PCE-VM 20 Vibration Analyzer User Manual
- June 3, 2024
- PCE
Table of Contents
PCE-VM 20 Vibration Analyzer User Manual
Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for
the first time. The device may only be used by qualified personnel and
repaired by PCE Instruments personnel.
Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from
our liability and not covered by our warranty.
- The device must only be used as described in this instruction manual. If used otherwise, this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
- The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do not expose the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.
- Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
- Do not expose the meter to magnetic fields, corrosive media or dust.
- The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
- Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
- You must not make any technical changes to the device.
- The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner, no abrasives or solvents.
- The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
- Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not use the device.
- Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
- The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under any circumstances.
- Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to the user.
- Do not place the sensor on surfaces which are subject to high voltages to avoid injuries.
- Keep the sensor cable away from rotating objects.
We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this
manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our
general terms of business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details
can be found at the end of this manual.
Specifications
Technical specifications
| Specification | Description |
|---|---|
| Measurement range | Frequency: 1… 10000 Hz |
Vibration acceleration: 0…200 m/s² (RMS and Peak)
Vibration velocity: 0… 200 mm/s (RMS) Vibration displacement: 0… 2000 µm (Peak-Peak)
Accuracy| Vibration: ±5 %
Temperature: ±0.5 % (0 … +60 °C)
±1 % (-40 … +120 °C)
±2 % (-70 … +180 °C)
±4 % (-70 … +380 °C)
Revolutions: ±0.1 % ±1 rpm
Resolution| FFT spectrum 400, 800, 1600 lines
Operating modes| Vibration mode
Measurable parameters| Vibration [Hz], acceleration [mm/s2], velocity [mm/s],
displacement [µm], real-time FFT spectrum
Units| Metric [Hz, mm/s², mm/s, µm]
Data transfer| USB 2.0
Memory| 4 GB microSD card
Battery life| Up to 8 h continuous operation
Power supply| Rechargeable lithium polymer battery
Display| 128 x 160 colour LCD, easy to read in sunlight
Environmental conditions| -10 … +55 °C / 14 … 131 °F
≤80 % RH, non-condensing
Dimensions| 132 mm x 70 mm x 33 mm
Weight| 150 g
Specifications of the sensor
| Model | Specifications | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acceleration sensor AC 102-1A | Sensitivity | 100 mV/g |
| Frequency response | ±3 dB (0.5… 15000 Hz) |
±10 % (2.0… 10000 Hz)
Dynamic range| ±50 g, peak
Power supply (IEPE)| 18 … 30 V DC
Constant current source| 2 … 10 mA
Spectral noise| at 10 Hz: 14 µg/√Hz
at 100 Hz: 2.3 µg/√Hz
at 1000 Hz: 2 µg/√Hz
Output impedance| <100 Ω
Bias voltage| 10 … 14 V DC
Housing insulation| >100 MΩ
Environmental conditions| -50 … +121 °C
Maximum impact protection| 5000 g, peak
Resonant frequency| 23000 Hz
Housing material| 316L stainless steel
Connection| 2 Pin MIL-C-5015
Protection class| IP68
Weight| 90 g
Delivery contents
- 1 x vibration meter PCE-VM 20
- 1 x magnetic acceleration sensor with cable (1.8 m / 5.9 ft)
- 1 x USB cable with charger (100… 240 V AC)
- 1 x PC software
- 1 x user manual
Optional accessories
REFB reflecting tape
System description
The PCE-VM 20 is a compact meter for vibration analysis that measures all vibration parameters (acceleration, velocity, displacement, frequency, amplitude). Via Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT), machine vibration is directly analysed and represented graphically. The graphical representation can be adapted to the respective vibration mode. In line with the standard ISO 10816, the readings are also evaluated and classified by colours. For machine monitoring, the meter has a route mode for route-based data acquisition and the collected data can be organised via the computer software.
