FFT, STFT and condition monitoring

See changing machine condition in the signal.

Vibration and time-frequency analysis using accelerometers, microphones and operating data to support condition screening and maintenance decisions.

Discuss This Engineering Problem
Industrial machine component representing vibration and condition monitoring
Industrial machine component representing vibration and condition monitoring

The operating challenge

Where the current system loses evidence or control.

Developing mechanical conditions can remain hidden until they affect quality, reliability or uptime. Raw vibration and acoustic measurements are only useful when acquisition, processing and interpretation reflect how the machine actually operates.

Our engineering approach

The complete system—not an isolated model.

We combine sensor selection, digital signal processing, operating context and condition models to reveal dominant frequencies, transient events, changing trends and patterns associated with known fault conditions.

Engineering sequence

From raw evidence to an accountable decision.

  • •Acquire representative signals
  • •Filter and transform
  • •Extract and compare features
  • •Trend, report and escalate

Signal intelligence

Input

Sensors

Acquire

Time domain

Interpret

FFT / STFT

Operate

Condition decision

Measure. Transform. Interpret. Act.

Applications

Where this capability becomes useful.

  • •Bearing wear and gear faults
  • •Rotor imbalance and shaft misalignment
  • •Mechanical looseness and resonance
  • •Cavitation and structural vibration
  • •Machine-health screening and condition trending
  • •Remaining-useful-life estimation support

Capability focus

Methods that reveal machine behaviour

FFT reveals dominant frequencies within a signal, while STFT shows how those frequencies change over time. Filtering, envelope analysis and time-series models add context for transient or developing conditions.

  • •FFT and spectral analysis
  • •STFT and time-frequency analysis
  • •Digital filtering
  • •Envelope analysis
  • •Feature extraction
  • •Anomaly detection and classification
  • •Trend analysis
  • •Time-series modelling

Capability focus

Smartphone vibration analyser

A smartphone-based system can use the phone accelerometer, gyroscope and microphone for accessible first-line equipment screening and field triage.

  • •Time-domain waveforms
  • •FFT spectra
  • •STFT spectrograms
  • •Signal-feature extraction
  • •Known-condition comparison
  • •Inspection history
  • •Screening reports
  • •Specialist escalation

Responsible boundary

Phone sensors can support accessible screening and field triage. They do not replace calibrated industrial instruments, specialist measurement practice or safety-critical engineering judgement.

Connected environment

Built around existing systems.

  • Accelerometers and gyroscopes
  • Microphones and temperature sensors
  • Electrical-current and Industrial IoT data
  • Maintenance history and work-order systems

Intended value

•

Earlier condition visibility

•

Consistent field screening

•

Prioritised specialist inspection

•

Traceable condition history

Predictive maintenanceAcoustic intelligenceIndustrial operationsAll services

Start with the problem

Have a business, scientific or engineering problem worth solving?

Tell us where your organisation is losing time, visibility, reliability, quality or customer opportunity. We will determine the complete system required to improve it.

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Project enquiry

hello@sentientengineering.com.ng

Send an overview of your business problem, current process and expected outcome.

WhatsApp or phone

+234 707 351 2305

Speak directly with our team about your project, automation opportunity or AI system.

Location

Lagos, Nigeria

We work with businesses in Nigeria and across Africa, with remote delivery available for suitable projects.