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Random vibration testing is the industry workhorse for simulating the environment for a broad range of products. Tests are typically specified by defining a spectrum shape and overall RMS amplitude. The test controller then causes a measured reference acceleration to match these specified parameters. The controller forces a shaped-random response with a normal or Gaussian amplitude distribution. However, experience has shown that such tests may be too conservative for some product/environment combinations; the test does not produce the same damage statistics observed in the field. Adding a third control dimension provides more realistic random vibration tests that better match the damage potential of the actual environment. That third dimension is Kurtosis control, which matches the amplitude distribution of the test to that of the environment.

The accumulated damage that a product experiences in the field due to the variety of vibration stresses placed upon it will eventually cause failures in the product. The failure modes resulting from these dynamic stresses can be replicated in the laboratory and correlated to end use environment to validate target reliability requirements. This presentation addresses three fundamental questions about developing accelerated random vibration stress tests.