Services are Based in Kansas City
IBT Industrial Solutions offers cutting-edge motion amplification diagnostics as part of our predictive maintenance technology services suite. This advanced form of industrial vibration analysis uses the RDI Technologies Iris M camera system to transform high-speed video into actionable data.
By converting every pixel into a vibration sensor, the Iris M captures subtle machine motions and amplifies them for visual inspection. The result is a powerful, non-invasive visual representation of subtle machine movements, giving maintenance teams a richer, more intuitive basis for analysis than raw data alone.
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Motion Amplification
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What is Motion Amplification?
Figure: Side-by-side frames from an IBT motion-amplification diagnostic (left: normal HD video; right: amplified-motion video).
Motion amplification is a video-based technique that reveals subtle vibrations in machinery by making tiny motions visible. RDI Technologies’ Motion Amplification® employs exclusive video processing techniques to “detect subtle motion and make it visible to the naked eye”.
In practice, operating machinery often produces tiny vibrations that are imperceptible to the human eye. Vibration can be an indicator of misalignment or loose components. Over time, these imperceptible motions can cause elements to misalign, loosen, or crack, leading to efficiency losses and eventual failure if left unchecked. Motion amplification lets us see and diagnose those hidden problems before they become catastrophic.
How Motion Amplification Works
In practical terms, IBT’s maintenance team films your equipment operating normally using the Iris M camera. Each high-speed video frame is processed so that every pixel in the camera’s view effectively becomes a tiny motion sensor. The software then filters by frequency (e.g., bandpass, notch filters) to isolate specific vibration modes. The resulting minute displacements are digitally scaled up (often by tens or hundreds) so that sub-millimeter motion becomes visible in the video. The amplified motion may also be color-coded to indicate the magnitude of vibration.
Motion amplification produces two key deliverables: a standard HD video and an amplified-motion video of the same scene. These videos are provided side by side for direct comparison, offering an unparalleled view of the issue. The normal video shows the machinery running as seen by the naked eye, while the amplified-motion video highlights any hidden oscillations that may be present. The side-by-side visualization immediately draws attention to problem areas and helps explain the issue to the entire team (operators, maintenance, and management).
Equipment and Systems Covered
Figure: Side-by-side frames from an IBT motion-amplification diagnostic (left: normal HD video; right: amplified-motion video).
IBT’s motion amplification service can be applied to virtually any industrial asset that can be filmed. Typical targets include:
- Rotating Machinery: Pumps, motors, gearboxes, fans, compressors, and other rotary equipment.
- Piping & Conduit Systems: Process pipework, exhaust stacks, ducting, and tubing.
- Storage Vessels: Silos, tanks, bins, reactors, and their support structures.
- Structural Supports: Machine bases, foundations, frames, beams, and equipment racks.
- Other Process Equipment: Conveyors, mixers, screens, HVAC ducts, and custom assemblies.
In short, if the camera can see it, we can analyze it. The Iris M can visualize vibration in large structures (such as towers, cranes, and wind turbine blades) as easily as in small machinery, provided there is a line of sight. IBT’s industrial maintenance team has utilized motion amplification for rotating equipment, piping networks, vessels, and structural foundations – essentially any system where hidden motion could indicate a problem.
Fault Conditions Detected
Motion amplification reveals a wide range of mechanical and structural faults, including:
- Soft foot: An uneven machine mounting (one foot misaligned or shorter than the others) causes a subtle rocking motion. The camera makes this rocking apparent, so the foundation can be leveled.
- Shaft misalignment: Even small misalignments in coupled shafts or gears manifest as complex bending/twisting motion in the video.
- Unbalance: Slight mass imbalance in rotors produces a characteristic wobble that becomes clearly visible when amplified.
- Looseness and cracked welds: Loose bolts or cracked frame welds cause small gaps; the resulting extra movement is highlighted on the amplified view.
- Resonance and harmonics: Running equipment at its natural frequency causes excessive vibration. Motion amplification visualizes resonant mode shapes in machines and supports.
- Drive train faults: Problems in belts, chains, couplings, or gears often show up as oscillation in the driven component; the video reveals where the extra movement occurs.
- Structural deflections: Beams, tanks or silos bending under load visibly flex in the amplified video (even tiny deflections).
- Transient events: Sudden impacts, water-hammer, flow pulsations, or cavitation bursts can be recorded and examined frame by frame.
With IBT’s motion amplification, you see where the problem is rather than guessing from vibration readings.
Real-World Examples
IBT’s industrial maintenance team routinely uses motion amplification to catch faults before failure. Example – Hidden pipe vibration: At one plant, we filmed a brand-new pump installation that showed no faults on traditional sensors. The amplified video, however, clearly showed the piping on the wall behind the pumps oscillating under load. This subtle pipe motion could have loosened pipe clamps and reduced pump life if ignored. Acting on the analysis, the customer added bracing to the pipework, preventing future damage.
Example – Loose pump foot: In another case, a 3-second motion-amplified clip of a running pump revealed that one of the pump’s mounting feet was slightly loose. This rocking motion was invisible in normal video and sensor data. The maintenance team had tightened the bolt to proper torque specifications, but damaged threads prevented the bolt from fully seating. Using this new information, a solution was implemented.
In both cases, the root cause of the vibration was obvious in the amplified footage and could be fixed immediately – a testament to the power of seeing vibration on camera.
Benefits of Motion Amplification
Using motion amplification as part of your predictive maintenance strategy delivers clear advantages:
- Early Fault Detection: Catches hidden faults (misalignment, looseness, resonance, cracks, etc.) long before alarms or failures occur. As IBT notes, this video-based method is “incredibly helpful in detecting unseen problems like looseness, excessive misalignment, and structural weakness”.
- Non-Invasive Testing: Perform inspections while equipment runs normally under load. No shutdowns or sensor installation are needed, so testing is fast, safe, and done under real operating conditions.
- Visual Reporting: Provides clear, intuitive video evidence. Side-by-side normal vs. amplified videos make it easy to see and communicate exactly where the problem is. RDI emphasizes that video “makes for a deeper impact than looking at only data and charts”, helping everyone understand the need for repair.
- Cost Savings: Prevents expensive downtime and damage. By identifying faults early, you can avoid catastrophic failures. RDI points out that “seeing is believing” – showing the motion on video often drives timely maintenance decisions.
- Comprehensive Analysis: The full-field view of motion amplification helps trace faults through a machine or structure. This holistic insight complements traditional vibration spectrum analysis, providing a comprehensive approach to fault diagnosis.
Overall, motion amplification transforms vibration data into actionable visuals, boosting your preventive maintenance program. It helps keep plants running longer and safer by catching the invisible before it becomes visible in the wrong way.
Service Area
IBT offers motion amplification diagnostic services to industrial plants across the nation. Our certified vibration specialists will travel to your facility, set up the Iris M camera, perform the video analysis on-site with initial findings, and then submit a full report after analysis.
Of course, we are most cost-effective for locations within roughly a day’s drive of our Kansas City, Kansas headquarters. We can always arrange longer trips for critical projects outside this region. In every case, IBT delivers a detailed analysis report and the side-by-side video evidence for your records.
Contact IBT Industrial Maintenance Technologies
To learn more or schedule a motion amplification consultation, contact IBT’s Industrial Maintenance Technologies team.
📞 Michael Gebauer, Industrial Service Director
📧 imt@ibtinc.com
📱 (913) 671-2913
You can also fill out the consultation request form on our website to have an expert contact you. Let IBT help you see and solve hidden vibration issues before they cause downtime, so your plant can keep on keeping on.