Floor Vibration Measurement & Testing for Cleanrooms and Precision Equipment
When installing vibration-sensitive equipment, such as semiconductor tools or precision instruments, even small levels of ground or floor vibration can compromise performance. Our independent floor vibration measurement and floor vibration testing services provide accurate, evidence-based assessments using calibrated accelerometers and advanced analysis methods.
We don’t just report numbers — we verify compliance with manufacturer acceptance criteria or internationally recognised vibration standards (such as VC-D), and when required, we deliver mechanical engineering solutions to improve plinth and floor performance.
Why Floor Vibration Measurement Matters
Floor vibration can directly affect alignment, yield, and operational reliability of precision tools. Manufacturers of equipment such as ASML and TEL specify vibration limits for their machines, and independent floor vibration measurement is often required before installation or relocation.
Confirm that new or existing cleanroom floors and seismic plinths meet compliance criteria.
Diagnose the source of vibration-related issues such as yield loss or misalignment.
Benchmark against international criteria (e.g., VC-D) where manufacturer limits are not published.
When You Need This
Commissioning precision tools or relocating equipment to a new cleanroom or floor bay.
Investigating yield loss, alignment issues, or process instability potentially linked to vibration.
Validating a seismic plinth or pedestal design before installation of sensitive tools.
Demonstrating compliance with manufacturer limits or VC-criteria to stakeholders.
Floor Vibration Testing Methods We Use
Our floor vibration testing combines precision measurement with advanced analysis:
Power Spectral Density (PSD): compares vibration levels directly to specification limits.
1/3-Octave Band Analysis: shows vibration in acceleration, velocity, and displacement for environmental comparison.
1 Hz Bandwidth Integration: aligns with manufacturer “quick reference” criteria.
Heel-Drop Transient Testing: optional checks to assess impulsive behaviour and floor–plinth interaction.
Instrumentation
Data acquisition: Sinus NoisePad with Samurai software (or equivalent).
Sensors: PCB accelerometers (e.g., 0.5 g rated), traceable calibration.
Processing: MATLAB and in-house routines for PSD, 1/3-octave, and 1 Hz integrations.
What You Receive
Compliance verdicts against manufacturer criteria and/or VC-D (6.25 µm/s RMS).
Plots & tables (PSD vs limit, 1/3-octave, 1 Hz integrations) with axis-by-axis commentary.
Diagnosis of directional issues, e.g., horizontal stiffness asymmetry where one horizontal axis shows higher response than the other (often due to non-symmetrical plinth design).
Recommendations for mitigation or design improvement, including engineering options.
Figure: Measured PSD (blue) vs specification limit (red, dashed) recorded on a seismic plinth with calibrated accelerometers.
Engineering Beyond the Survey
Because we are mechanical engineers as well as vibration specialists, we go beyond measurement to deliver engineered solutions when required:
Finite Element Analysis (FEA): stiffness/mode assessment and concept studies for plinth improvements.
Modal Analysis & Model Updating: correlate test and simulation to validate changes and de-risk design.
Plinth Design & Manufacture Oversight: develop uniform-stiffness plinths tailored to site conditions, from specification to supplier liaison.
Engineering Compliance: evidence packages demonstrating conformance to manufacturer limits and international criteria.
Standards & Criteria
Manufacturer acceptance criteria (e.g., ASML product documentation).
VC vibration criteria (e.g., VC-D at 6.25 µm/s RMS) for vibration-sensitive equipment.
Why Choose Us
29+ years of vibration measurement, structural dynamics, and design troubleshooting.
Director-led projects with Chartered Engineer authorship and sign-off.
Evidence-based deliverables: calibrated instruments, transparent plots, and clear compliance verdicts.
Ability to move from measure → diagnose → design → validate within one consultancy.
FAQs
Do you only measure on floors? No — we typically instrument the plinth itself to capture the vibration the tool experiences.
Are heel-drop tests mandatory? Optional, but helpful for understanding transient behaviour; not a substitute for ambient compliance checks.
What if the two horizontal axes differ? That indicates a stiffness asymmetry; we can quantify and address this via FEA, modal analysis, and design refinement.
Featured Case Study
Vibration Analysis of Seismic Plinths in a Semiconductor Cleanroom
Independent floor vibration measurement & testing on seismic plinths confirmed compliance for precision tools, revealed horizontal stiffness asymmetry linked to non-symmetrical plinth geometry, and defined an engineering pathway to improved plinth design using FEA, modal analysis, and model updating.
Methods: PSD, 1/3-octave, 1 Hz integrations, heel-drop transients.
Outcomes: Compliance verified; stiffness asymmetry diagnosed; route to engineered plinth improvements.
Read the case study of the plinth vibration measurements, the results and the additional servcies that we offer.
Related Services
Speak to an Engineer
Need certainty on vibration compliance — and a clear engineering route to robust plinth performance? Contact us or call 01908 643433.
Authored and/or Reviewed by the Director, Paul Schmitz MBA CEng MIMechE MIoA — Chartered Mechanical and Acoustic Engineer
Published: • Last updated:
Mechanical Engineering Consultants Ltd (Environmentally Sound) — Registered in England & Wales (Company No. 03619727). Service areas: UK, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia.
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