Undercarriage Instrumentation Course
300-hour online course in undercarriage instrumentation. 6 modules covering ISO 5348 (mechanical mounting of accelerometers), ISO 16063 (calibration of vibration transducers) and HBK Catman. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Undercarriage Instrumentation Course — studying from New Zealand
Off-road and special vehicle engineering is a major strength in New Zealand, reflecting the importance of agriculture, forestry, mining and construction. Manufacturers and fabricators in the Waikato and Canterbury produce tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment and specialised machinery, many of which are exported worldwide. Engineers in this field work on design, testing and safety compliance for equipment used on farms, in plantations and on remote worksites.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,470 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Which New Zealand bodies relate to off-road and specialist vehicle engineering?
Engineering New Zealand is the main professional body, and vehicle compliance is handled by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Heavy machinery and certain specialist vehicles can also fall under WorkSafe New Zealand rules. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so employers and regulators decide their value.
Who hires off-road and special vehicle engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include forestry and agricultural equipment firms, mining and civil construction contractors, fabrication shops, and emergency or utility vehicle fleets. Practical design, safety and maintenance skills are central to hiring. A SEIUM qualification may help, but its weight depends on the employer.
How does the study load work for someone with a job here?
The programme is fully online, so you can study around work from anywhere in New Zealand without a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours. You get an assigned technical tutor, and fees can be paid in instalments or sponsored by an employer.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Define which variables to measure on an undercarriage.
Select and mount strain gauges, accelerometers and displacement sensors.
Configure data acquisition systems and signal processing.
Measure the wear and condition of undercarriage components.
Convert test data into information for design and maintenance.
Ensure the metrological quality of the measurement campaign.
Plan a complete instrumentation campaign.
Who it's for
- Test engineer looking to specialise in Undercarriage Instrumentation.
- Instrumentation technician looking to specialise in Undercarriage Instrumentation.
- Undercarriage validation engineer looking to specialise in Undercarriage Instrumentation.
- Test data analyst looking to specialise in Undercarriage Instrumentation.
- Durability engineer looking to specialise in Undercarriage Instrumentation.
- Calibration laboratory technician looking to specialise in Undercarriage Instrumentation.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter tracked machinery manufacturing.
What you'll work with
- ISO 5348 (mechanical mounting of accelerometers)
- ISO 16063 (calibration of vibration transducers)
- ISO/IEC 17025 (competence of testing and calibration laboratories)
- SAE J1939 (communication network for heavy-duty vehicles)
- ISO 15998 (electronic control systems in earth-moving machinery)
- IEC 60529 (IP degrees of protection)
- ISO 16750 (environmental conditions for electrical equipment)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Quantities of interest: load, stress, temperature and wear1.2Components to instrument on tracked undercarriages1.3Components to instrument on wheeled undercarriages1.4Objectives: development, validation and in-service monitoring1.5Harsh environment: dust, mud, impact and vibration1.6Practical limitations of instrumentation1.7Cost of instrumentation and its justification1.8Realistic use cases1.9Measurement terminology1.10Workshop: defining the measurement plan for an undercarriage
2.1Strain gauges on axles and mounts2.2Instrumented pins and bolts2.3Pressure sensors in hydraulic tensioners2.4Accelerometers and their fixing2.5Temperature sensors for rollers and bushings2.6Position and travel sensors2.7Rotary telemetry and slip rings2.8Mechanical protection of the sensor and wiring2.9Powering the sensors2.10Practice: designing the mounting of three sensors
3.1Signal conditioning and amplification3.2Sampling rate and filtering3.3Channel synchronisation3.4On-board storage and transmission3.5Thermal compensation of strain gauges3.6Calibration on the bench and in the machine3.7Electrical noise and shielding3.8Data cleaning and error detection3.9Calculation of derived quantities3.10Practice: processing a field record
4.1Manual wear measurement and templates4.2Automated sensor-based measurement4.3Three-dimensional scanning of components4.4Chain elongation measurement4.5Tension and sag measurement4.6Roller temperature monitoring4.7Detection of oil leaks in rollers4.8Undercarriage condition indicators4.9Remaining life prediction4.10Practice: periodic measurement protocol
5.1Characterisation of service loads5.2Validation of calculation models5.3Comparison between configurations and terrains5.4Effect of driving style on loads5.5Adjusting maintenance intervals5.6Building the case with the manufacturer5.7Support for warranty claims5.8Improving undercarriage design5.9Undercarriage dashboard5.10Practice: technical report based on the data
6.1Planning a measurement campaign6.2Selection of machines and conditions6.3Logistics and campaign duration6.4Traceability and data archiving6.5Campaign cost and budgeting6.6Safety during instrumentation6.7Common instrumentation errors6.8Documentation and deliverables6.9Communicating results6.10Final project: instrumentation campaign for an undercarriage
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is HBK Catman, NI LabVIEW, nCode GlyphWorks, MATLAB, DIAdem, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures from frame strain-gauge campaigns, chain and roller wear measurement, and data acquisition on a test track. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Define which variables to measure on an undercarriage.
Select and mount strain gauges, accelerometers and displacement sensors.
Configure data acquisition systems and signal processing.
Measure the wear and condition of undercarriage components.
Convert test data into information for design and maintenance.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No previous degree required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Spanish-language proficiency sufficient to follow technical standards reading.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with HBK Catman, NI LabVIEW, nCode GlyphWorks, MATLAB, DIAdem. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the final integrating project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the higher programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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