IEC 60068-3-8:2003

Provides guidance for selecting amongst the IEC 60068-2 stationary vibration test methods Fc sinusoidal, Fh random and F(x) Mixed mode vibration. The different steady-state test methods and their aims are briefly described in Clause 4. Transient test methods are not included.
For vibration testing, the environmental conditions, especially the dynamic conditions for the specimen, should be known. This standard helps to collect information about the environmental conditions (Clause 5), to estimate or measure the dynamic conditions (Clause 6) and gives examples to enable decisions to be made on the most applicable environmental vibration test method. Starting from the condition, the method of selecting the appropriate test is given. Since real life vibration conditions are dominated by vibration of a random nature, random testing should be the commonly used method, see Table 1, Clause 7.
The methods included hereafter may be used to examine the vibration response of a specimen under test before, during and after vibration testing. The selection for the appropriate excitation method is described in Clause 8 and tabulated in Table 2.
In this standard specification, writers will find information concerning vibration test methods and guidance for their selection. For guidance on test parameters, or severities of one of the test methods, reference should be made to the normative references.