MIL-STD-167/1 Mechanical Vibration Tests on Equipment Used on Ships

MIL-STD 167 specifies procedures and specifies requirements for environmental and internally induced vibration testing of Navy ship equipment installed on ships with conventional shaft propulsion systems. The specified test methods are applicable to shipboard equipment subject to mechanical vibrations from the environment and from internal excitation caused by unstable rotating components of Naval ship equipment. MIL-STD 167-2 covers mechanical vibrations associated with reciprocating machines and lateral and longitudinal vibrations of the propulsion system and shaft.

The following types of vibration are covered in this standard:

• Type I – Environmental Vibration
• Type II – Internally Excited Vibration

Type I – Environmental Vibration. Once the Type I vibration requirements have been established, the equipment will be subjected to a simulated environmental vibration that would be encountered on naval ships. This standard provides a sufficiently large amplitude in the selected frequency range to obtain a reasonably high degree of confidence that the equipment will not fail during service operation.

For Type I vibration testing, this standard will be used for equipment exposed to the vibration environment traditionally found on shaft propeller driven Navy ships. The Type I vibration test shall not apply to high speed or surface-impact ships subjected to vibrations from high-speed wave slap that produce vibration amplitudes and frequencies exceeding those found on conventional Navy ships.

This standard applies to Type I vibration testing for equipment traditionally used on shaft propeller driven Navy ships and does not apply to other types of propulsion, including those designed to minimize waterjet, split or blade velocity forces.

MIL STD 167 will not apply to equipment installed on ships with propulsion systems with frequency ranges not covered by Table I of the standard.

Type II – Internally Stimulated Vibration . Type II balance and vibration requirements shall apply to the supply of rotating machinery, unless otherwise specified. This does not apply to suitability in terms of noise and does not apply to reciprocating machines. Special vibration and balance requirements can be specified. The limitations noted here may also be used as criteria for revision tolerances, but should not constitute a criterion for the need for revision.

MIL-STD-167 is periodically revised. Current versions of the standard include MIL-STD-167/1 and MIL-STD-167/1 A.