If anyone has ever wondered what a modal exciter is, then look no further. Modal excitation is the process in which the movement of a structure is measured even before the building process is finished. Since there are more high-rise buildings going up every day, this process is necessary so that the strains on the building are known long before people occupy these spaces.

In a machine, the noise or ‘chatter’ that the machine makes will tell experts if it is working efficiently or not. If there is undue movement in a machine, then there will also be undue wear and tear too. This will become apparent in engines which could have a part shatter if enough pressure is put on it. Imagine if this piece then is in a car engine and what will transpire later.

In ships, the engine is particularly important since this is the only mode of acceleration. The huge ‘screw’ that pushes the ship through the water has to be made to very fine parameters otherwise cracks will appear in it. Once this happens, it is next to useless and one can imagine what will happen to a ship if it has no engine. In high waters this could actually have the ship floundering onto rocks or sinking completely along with its full crew and millions of dollars worth of cargo.

In the same way, bridges which span waterways have to be tested in the same way. Not only do they have to contend with the weight of the traffic, they also have to put up with the buffeting of the winds too. In suspension bridges, the weight of the bridge is taken on cables. This is really the weak link of the bride and any movement here could cause the cables to snap. Once one goes, the rest will take up the strain but this will surely not last long. Much like a zipper unzipping when pressure is put on it, the cables will also give up the ghost when undue pressure is applied.

Indeed, one such structure in the UK did not get tested properly for pressure on the cables. The result was this brand new bridge having to have several lanes closed, in both directions, soon after it was built because the authorities had not done the math correctly. The bridge actually started to bend under the pressure of the traffic and winds experienced so it was half closed for the duration of its life. This obviously was a great waste of tax payers money and the scandal has never been lived down.

This sort of system has many uses and they are more common in any industry to do with engines. If anyone has ever noticed an unusual humming noise in their cars, this is a good example of something going wrong which these highly tuned machines will pick up immediately. Companies which undertake this kind of work have websites on the internet and it is only a matter of browsing there to find out more information on this fascinating subject matter.

Author Bio: Ellie Lewis recently met with an engineer who could explain the use of a modal exciter and its benefits. She was very impressed with modal excitation and its benefits.

Category: Business
Keywords: modal exciter,modal excitation