RANDOM VIBRATION – AN OVERVIEW By

FRANCIS J. ANDREWS Principal Engineer

Barry Controls, Watertown, MA ABSTRACT Random vibration is becoming increasingly recognized as the most realistic method of simulating the dynamic environment of military applications. Whereas the use of random vibration specifications was previously limited to particular missile applications, its use has been extended to areas in which sinusoidal vibration has historically predominated, including propeller driven aircraft and even moderate shipboard environments. These changes have evolved from the growing awareness that random motion is the rule, rather than the exception, and from advances in electronics which improve our ability to measure and duplicate complex dynamic environments. The purpose of this article is to present some fundamental concepts of random vibration which should be understood when designing a structure or an isolation system.