Acoustic, Noise, Vibration & NVH Products calculator
Shaker Table Force Utilization Calculator
Check whether a shaker can run a test before it is scheduled. Enter the force rating, armature and fixture mass, specimen mass and required acceleration; the page returns required force, utilization and the largest specimen.
What this calculator does
- Check whether a shaker can physically run a test: the force the moving mass demands, against the shaker's rating.
Formula used
- Total moving mass = armature and fixture + specimen
- Force required (lbf) = total moving mass (lb) × required acceleration (g)
- Force utilization = force required ÷ shaker force rating × 100
- Maximum acceleration = shaker force rating ÷ total moving mass
- Largest specimen at the required level = rating ÷ required acceleration − armature and fixture
Inputs explained
- Shaker Force Rating: Sine force rating from the data sheet; random ratings are lower.
- Armature and Fixture Mass: Moving element plus head expander, slip table or fixture.
- Specimen Mass: Unit under test, including instrumentation that moves with it.
- Required Acceleration: Peak acceleration the test profile calls for.
How to use the result
- Best suited to checking a test profile against an existing shaker, scoping what specimen sizes a lab can accept, justifying a lighter fixture with released capability.
- Checks force only; displacement and velocity limits bind at other frequencies. Assumes a rigid fixture; a fixture resonance inside the test band demands far more force. Ignores duty cycle and cooling, and says nothing about overturning moment.
Common questions
- Why does force equal weight times g with no conversion? Pounds-force and pounds-mass are defined so one pound of mass weighs one pound-force under one g. Accelerating 185 lb at 12 g needs 2,220 lbf exactly. Imperial makes this calculation unusually clean.
- Why does the armature matter so much? It moves on every test and it is heavy. A mid-size shaker's armature runs from tens to over a hundred pounds, and a head expander can double that. On a light specimen the shaker spends most of its force driving itself.
- My test fails the force check. What are the options? Reduce the fixture mass first, often with a ribbed magnesium design. Reduce the level if the specification permits, test a lighter article, or move to a larger shaker.
- Does passing the force check mean the test will run? No. Force is one of three limits. Displacement binds at low frequency and velocity in mid-band. A 5 Hz test at modest g can exceed a shaker's stroke while using a fraction of its force.
Last reviewed 2026-10-01.