; not everyone is up to the challenge of understanding vibration analysis, let alone successfully collecting data and utilizing it
    • Being certified by an accredited certification organization is a major step up from simply passing a test. Yes, the process is a little more complicated and stricter, but that is for very good reasons
    • The educational process is extremely valuable, but being certified tells an employer (or a consulting client) that you are capable of doing an important job

    Mobius Institute has certified more vibration analysts than any other organization and we have only been offering certification since 2005. Almost 40,000 vibration analysts around the world, just like you, chose Mobius Institute for a good reason.

    You will receive a digitally encrypted certificate, an ID card, and a personalized logo that you should use in email signatures and elsewhere that you want people to know about your achievements.

  • VCAT-IV training and certification requirements
    In order to be certified you must:
    • Complete a MIBoC approved training course (click here for a list of approved courses).
    • Achieve 70% or higher on the certification exam (100 multiple choice questions, duration 5 hours).
    • Have sixty (60) months of practical vibration analysis work experience, verified by an independent person.
    • Have previously been VCAT-III certified by a MIBoC approved certification body.

    Certification is valid for 5 years.

    If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 60-month milestone, please contact MIBoC to be upgraded to full certification.

    You can learn more about the certification process here or download our Vibration Analysis Certification Guide here.

  • A detailed list of training course topics
    Here are the main topics covered on the VCAT-IV course:
    • Principles of vibration
      • Vectors, modulation
      • Phase
      • Natural frequency, resonance, critical speeds
      • Force, response, damping, stiffness
      • Instabilities, non-linear systems
      • Torsional vibration
      • Instrumentation
      • Proximity probe operation, conventions, glitch removal
      • Shaft and casing measurements
    • Signal processing
      • RMS / peak detection
      • Analog/digital conversion
      • Analog sampling, digital sampling
      • FFT computation
      • Filters: low pass, high pass, band pass, tracking
      • Anti-aliasing
      • Bandwidth, resolution
      • Noise reduction
      • Averaging: linear, synchronous time, exponential
      • Dynamic range
      • Signal-to-noise ratio
      • Spectral maps
    • Fault analysis
      • Spectrum analysis, harmonics, sidebands
      • Time waveform analysis
      • Orbit analysis
      • Shaft centerline analysis
      • Transient analysis
      • Unbalance, bent shaft, cracked shaft, eccentricity, rubs, instabilities
      • Resonance and critical speeds
      • Turbomachinery
    • Phase analysis
      • Transient analysis
      • Enveloping
      • Electric motor defects
      • Flow-induced vibration, aerodynamics, and liquids
      • General fault recognition
    • Rotor/bearing dynamics
      • Rotor/bearing dynamics
      • Rotor characteristics
      • Rotor modeling (rotor, wheels, bearings, aerodynamic effects)
      • Bearing characteristics (fluid film bearings, housing, and supports, seals, couplings)
    • Corrective action
      • Flow control
      • Isolation and damping
      • Resonance control
      • Low and high-speed shop balancing
      • Field balancing (single plane, two plane, static/couple, flexible rotor)
    • Equipment testing and diagnostics
      • Impact testing
      • Forced response testing
      • Transient analysis
      • Transfer functions
      • Damping evaluation
      • Cross channel phase, coherence
      • Operating deflection shapes
      • Modal analysis
    • Fault severity determination
      • Spectrum analysis
      • Time waveform analysis, orbit analysis
      • Severity charts, graphs and formula
    • Reference standards
      • ISO
      • IEC
      • Relevant national standards

Frequently Asked Questions

Some of the more common questions regarding our VCAT-IV Expert Analyst course

  • WILL I RECEIVE PRE-COURSE STUDY MATERIALS?

    Upon course registration all students will receive an instructional email with a link to the TMS (Training Management System) to finalize their course registration and student profile.  Once registration is complete you will see a link to the applicable online Learning Zone under the training course tab in your student profile.  (Category IV training does not include the online Learning Zone). The Learning Zone provides a digital version of the coursebook and also a series of folders containing movies. These movies are actual course videos, recorded in a studio, and contain similar content taught in the Instructor-led course.

  • WHAT IS A LEARNING ZONE ACCOUNT?

    Every registered student will receive an instructional email to finalize their course registration. They will also receive a link to the TMS (Training Management System) where upon accessing they select the training course where they are able to access their personal Learning Zone. The account provides a digital version of the coursebook and also a series of folders containing movies. These movies are actual course videos, recorded in a studio, and contain the same content taught in the Instructor-led course the student is registered in. The Learning Zone Account may be used for pre-course study materials, review during the course week, reference after the course, or used to re-take the course and re-sit your certification exam. The account is activated at the time the student registers for the course and expires 4 months after the close date of the course they will be attending.

  • DO YOU OFFER UNLIMITED LEARNING ACCESS?

    Yes, learn forever with Mobius Institute “Life Long Learning”. Receive access to video trainings for a lifetime as a past, present, and future Mobius Institute student. As a student you can continue to access the training videos.  Regardless of whether you attend a public course or an onsite course or purchased an online distance learning. For a nominal cost of the equivalent distance learning course fee, past, present, and future Mobius Institute vibration students can continue to access the training videos forever. To upgrade either select the option – Life Long Learning Upgrade using this link – Life Long Learning Upgrade Link or contact your training partner directly.

  • MAY I TAKE ONE OF YOUR COURSES IF I AM NOT INTERESTED IN BECOMING CERTIFIED OR IF I HAVE INSUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE FOR CERTIFICATION?

    Yes, our courses are open to the public, regardless of experience. If you are involved in vibration analysis or rotating machinery in any capacity, such as sales, marketing, engineering, design, or reliability, you will come away with a far better understanding of how machines are monitored, how faults develop, and what can be done to determine what faults actually exist in a machine. All attendees receive certificates of completion. Candidates without sufficient experience will still receive a certificate if they pass the exam, but it will note that their experience was insufficient for ISO certification at the time.

  • AFTER I ATTEND YOUR COURSE AND TAKE THE EXAM, WHEN WILL I RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS AS TO WHETHER I PASSED, AND WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY CERTIFICATE?

    You will receive notification of your results 5-10 days after the exam has been received at our Australian office. If you have passed the exam and met all certification requirements, you will receive your Digital Certificate 10-15 days after your exam results notification email.

  • HOW LONG IS THE CERTIFICATION VALID?

    Vibration analysis certification is valid for five (5) years.

  • HOW DO I RENEW MY CERTIFICATION?

    We will endeavor to contact you before your certification expires, therefore it is important that you keep your TMS records up to date (TMS is the training management system you will use to register for the course and for certification). If you change roles, it is essential that you update your records. We also invite you to set a reminder in your calendar for five years hence to contact us.

  • HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR RENEWAL?

    As per the standard, we do not require you to attend our conferences or take our courses, however, we hope you will take advantage of www.mobiusconnect.com and the sites linked to Mobius CONNECT so that your knowledge remains current. These sites are free of charge. When it is time to renew your certification, we will ask you to nominate an independent person who can verify that you are still active as a vibration analyst. There will be a small fee to renew your digital certificate and to renew your certification status with the accreditation body.

  • WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR VCAT IV?

    You must have 60 months of experience in vibration data collection and analysis. You will be asked to nominate an independent person who can verify that you have that experience.

    Certification to VCAT IV also requires previous certification to VCAT III by a MIBoC approved certification body.

VCAT-IV Vibration Analyst

Something about the learning doesn’t stop with VCAT-IV, but just begins… see our other VCAT courses….

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