Vibration condition monitoring (VCM) is the process of collecting periodical machine vibration data for the purpose of predictive maintenance. Machine faults such as imbalance, misalignment, looseness and bearing faults can be identified through vibration condition monitoring. A key advantage of a periodical condition monitoring program is the ability to trend a machine's vibration levels over time. This enables more accurate assessment of fault severity and can identify systematic faults.

Vipac recommends the use of a condition monitoring program as a mechanism to reduce plant downtime due to unexpected failures and plant shutdowns. This is achieved by early identification of machine faults, particularly in critical machines, to improve maintenance scheduling and prioritisation. Fault severity can also be monitored.