Device
- TFT LCD colour display
- Membrane keypad
- Magnetic acceleration sensor
Interfaces
- Connection socket (2-pin MIL-C-5015) for magnetic acceleration sensor
- USB 2.0 port
Function keys
| Key | Designation | Functions |
|---|
| On/off| On (3 s)
Off (press and release)
| Enter| Entry, confirmation,
start mesurement
| Up| Navigate up, change
measurement mode during vibration measurement
| Down| Navigate down
| Left| Navigate left, select
parameters in menu
| Right| Navigate right, select
parameters in menu
| Option key F1| Call up
additional functions
| Menu| Navigate to relevant
settings
| Back| Back, complete
measurement
Getting started
Power supply
The meter is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer battery. For charging,
connect the meter to the power supply via the USB cable. If the meter is
turned off and the connection is correct, a red LED will glow during charging.
Start-up
To start the device, press and hold for approx. 3 seconds, until the
green LED below the PCE logo starts glowing. The main menu will be shown as
start screen. Make the following settings first.
To do so, go to “Settings“ by pressing the navigation key
and confirm with Enter .
Date and time
In the sub-menu “Settings“, use the
keys to go to “Date/Time“ and confirm with Enter
.
Press F1 and select the month and year
with the keys. Then release F1 and select the day. Confirm
with Enter to get to the time setting.
Set the minutes by using the navigation keys 
. Press the Menu key
to go to „Hours“. When this field has been selected, it will be bordered in
red. Set the hours with the navigation keys
. Confirm your entry by pressing
Enter .
Sensors
The sensor setting is only relevant for vibration measurement. In the sub-menu
„Settings“, use the keys to
go to ”Sensors“ and confirm with Enter 
. Use the keys
to set the sensor used for
vibration measurement. You can choose either the IEPE sensor (Sensor1) or a
sensor with charge output (Sensor2). Navigate to further settings with the
Menu key . “Type“, “S.N“ and “Sens.“ can
be changed via the keys
and the respective digit of the value can be selected via the navigation keys
.
Under “Units“, the unit for the respective sensor can be set to mV/g or
pC/ms2.
The IEPE sensor is pre-selected.
Unit
The “Units“ setting is “metric“ and cannot be changed.
Automatische Power Off
In the sub-menu “Settings“, navigate to “Auto OFF“ by using the keys
and confirm with Enter
. Set the desired power off time
with the keys
and confirm your entry with .
Doc Fields…
The setting „Doc Fields“ is not available.
Operation
Vibration measurement
Connect the acceleration sensor AC 102-1A to connection socket 1 of the meter.
In the main menu, select “Vibrometer“ by using the keys
and confirm your selection with
Enter .
Selection
Now select one out of four measuring modes. To do so, navigate up and down
with the keys to highlight the desired mode. If you wish to previously change
the settings for the selected parameter, press the Menu key
(See 5.1.1). If you do not wish to change the setting, directly press
Enter to enter measurement mode.
| Measuring mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Acceleration | Vibration acceleration [mm/s2] |
| Velocity | Vibration velocity [mm/s] |
| Displacement | Vibration displacement [µm] |
| ISO 10816 | Analysis mode according to the standard ISO 10816 [mm/s] |
In ISO 10816 analysis mode, readings are compared to the following chart
according to the standard ISO 10816. As shown in the following images, in ISO
10816 mode the meter will show the current RMS value in the colour it has in
the ISO 10816 chart.
Machine vibration (DIN ISO 10816)
A – very good, B – good, C – critical, D – prohibited
Vibration velocity measurements should be made in three axis directions (X, Y and Z axis), vertical to the surface of the machine housing.
Setting the measuring mode
When you see the desired measuring mode on the screen, press the Menu
key to enter the sub-menu. Navigate
to the settings you wish to make by using the
keys and change the values with
the 
keys.
