Design and experimental analysis of a non-magnetic cantilever beam in a remotely controlled free vibration setup using LabVIEW

Abstract

Free vibration analysis finds a plethora of applications in real-world systems, ranging from deciding design factors to addressing maintenance concerns; hence, it forms a fundamental basis of material sciences and structural engineering. Cantilever structures are widespread across various physical systems, from domestic applications such as diving boards or parking shields to heavy-duty industrial applications such as airplane wings or windmill blades. In this paper, a non-magnetic cantilever beam is excited using a cam attached to a stepper motor. The trigger results in free vibrations of the cantilever beam and this data is collected by the accelerometer. The entire experiment is carried out distantly using LabVIEW remote panels, and frequency analysis and calculations are performed on the vibration data collected. The designed remote experimental setup provided near-accurate results for natural frequency calculation, and this is validated experimentally using an impact hammer and theoretically using physical parameters. The remote setup provides the freedom to model and simulate different physical conditions and systems as cantilever structures in the experimental environment. This results in an easy understanding of beam behavior in real-time systems. © 2025 Author(s).