⚠️ Disclaimer: These tasks are guidelines only. They do not include lockout/tagout (LOTO), energy isolation, or other safety requirements. Review and verify suitability for your specific equipment and application. Add all required safety procedures per your company's policies and regulatory requirements before use. You are responsible for the safe and appropriate execution of all maintenance activities.
A vibration sensor doesn't fail loud. It fails quiet. One day the bearing on your critical pump starts shedding metal, and the sensor bolted to it is still reporting a clean baseline, because the sensor itself came loose eight months ago and nobody noticed. The equipment isn't lying to you. The sensor is.
This checklist covers the physical, electrical, and calibration tasks that keep a vibration sensor or accelerometer trustworthy, for the technicians mounting and inspecting it and the managers building the program around it.
How to Use This Checklist
Don't just check the box. Write down what you actually found. "Torque OK" tells the next tech nothing. "Mounting bolt at 60% of spec, retorqued to spec" tells them the sensor was drifting loose and gives the next inspection something to compare against. Track the readings over time, not just at the moment you take them. A sensor that's fine today but was fine differently three months ago is a sensor about to lie to you.
Field Checklist — Critical Tasks
Visual Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect sensor body and mounting surface for physical damage, cracks, corrosion, or loose hardware. | Every PM | MEC |
| Verify sensor cable and connector are undamaged, properly routed, and securely seated. Look for fraying, kinking, or abrasion. | Every PM | ELE |
Mechanical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Check sensor mounting torque or adhesive bond. A loose sensor produces inaccurate readings: retorque or reseat as needed. | Monthly | MEC |
| Inspect cable strain relief and any conduit or cable protection for integrity. Ensure cable is not under tension at the connector. | Monthly | MEC |
| Clean sensor body and mounting area of excess grease, oil, or debris. Contamination can affect reading accuracy and mount integrity. | Quarterly | MEC |
Operational Checks
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Verify sensor is communicating correctly with the monitoring system or PLC. Confirm signal is present and within expected range. | Every PM | ELE |
| Check for any vibration alarm or fault flags in the monitoring system. Investigate and document any active alarms. | Every PM | ELE |
| Compare current baseline vibration reading against historical trend. Flag any significant deviation for follow-up. | Monthly | ELE |
Reference Checklist — Full Task Library
Visual Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect sensor body and mounting surface for physical damage, corrosion, impact marks, or loose mounting hardware. Document condition. | Every PM | MEC |
| Inspect sensor cable from connector to panel entry for fraying, abrasion, kinking, or rodent damage. Replace cable if sheathing is breached. | Every PM | ELE |
| Inspect any protective cover, guard, or weatherproof enclosure over the sensor. Confirm it is intact and sealed to prevent water or contaminant ingress. | Quarterly | MEC |
Mechanical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Verify mounting torque or adhesive bond integrity. Consult manufacturer spec for torque value. A loose or improperly mounted sensor will produce unreliable data. | Monthly | MEC |
| Check cable strain relief clamp or boot at the sensor. Ensure cable is not under axial tension at the connector body. | Monthly | MEC |
| Clean sensor body, mounting pad, and surrounding area. Remove grease, oil, or process debris. Contamination can wick into connector seals over time. | Quarterly | MEC |
| Verify sensor orientation is correct per installation drawing. Axis alignment (X/Y/Z or radial/axial) must match the monitoring system configuration. | Annually | MEC |
| Inspect sensor mounting surface for flatness and proper contact. A gap or uneven contact degrades signal fidelity. Re-surface or use appropriate mounting pad if needed. | Annually | MEC |
Electrical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect cable connector seating and locking mechanism. Confirm connector is fully seated and locking collar is engaged. Clean contact pins if corrosion is present. | Monthly | ELE |
| Verify sensor frequency response range is appropriate for the monitored equipment. High-speed equipment may require a higher-bandwidth sensor than the current unit provides. | Annually | ELE |
| If sensor uses an internal battery (wireless type), check battery voltage or status indicator. Replace per manufacturer interval or when low-battery flag appears. | Semi-Annually | ELE |
Operational Checks
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Verify sensor signal is active and within expected output range at the monitoring system or PLC analog input. A signal outside range may indicate sensor failure, wiring fault, or loose mount. | Every PM | ELE |
| Review any vibration alarm or fault flags in the monitoring system or historian. Investigate root cause of any active or latched alarms. Document findings. | Every PM | ELE |
| Compare current vibration reading (overall RMS or peak) to established baseline for this equipment. Flag any increase greater than 25% over baseline for engineering review. | Monthly | ELE |
| Review vibration trend data in the monitoring system or CMMS historian over the past interval. Look for gradual upward trends that may indicate developing bearing or imbalance faults. | Quarterly | ELE |
Calibration
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm sensor calibration date is within required interval. Coordinate recalibration with the monitoring vendor or calibration lab if overdue. | Annually | ELE |
| Verify monitoring system scaling and engineering unit configuration matches the sensor output (mV/g, 4 to 20 mA, IEPE, etc.). Misconfiguration leads to incorrect displayed values. | Annually | ELE |
| If sensor is connected to a portable data collector, verify the route setup (measurement point, direction, sensor sensitivity) is correctly configured in the route file. | Annually | ELE |
Documentation
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Document sensor serial number, installation date, and last calibration date in the CMMS asset record. Update if replaced. | Annually | ELE |
Failure Modes This Checklist Targets
Mount Failure. A loose sensor doesn't fail. It just tells you a story that isn't true. Every mechanical inspection task above exists to catch this before it costs you a bearing.
Cable and Connector Degradation. Vibration environments shake cables apart. A frayed conductor or a corroded pin doesn't announce itself, it just adds noise until the readings are meaningless.
Signal Drift and Calibration Loss. A sensor can be physically perfect and still be lying, because its calibration walked off spec. Annual calibration checks are the only thing standing between you and false confidence in bad data.
Orientation and Configuration Errors. A sensor mounted on the wrong axis, or a monitoring system scaled to the wrong units, produces a number that looks like data and isn't. This is a paperwork failure with mechanical consequences.
Silent Battery Death (Wireless Sensors). A wireless sensor with a dying battery goes quiet before it goes dark. By the time it's flagged offline, you've already lost weeks of trend data.