Dear Prof. Miranda,

I guess you earnest question is one of the kind that easily gets infected as it is much like asking what is beauty where we know it to lie in the eye of the beholder.

For what it is worth

• I guess the main divider is whether you want a lab with ready-to-use industrial state-of-the-art equipment or lower cost equipment open to tinkering.
• The former would, I assume, make sense if you have a strong local industry in need of engineers with a readily defined skillset who is able to financially support your equipment.
• The latter makes sense, I assume, if you operate under normal university constraints, i.e. a tiny budget, and if your reserach aims to "look under the hood".

In the case of the former you have large system analysis systems such as LMS (https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en/products/lms/testing/test-lab/), PAK (http://www.muellerbbm-vas.com/home/), or I-DEAS (https://www.bksv.com/en/products/PULSE-analysis-software/structural-dynamics-software/test-for-ideas/test-for-ideas).

In the case of the latter, and also I might add 'lighter' industrial application, you have the National Instruments cDAQ platform (http://www.ni.com/data-acquisition/compactdaq/) which is good value and able to look under the hood. http://www.ni.com/sv-se/shop/select/sound-and-vibration-category#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:&pageView:grid&pageSize:&

NI cDAQ is very robust hardware. It is supported by a variety of software, some of it OpenSource freeware.

Many consultants use NI cDAQ. Comparing experience, we tend to agree on the software being the weaker part or, differently stated - you have to outsmart the software and need sometimes to tinker as it simply aims a bit on the lower side of performance. To exemplify, though there is a 64-bit LabView version, LabView tends still to revolve around 32-bits which does impact performance.

Here is a variety of software using the NI cDAQ platform

• ModalView (system analysis) - http://absignal.com/
• DSA 2.9 - http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/sv/nid/211411
• Condition monitoring - http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/sv/nid/212876
• Sound & Vibration - http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/sv/nid/209061
• OpenModal - http://www.openmodal.com/
• PyDaqMx Python to control cDAQ - https://pythonhosted.org/PyDAQmx/

Note that Sound & Vibration does not run compiled software - it presents a layer on top of LabView as it was intended as an application of adaptive programming.

Also note that the NI Signal Express basic option of simply making time recording comes with the hardware - more or less as an extended driver.

If you are looking for a low cost solution, the Agilent VXI system brings excellent value for money and does most things imaginable. It is very competent when it comes to Order analysis. You can get it off Ebay at modest prices or buy it here together with a Matlab based software. http://www.dynamic-measurements.com/datasheet/data_sheet1.html . The VXI platform has a software called Me4X which controls the hardware using ActiveX, i.e. it is open to most modes of programming.

Last but not least - reading your list - actually, you can do most of what you write with a smartphone.There is a variety of apps available for download and you can access smartphone sensors using Kivy.

Bearing fault diagnostics would be a limiting factor as the acceleroemeters inside a smartphone typicall work up to about 400 Hz and bearing fault analysis require much higher frequency. This could be made also from a smartphone but then using more competent hardware via WiFi (e.g. the NI cDAQ but there are many other options out there as well).

Just my 2 cents

Claes

PS

For information, I use both the NI cDAQ and the VXI platforms and I used to work at a company which at different times supported and sold the LMS/PAK systems. I typically use 16-32ch but sometimes extend up to 192ch for field work.

I can recommend for your vibration measurement equipment and Vibrodiagnostika Coco-90, see this link: http: //www.crystalinstruments.com/vibration-data-collector-systems/.

For acoustic experiments can suggest impedance tube, see this link: http: //www.bswa-tech.com/web_proInfoList.action? Code = A3A0.

I hope it's useful. 

I could propose to you The Educational Kit ACV (Active control of Vibrations) from cedrat technologies (see the link).

http://www.cedrat-technologies.com/en/mechatronic-products/evaluation-kits/educational-kit-acv.html

For single point measurements, a vibrometer from e.g. Polytec can be used, for full field vibration measurement you can use a VibroMap 1000 system from Optonor, but the VibroMap is basically for vibrations excited by the VibroMap itself.  EV 

It has been my observation that most universities use National Instruments data acquisition hardware and software.  For a teaching environment, it is pretty reasonable and robust.  The learning curve for more powerful software, like Siemens/LMS Test.Lab, is way too complicated to spring on students.  Another advantage to NI is all the software is written on top of LabView, which means you can write your own routines or buy 3rd party software, of which there is a lot.

For sensors, like accelerometers and modal hammers, check with PCB.  They usually offer education discounts.  Other sensor companies may offer discounts as well.

For the demo hardware, I would recommend you make whatever you need.  In fact, that would be good projects for the students to design, have built, and then test whatever hardware you need.  The only thing you might want to buy is the rotor kit, you can get one from GE, Emerson, or SpectraQuest.

Dear Sir,

I have been through this lately in my institution. I hope you'll find this list helpful:

1- Vibration analyzer (may be B&K PULSE system if the budget allows) or NI-CDAQ or CRIO for data acquisition together with Labview software and NI Sound and Vibration assistant which is a very powerful tool;

2- Vibration exciter with its power amplifier and signal generator or exciter control;

3- Accelerometers (different sizes to suit different applications); a triaxial accelerometer will be an asset; magnets and wax for mounting;

4- Hammer;

5- Force transducer;

6- Tachometer;

7- Proximity transducers;8- Conditioning amplifier.

Good luck with your upgrade.

For lab, general purpose: spare cables, loctite glue, acoustics scellant, wipe cleaner, Vaseline, hearing protection devices, nitrile gloves, hand soap, dish washing soap, access to a sink with water tap, bathroom silicone (drying in 30min), bee wax, blue tack,  if you are measuring vibrations on building walls: dental plaster, 

For acoustics labs, add a Sound Level Meter, with 1/3 octave band.

For vibration labs, same as suggested above, you may manufacture different connectors to place your samples on shakers. You may also manufacture a test bench with an electric motor on a rectangular plate supported by 4 adjustable dampers, and have the possibility to mount different types of unbalanced wheels on the electric motor shaft, and the possibility to attach: spring+mass under the electric motor.

For the software, keep it really simple, there is no need to invest in a full acquisition system for educational purpose. Let the students compute their own functions, under a friendly user environment ( e.g. Matlab, labview).