Failure Prevention Associates Builds on Landmark 2025, Announces 2026 Industrial Reliability Training & Conference Roadmap

PEARLAND, TX – February 26, 2026 – As industrial organizations face mounting pressure to improve uptime amid a widening reliability skills gap, Failure Prevention Associates (FPA) is expanding its commitment to the reliability community with an enhanced 2026 training and engagement roadmap.

Following a highly active and field-validated 2025, FPA enters 2026 focused on what matters most to maintenance and reliability leaders: practical competency, hands-on execution, and measurable results.

2025: Field-Proven Impact

In 2025, FPA delivered vibration analysis training to maintenance and engineering teams across the United States, reinforcing its position as one of the nation’s most active, field-validated training providers.

2025 highlights include:

• 15 vibration analysis programs delivered nationwide
• 14 Category I vibration analysis courses
• 1 Category II vibration analysis course
• Hundreds of technicians and engineers trained in plant-ready diagnostics

“Our goal isn’t certification alone — it’s competency,” said Karl Hoffower, Founder and Executive Director of FPA. “Success is measured by whether technicians can return to their plant and immediately identify faults, reduce downtime, and improve asset health.”

2026 Vibration Analysis Training Schedule

Category I Vibration Analysis Training

• April 28–May 1, 2026
• August 4–7, 2026
• October 6–9, 2026

Category II Vibration Analysis Training

• November 10–13, 2026

Why Train with Failure Prevention Associates

Vibration Analysis Training at Failure Prevention Associates is the only program in the United States taught by an ASNT PdM Level III instructor with dual endorsement in Vibration Analysis and Thermal/Infrared Testing.

This ISO 18436-2–compliant training certifies Category I and Category II vibration analysts through immersive, hands-on instruction conducted in FPA’s Houston-area mill test lab—the only U.S. training facility featuring dynamic rotating equipment for live fault diagnosis practice.

Why Vibration Analysis Matters

Vibration analysis is a foundational tool in any effective predictive maintenance program. When vibration data is collected and interpreted by properly trained analysts, it can identify both minor and developing faults across virtually all types of industrial machinery—often long before those issues result in unplanned downtime or catastrophic failure.

What Participants Learn

FPA’s vibration analysis courses deliver practical, field-ready skills across the full condition monitoring workflow, including:

• Condition monitoring program fundamentals
• Core vibration analysis science
• Identification of common machine faults
• Fourier Transform spectrum analysis
• Recognition of poor or misleading data
• Waveform and spectrum interpretation
• Demodulation and specialized spectral techniques
• Phase analysis for field applications, including:
  Unbalance, eccentricity, bent shaft, misalignment, soft foot, and resonance
• Introduction to field balancing
• Hands-on phase analysis workshops
• Bump testing for resonance evaluation
• Real-world vibration case studies
• Vibration acceptance testing
• Machine configuration and route setup
• Practical vibration measurement, data collection, and analysis exercises

Training Formats Available

• In-person Certification Training (Category I & Category II)
• Online Training: Vibration Analysis Periodic Table – All Levels
  (Self-paced online course available for $49.95)

Experience, Prerequisites & Certification

• Course materials and a comprehensive vibration analysis reference manual are provided
• A working knowledge of mechanical equipment is recommended
• No prior vibration analysis experience is required for Category I

Category I Certification
Candidates must complete the course, pass the exam, and obtain 6 months of vibration analysis experience. Those who pass the exam without the required experience receive a provisional certificate and have one year to complete the experience requirement.

Category II Certification
Candidates must pass Category I, complete Category II training, and obtain 18 months of cumulative experience. Provisional certification is issued until experience requirements are fulfilled.

Meet FPA on the Road: 2026 Industry Conferences

The Reliability Conference
May 19–23, 2026 | South San Francisco, CA
• World-premiere release of Karl Hoffower’s new book on practical reliability

Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) 2026
September 22–25, 2026 | Houston, TX
• Booth #1748 featuring live demos and expert consultations

SMRP 2026 Annual Conference
September 28–October 1, 2026 | Raleigh, NC
• Strategy discussions with senior reliability specialists

A Partner in Preventing Failure

Whether through technical training, predictive maintenance field services, or direct engagement at industry events, Failure Prevention Associates remains committed to helping industrial organizations transition from reactive maintenance to precision reliability programs with measurable ROI.

About Failure Prevention Associates

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Pearland, Texas, Failure Prevention Associates is a reliability engineering consulting firm specializing in predictive maintenance field services, ISO- and ASNT-compliant technical training, and condition monitoring technologies.

FPA serves asset-intensive industries including oil and gas, petrochemical, refining, manufacturing, utilities, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals. The firm is known for integrating hands-on skills gap assessments with advanced machine health monitoring to enable precision maintenance and prevent unplanned failures.