Tech.

Brief # 1 Some Causes of

Imbalance
Understanding the causes of imbalance is important to correcting the problem. In-place balancing may be
a wasted effort if the underlying cause of the problem isn't controlled. This article briefly reviews some of
the reasons machines can become imbalanced.
Manufacturing Tolerances
Few machines are perfectly balanced when they are built. Non-uniform materials and internal voids cause
imbalance in cast rotors. Machining tolerances result in rotors that aren't exactly round, and bores that
aren't concentric. Fortunately, most rotors of any size are trim balanced when they are built bring the
balance of the assembly to within tolerance.

Shop Practices
The procedures followed by maintenance personnel can
adversely affect machinery balance. Lack of care during
maintenance procedures can create many imbalance
problems. The coupling shown at right is an extreme
example of poor shop practice. When the coupling was
apart, some of the matched bolt assemblies were
misplaced. When it went back together, a short bolt was
used on one side, while a long bolt on the other side
required extra washers. The result is imbalance and high
vibration.

This sketch also shows another area causing imbalance

problems. When the individual components of a machine
are balanced, it is necessary to use a "half key" to make up
for the mass that the key will add to the completed
assembly. There are a number of ideas about how this
should be done. Sometimes, a half-thickness key the length
of the slot is inserted during balancing. Sometimes, a half-
key the width of the coupling hub is used. There is no best
answer to this question except to know how the
components were balanced and to make the final key the
same mass.

The lower sketch shows a balance wheel of a type installed

on many machines. To trim balance the machine, set
screws are inserted into the appropriate holes, making for a
simple procedure. Do not add or remove weights from
these balance wheels except for balancing. When the
balance job is complete, the weights should be lightly staked
(the threads slightly deformed with a punch) so the weights
won't come out during operation. The key here is lightly
staked, as the weights may need to be removed in the
future.

Tech Brief #1 Spintelligent Labs

8/22/02
REVOLUTIONARY SCIENCE
Normal Operation
During normal operation, dirt and other material may
build up on fan and pump rotors. This doesn't result in
high vibration levels until clumps of material start to
break off, resulting in imbalance. The picture at right
shows a 30" vane-axial fan. Close inspection of the
blades shows the edges are rough with material
deposits. The lower picture is a close up showing the
edge of the blade. This buildup has reduced fan
efficiency and resulted in imbalance.

Cleaning material buildups like this one will restore fan

efficiency and balance. This fan was used in an
industrial process and the deposited material is quite
difficult to remove. Dirt buildup on air-handlers can
usually be brushed off. An interesting cleaning
technique is used for boiler force draft blowers. This
are large, high speed blower that supply combustion air
into the boiler. Walnut shells are introduced into the
airflow when the boiler is operating. The sharp edges
of the walnut shells remove dirt and soot buildup from
the blower wheel without causing any damage to the
blower. The shells burn up inside the boiler.

Fouling
Pump impellers are particularly subject to fouling with
foreign materials. Inspection will usually allow the
problem to be quickly corrected.

During system overhaul, pump fouling can be a

frequent occurrence. One pump was noisy when first
operated after a shipboard overhaul. Vibration
measurements showed imbalance and high pump vane

rate, indicating poor flow through the pump. Ah ha...looks like another rag. The shop mechanics were called
and informed of the news. A short while later the phone rang. "You vibration guys don't know what you're
talking about, there wasn't a rag in the pump. It was a flashlight!" It just doesn't pay to be too specific.

Wear and Erosion

Wear and erosion result in removal of material from rotors and even holes depending on material properties.
Impellers handling corrosive or abrasive materials are especially subject to wear. If a rotor has reached this
stage, balancing is a short-term fix at best.

Summary
Imbalance results from a number of causes. Before deciding to balance a machine, inspection to determine the
cause is recommended. Cleaning a rotor or installing the correct coupling bolts may very simply correct the
vibration problem and result in long-term mechanical reliability.

Application Note
Tech Brief #1