Then press the Back key to go back to measurement mode selection.
| Function | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Low Freq | Lower frequency limit | 1, 2, 10 Hz |
| Hi Freq | Upper frequency limit | 200 … 10000 Hz for acceleration measurement |
200 … 5000 Hz for velocity measurement
200 … 800 Hz for displacement measurement
FFT lines| FFT resolution| 400, 800, 1600 lines
Trigger| Not available| /
Averaging| Averaging| 0 … 64 values, 0 = averaging deactivated
Window| Window setting| Hanning, rectangular
ISO Group| ISO setting
(Must be adapted to the machine type in line with the chart under 5.1)
| R1&3: group 1&3 hard F1&3: group 1&3 stretch R2&4: group 2&4 hard F2&4: group 2&4 stretch
Measurement
If you have not yet selected a measuring mode, start with chapter 5.1
Vibration measurement.
Otherwise confirm your selected measurement mode by pressing Enter .
The measurement will be started. In the following image, you can see FFT mode.
The display will look the same in any measurement mode. Only the parameters
are different.
- FFT graphic
- FFT mode
- Peak-Peak value
- Max. amplitude and frequency of FFT
- Unit of measuring mode
- Current RMS value
Via the F1 key, the chart of measured
values can be displayed during the measurement. Via the navigation key
, you can switch between FFT
analysis and time signal. The time signal is shown in the following image.
- Time signal graphic
- Time signal
- Peak-Peak value
- Max. amplitude and consecutive sample number
- Unit of measuring mode
- Current RMS value
Further measuring functions
Press the Menu key during the measurement to open
further measuring functions. Go tot he settings you wish to make by using the
keys
and change the values with the keys. Then press the Back key
to continue the measurement.
| Function | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Save | Save data | / |
| Format | Format of graphic | linear, log |
| Zoom | Zoom graphic | all, 1 pixel, 2 pixels |
| Audio Out | Change volume | 0 … 100 % |
Save data
As described above, go to the menu for further measuring functions and select
“Save“. Confirm your selection by pressing Enter .
The existing folders (**folder name) and files (file name.fft) are displayed.
If you wish to create a new folder, press F1
.
The standard folder and file names consist of the date and time. The names can
be changed in the PC software. Navigate to the target and press the Menu
key to save the measurement.
Route measurement
For machine monitoring, the meter has a route mode for route-based data
acquisition and the collected data can be organised via the computer software.
To do so, the PC software that comes with the meter must be installed and the
meter must be connected to the PC.
Route creation
Enable the upload function for “templates“.
To do so, either click on the tool icon (highlighted) in the bar or access the
function via ”Service → Setup“.
Tick the box in front of “upload templates as route- file into USB-devices“.
Confirm your entry by clicking on the “Save“ button.
Use the same folder structure as in the image (Folder „TOP1“ + three subfolders, folder name is irrelevant).
Right-click on the third subfolder “PNT1“.
Click on “Add template“, as in the picture.
The “Device choice“ window will open.
Click on ”PCE-VM 20“ to select the device.
Set the measuring parameters for the route measurement. Save the entered data
by clicking on the “Save“ button. Create as many route files as you need.
Select the created route files with you mouse and click on the icon “upload selected data to the device“ which is highlighted in the menu. The files have now been transferred and saved to the meter.
How to make a route measurement
Connect the acceleration sensor to connection socket 1 of the meter and attach
the measuring head of the sensor to the measurement spot on the machine. In
the main menu, use the navigation key to go to ”Documents“ and confirm
with Enter . Find the route file
(routes.src) in “Documents“ and confirm with Enter .
The file could be in a subfolder.
Select the route point with the keys. As you can see from the
images, the route points are numbered by “point …” in the upper left corner.
Start the route measurement by pressing Enter .
In route measurement mode, the readings are collected in line with the set
parameters.
Wait until “100 %“ is displayed on the screen. The file is saved to
“Documents“. To leave route measurement, press the Back key .
Contact
If you have any questions, suggestions or technical problems, please do not hesitate to contact us. You will find the relevant contact information at the end of this user manual.
