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Configuring Alarm Thresholds

Alarm thresholds define the vibration levels at which the platform transitions a machine's alarm state. You configure them per machine in Shoplogix IMS.

Threshold Basics

A threshold is a vibration velocity value (mm/s). When a reading from the machine's Eversensor exceeds this value, the platform evaluates whether the machine's alarm state should change.

  • Multiple levels — you can define several thresholds for the same machine, each representing a different severity (e.g., Warning at 3.5 mm/s, Critical at 7.0 mm/s)
  • State transitions only — an alarm fires when the machine moves from one state to another, not on every reading that crosses a level. A machine already in Warning will not send a new alert until it escalates to Critical or recovers to OK.
  • Machine must be running — the platform detects process state (on/off) using a configurable velocity threshold (default: 0.508 m/s). Readings below this are treated as the machine being stopped and do not trigger alarms.

Suggested Starting Points

ISO 10816 guidelines provide widely-used reference points for vibration severity on rotating machinery. These are starting points — your specific machines, installation conditions, and criticality will determine your final thresholds.

SeverityTypical Range (mm/s)What It Suggests
Good< 2.8Normal operation
Warning2.8 – 7.1Elevated — monitor closely
Critical> 7.1High — prioritize maintenance

Setting Thresholds in Insights

  1. Navigate to the machine in Shoplogix IMS
  2. Open the machine's settings or alarm configuration panel
  3. Add threshold levels with a name (e.g., "Warning") and the vibration velocity value
  4. Save — the new thresholds take effect on the next sensor reading

Process State Threshold

The process state threshold controls when the platform considers the machine to be running versus stopped. This affects alarm evaluation and process state event generation.

  • Default: 0.508 m/s vibration velocity
  • Set per machine in the machine configuration

If your machine has unusually low or high idle vibration, adjust this threshold so the platform correctly identifies operational state.

Verifying Your Configuration

After configuring thresholds, review the vibration timeseries chart in the machine detail view. The chart overlays your threshold lines on the historical vibration data, letting you see how often readings have crossed each level and whether your thresholds are well-calibrated for this machine.