ISO CAT II Vibration Analysis Certification – Cobourg, ON
6 October 2025 – 8:30 am – 10 October 2025 – 4:30 pm
SDT’s Live In-Person ISO CAT II Vibration Analysis Certification
ISO CAT II Vibration Analysis Certification Course
A Statement about SDT’s Training Approach
One of the core missions of SDT Ultrasound Solutions is delivering high-quality, research-based condition monitoring training that creates confident, competent, and safe reliability practitioners. We accomplish this by carefully considering your training needs, and the unique challenges you may face at your facility and incorporating solutions into our training.
We know there are difficulties adults encounter when tasked with adding new technologies and skills to their skillset, and we’ve geared our course material for the way that adults learn. SDT Ultrasound Solutions’ inspectors bring experiences and self-awareness when they teach, approaching education from three specific domains.
Cognitive Knowledge
This domain refers to the body of knowledge around any particular subject. Think of it as theoretical and foundational information. It’s the “stuff” you need to guide you when it comes time to apply your newly learned skills.
Affective Knowledge
This domain challenges your current belief structure. It produces alignments between the way you may have done things previously, and how you may do things differently with your newly learned skills.
Practical Knowledge
This domain prepares you to make a difference; challenge the status quo, and hopefully change the world. It focuses your learning development on implementation, execution, work in teams, and creating measurable outcomes.
CAT 2 Vibration Analysis Certification Basis
The performance objectives outlined below define what an individual certified as Category 2 Vibration Analysis should be able to perform. These performance objectives are based on the ISO Standard 18436-2:2014(E) and were prepared by members of the CMVA’s Training and Certification Committee.
Most of the focus for each learning objective category is outlined in the description, including vocabulary. The indicated percentages are roughly from the ISO standard, and they are in relation to the number of hours spent on each topic over the 30-hour course.
Course Performance Objectives & Examination Breakdown
Any analyst who has mastered the performance objectives defined in the following section should be able to pass the associated test. In most cases, the percentage of study time allocated to each topic is the same as the percentage of exam questions on those topics.
The exam consists of a total of 100 straightforward multiple-choice & true or false questions.
Performance Objective 1. Principles of Vibration Analysis – 10%
– Definitions, Usages, Relationships
– Calculations & Plotting
Performance Objective 2. Data Acquisition – 10%
– Technical Aspects of Vibration Analysis
– Vibration Testing, reading trends, spectrum trends, time waveforms
– Formatting Data
– Collecting Good Quality Data
Performance Objective 3. Signal Processing – 10%
– Data Sampling, Sampling Rates, Nyquist Criterion
– Time windows
– Filters, low pass, high pass, band pass, and tracking
– Averaging
Performance Objective 4. Condition Monitoring – 10%
– Maintaining a complete & accurate database
– Clean records of machines & their maintenance history
– Organized routes
Performance Objective 5. Fault Analysis – 10%
– Spectrum Analysis, Harmonics, Subharmonics, sidebands
– Use trends, baselines, and machine history to identify likely faults
– Identify frequency(s) that indicate mass unbalance, misalignment, mechanical looseness, impellor or blade problems, journal bearing defects, rolling element bearing defects, electric motor defects, resonance and critical speeds, gear problems
Performance Objective 6. Corrective Action – 10%
– Identifying the need for alignment
– Identifying the need for balancing
– Identifying safety issues
– Processes (lubrication, replacement filters, dirty fan blades, improperly adjusted valves)
– Machine Mounting Problems
– Piping Problems
Performance Objective 7. Equipment Knowledge – 10%
– Understanding basic operating principles of machinery
– Understanding forces generated within machinery
– Understand the structure of machinery
– Understand how RPM is related to principal frequencies
Performance Objective 8. Acceptance Testing – 10%
– Ability to perform a vibration test procedure as per guidelines
Performance Objective 9. Equipment Testing & Diagnostics – 5%
– Define Frequency Response Function
– Excitation, Harmonic Excitation
– Single-channel bump test, 2-channel impulse hammer frequency response test, etc.
– Give examples of situations where the tests above would be appropriate
Performance Objective 10. Reference Standards – 5%
– Difference between overall vibration & filtered vibration
– Define IEC with regard to vibration standards & severity charts
Performance Objective 11. Reporting & Documentation – 5%
– Condition Monitoring Reports
– Documentation
– Vibration Diagnostics Reports
Performance Objective 12. Fault Severity Determination – 5%
– Severity charts & which parameters related to faults (amplitude, displacement, velocity, acceleration
– Determine fault severity based on severity charts
– Prioritize maintenance tasks
