Dr Wade Smith
Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Wade Smith

Engineering
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Wade Smith is a Research Fellow with the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. He is a member of the WAVES group (Wear, Aeroacoustics and Vibration in Engineering Systems) and works in the Tribology and Machine Condition Monitoring laboratory.

Research interests

  • Vibration-based diagnostics of rotating machinery, including variable speed applications
  • Prognostics of rotating machinery
  • Gear wear monitoring and prediction using vibration, acoustic emissions and transmission error analysis
  • Simulation and modelling of rotating machines for diagnostic applications
  • Signal processing of machine vibration signatures, in particular using cyclostationarity
  • Operational modal analysis using the cepstrum, with applications in structural health monitoring

Current PhD/Masters projects

  • Gear diagnostics in a planetary gearbox using an internal sensor
  • Gear wear monitoring and prediction
  • Sliding contact-induced vibration
  • Transmission-error-based gear diagnostics
  • Bearing prognostics

Potential upcoming PhD/Masters projects

We are always on the lookout for talented research students. If you are interested in undertaking a PhD or Masters project in our group, please contact me to discuss the matter further.

Research Facilities

The Tribology and Machine Condition Monitoring laboratory is equipped with a wide range of research facilities, including:

  • two gearbox test rigs (one planetary, one parallel)
  • a rolling element bearing test rig
  • an engine test rig
  • a friction rig
  • a tribometer
  • a high quality microscope
  • extensive instrumentation (e.g., frequency analysers, accelerometers, acoustic emissions sensors, shaft encoders, etc.)
  • access to other UNSW image acquisition equipment, such as laser scanning confocal microscopes, scanning electron microscopes and atomic force microscopes

 Current and recent research collaborations

  • Book Chapters | 2020
    Mailey L; Borghesani P; Smith WA; Wang W; Peng Z, 2020, 'A New Approach to Automated Bearing Fault Severity Assessment Using Deep-Learning', in Advances in Asset Management and Condition Monitoring, Springer International Publishing, pp. 1091 - 1104, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57745-2_90
  • Journal articles | 2023
    Lu R; Borghesani P; Randall RB; Smith WA; Peng Z, 2023, 'Removal of transfer function effects from gear vibration signals under constant and variable speed conditions', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 184, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2022.109714
    Journal articles | 2022
    Borghesani P; Smith WA; Randall RB; Antoni J; El Badaoui M; Peng Z, 2022, 'Bearing signal models and their effect on bearing diagnostics', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 174, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2022.109077
    Journal articles | 2022
    Chin ZY; Borghesani P; Mao Y; Smith WA; Randall RB, 2022, 'Use of transmission error for a quantitative estimation of root-crack severity in gears', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 171, pp. 108957 - 108957, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2022.108957
    Journal articles | 2022
    Feng K; Smith WA; Randall RB; Wu H; Peng Z, 2022, 'Vibration-based monitoring and prediction of surface profile change and pitting density in a spur gear wear process', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 165, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2021.108319
    Journal articles | 2022
    Hilbert M; Wade A. Smith ; Robert B. Randall , 2022, 'The Effect of Signal Propagation Delay on the Measured Vibration in Planetary Gearboxes', Journal of Dynamics, Monitoring and Diagnostics, vol. 1, pp. 9 - 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.37965/jdmd.2021.70
    Journal articles | 2022
    JDMD Editorial Office ; Antoni J; Heyns PS; Lin J; Ouyang H; Schmidt S; Smith WA; Wilke DN, 2022, 'Keynote Summaries of the First International Symposium on Dynamics, Monitoring and Diagnostics', Journal of Dynamics, Monitoring and Diagnostics, pp. 189 - 199, http://dx.doi.org/10.37965/jdmd.2022.134
    Journal articles | 2022
    Randall RB; Smith WA; Borghesani P; Peng Z, 2022, 'A new angle-domain cepstral method for generalised gear diagnostics under constant and variable speed operation', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 178, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2022.109313
    Journal articles | 2021
    André H; Leclère Q; Anastasio D; Benaïcha Y; Billon K; Birem M; Bonnardot F; Chin ZY; Combet F; Daems PJ; Daga AP; De Geest R; Elyousfi B; Griffaton J; Gryllias K; Hawwari Y; Helsen J; Lacaze F; Laroche L; Li X; Liu C; Mauricio A; Melot A; Ompusunggu A; Paillot G; Passos S; Peeters C; Perez M; Qi J; Sierra-Alonso EF; Smith WA; Thomas X, 2021, 'Using a smartphone camera to analyse rotating and vibrating systems: Feedback on the SURVISHNO 2019 contest', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 154, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2020.107553
    Journal articles | 2020
    Mauricio A; Smith WA; Randall RB; Antoni J; Gryllias K, 2020, 'Improved Envelope Spectrum via Feature Optimisation-gram (IESFOgram): A novel tool for rolling element bearing diagnostics under non-stationary operating conditions', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 144, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2020.106891
    Journal articles | 2019
    Chang H; Borghesani P; Smith WA; Peng Z, 2019, 'Application of surface replication combined with image analysis to investigate wear evolution on gear teeth – A case study', Wear, vol. 430-431, pp. 355 - 368, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2019.05.024
    Journal articles | 2019
    Dackermann U; Smith WA; Alamdari MM; Li J; Randall RB, 2019, 'Cepstrum-based damage identification in structures with progressive damage', Structural Health Monitoring, vol. 18, pp. 87 - 102, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1475921718804730
    Journal articles | 2019
    Peng D; Smith WA; Borghesani P; Randall RB; Peng Z, 2019, 'Comprehensive planet gear diagnostics: Use of transmission error and mesh phasing to distinguish localised fault types and identify faulty gears', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 127, pp. 531 - 550, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2019.03.024
    Journal articles | 2019
    Smith WA; Borghesani P; Ni Q; Wang K; Peng Z, 2019, 'Optimal demodulation-band selection for envelope-based diagnostics: A comparative study of traditional and novel tools', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 134, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2019.106303
    Journal articles | 2016
    Hu C; Smith WA; Randall RB; Peng Z, 2016, 'Development of a gear vibration indicator and its application in gear wear monitoring', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 76-77, pp. 319 - 336, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2016.01.018
    Journal articles | 2015
    Smith WA; Randall RB, 2015, 'Rolling element bearing diagnostics using the Case Western Reserve University data: a benchmark study', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 64, pp. 100 - 131, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2015.04.021
    Journal articles | 2014
    Dackermann U; Smith WA; Randall RB, 2014, 'Damage identification based on response-only measurements using cepstrum analysis and artificial neural networks', Structural Health Monitoring, vol. 13, pp. 430 - 444, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1475921714542890
  • Conference Papers | 2014
    Dackermann U; Smith WA; Li J; Randall RB, 2014, 'On the use of the cepstrum and artificial neural networks to identify structural mass changes from response-only measurements', in Proceedings of ISMA 2014 - International Conference on Noise and Vibration Engineering and USD 2014 - International Conference on Uncertainty in Structural Dynamics, Leuven, Belgium, pp. 3739 - 3750, presented at International Conference on Noise and Vibration Engineering, Leuven, Belgium, 15 September 2014 - 10 September 2014