Disposal
For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the
European Parliament applies.
Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as
household waste. They must be given to collection points designed for that
purpose.
In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back.
We either re-use them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of
the devices in line with law.
For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in
accordance with your local waste regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.
PCE Instruments contact information
Germany
PCE Deutschland GmbH Im Langel 4 D-59872 Meschede Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0) 2903 976 99 0
Fax: +49 (0) 2903 976 99 29
info@pce-instruments.com
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch
Germany
Produktions- and Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH Im Langel 26 D-59872 Meschede
Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0) 2903 976 99 471
Fax: +49 (0) 2903 976 99 9971
info@pce-instruments.com
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch
The Netherlands
PCE Brookhuis B.V. Institutenweg 15 7521 PH Enschede Nederland
Telefoon: +31 (0)53 737 01 92
Fax: +31 53 430 36 46
info@pcebenelux.nl
www.pce-instruments.com/dutch
United States of America
PCE Americas Inc. 711 Commerce Way suite 8 Jupiter / Palm Beach 33458 FL USA
Tel: +1 561-320-9162
Fax: +1 561-320-9176
info@pce-americas.com
www.pce-instruments.com/us
France
PCE Instruments France EURL 23, rue de Strasbourg 67250 Soultz-Sous-Forets
France
Telephone: +33 (0) 972 3537 17 Numero de
fax: +33 (0) 972 3537 18
info@pce-france.fr
www.pce-instruments.com/french
United Kingdom
PCE Instruments UK Ltd Units 11 Southpoint Business Park Ensign Way,
Southampton Hampshire United Kingdom, S031 4RF
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 98703 0
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 98703 9
info@industrial-needs.com
www.pce-instruments.com/english
Chile
PCE Instruments Chile S.A. RUT: 76.154.057-2 Calle Santos Dumont N° 738, Local
4 Comuna de Recoleta, Santiago
Tel. : +56 2 24053238
Fax: +56 2 2873 3777
info@pce-instruments.cl
www.pce-instruments.com/chile
Turkey
PCE Teknik CihazIari Ltd.?ti. Halkali Merkez Mah. Pehlivan Sok. No.6/C 34303
Kuciik9ekmece – Istanbul Turkiye
Tel: 0212 471 11 47
Faks: 0212 705 53 93
info@pce-cihazIari.com.tr
www.pce-instruments.com/turkish
Spain
PCE Iberica S.L. Calle Mayor, 53 02500 Tobarra (Albacete) Espana
Tel. : +34 967 543 548
Fax: +34 967 543 542
info@pce-iberica.es
www.pce-instruments.com/espanol
Italy
PCE Italia s.r.l. Via Pesciatina 8781 B-Interno 6 55010 Loc. Gragnano
Capannori (Lucca) Italia
Telefono: +39 0583 975 114
Fax: +39 0583 974 824
info@pce-italia.it
www.pce-instruments.com/italiano
Hong Kong
PCE Instruments HK Ltd. Unit J, 21/F., COS Centre 56 Tsun Yip Street Kwun Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852-301-84912
jyi@pce-instruments.com
www.pce-instruments.cn
China
PCE (Beijing) Technology Co., Limited 1519 Room, 6 Building Zhong Ang Times
Plaza No. 9 Mentougou Road, Tou Gou District 102300 Beijing China
Tel: +86 (10) 8893 9660
info@pce-instruments.cn
www.pce-instruments.cn
References
- France.fr : Explore France and its wonders - Explore France
- iberica.es
- instruments.cn - The domain is available for purchase
- Computer Instruments | Home
- Discover Italy: Official Tourism Website - Italia.it
- N.E.E.D.S., (Nutritional Ecological Environmental Delivery System) specializes in providing products, information, and education
- PCE（北京）科技有é™å…¬å¸
- pce-instruments.com
- Improtek LTDA Distribuidor oficial de PCE Instruments | PCE Instruments