An entire industry has been built around the modal exciter and modal excitation. These devices, which project the amount of movement in structures before they have even been built, have become a necessary staple in the engineering industry.

The equipment is a bit difficult to explain to the uninitiated, but basically what it does is measure the “chatter” or rattling of the machine parts when a machine is used at full capacity. Experts then take the information given to them by the exciter and try to work out ways in which to counter this movement. Measuring excitation is important become some structures may break apart under their own force, putting lives in danger. For instance, a shaking drive shaft in the screw of a huge tanker may become a danger over time. The rattling is bound to weaken the metal, and the drive shaft could crack. A crack in this vital part could put the lives of everyone aboard the vessel in peril, and therefore must be avoided at all costs.

Bridges are another structure that must be carefully tested before they are even built. Because bridges are often used to span bodies of water, those that use them must be kept safe. The effects of weather and wind must be considered in addition to the added weight of automobile traffic. Movement around the cables of a suspension bridge could weaken the entire structure, and must be kept under control. Bridges are a special case because the combination of traffic and weather create great stress that must be considered in the initial planning stages.

Weapon and missile sites make great use of these devices, it is essential to keep these places as safe as possible for the people who work and live in the surrounding areas. Cooling towers and missile silos for nuclear production can be extremely dangerous places, and so engineers must work to make these places as safe as possible. If you have ever listened to an engine hum and thought that it sounded different than it normally does, then you have heard the sort of excitation that engineers strive to avoid through the use of these devices.

Machines that measure excitation in structures are able to pick up on just about any frequency. The frequency gives insight into how much give will exist within a structure and informs engineers as to how much work is ahead of them in reducing this problem. Devices that measure excitation are not only used for bridges and large engines, but have more everyday uses than one might expect. The engine in the car you drive was once considered by such a machine; in fact the motor industry utilizes one for all engine models. Any machine used in construction has undergone excitation measurement before being placed on the market. Power generators are tested as well, in order to ensure that they will function correctly.

Engineers utilize these machines constantly in order to ensure public safety. In fact, they are finding more and more uses for such devices as technology continues to progress.

Author Bio: Penny Lane recently met with an engineer who could explain the use of a modal exciter and its benefits. She observed machines that measure modal excitation in structures.

Category: Business
Keywords: modal exciter,modal excitation