December 13, 2018
John and Eric Lindberg are two vital members of Elite’s Environmental Stress Testing team. With a focus on Elite’s Acceleration, Shock & Vibration Testing services, this father-son duo brings a unique set of skills to the world of vibration testing. Recently, Elite’s Mike Cosentino, sat down for an interview with John and Eric to get a first-hand take.
Mike: Eric, let’s start with you. How did you get into Vibration testing? Were you running around the lab as a kid?
Eric: It all started when my father started taking me to work on the weekends. He would show me around the shakers, teach me about the tools…and have me sweep the floors.
Mike: How did you get into vibration testing, John?
John: Well it all started over 30 years ago when I ran vibe on a flash system for the Tomahawk cruise missile. I was hooked ever since.
Mike: What are the most common questions you get asked during the vibe?
John: Which is worse, sine or random vibration? The answer is “it depends”…on the product, the application, the installed operating environment…
Eric: Why did my parts break, or could my fixture have caused these problems?
Mike: If size and weight were not a limit, what is the one thing you would want to run through a vibe test?
John: A whole vehicle.
Eric: Same…specifically my Jeep. [Check out Eric’s license plate!]
Mike: Since weight and size are a limit, what’s the coolest thing you have run through a vibration test? What happened?
John: Ice cream bars!! No, seriously, we did a vibe package test on ice cream bars to see if the chocolate coating fractured. Elite employees ate all the evidence. [laughing]
Eric: An entire engine…an extremely large fire extinguisher…a tractor hood…a weather data buoy…I can keep going. So many big, cool things.
Mike: How many accelerometers have you used on a single test?
John: Too many to count!
Eric: So far, 40 on one test item.
Mike: To end the interview, we can only ask, John one question. Being a grandpa, do you see any of your grandkids getting into vibration testing?
John: Yes, my 3-year-old grandson loves to build legos, he is definitely going to be an engineer…which could lead to our 3rd generation “Vibe Guy.”
Thank you, John and Eric. We look forward to learning more about the exciting world of vibration testing!
Find out more about Elite’s expansive Acceleration, Shock & Vibration capabilities, and please don’t hesitate to contact us for any of your vibration testing needs…” the Vibe Guys have you covered!”
Labels:
Join Elite’s monthly newsletter for the latest on standards, test procedures, fascinating facts, profiles of Elite engineers, and more. Fill out the form below to become part of our global community!