Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The first patent for balancing technology was filed by Henry Martinson of Canada in 1870, four years after the development of
the dynamo by iemens! "ear the turn of the century, #$i moff %&#' and todola %wit(erland' attempted to develop
Martinson)s technology and apply it for industrial use! However, it was in 1*07 when a modified version of the technology was
patented by +r! ran( -awac(e$, and offered to Carl chenc$, +armstadt, .ermany, for development! chenc$ built the first
industrial two/plane balancer, and subseuently bought eclusive world r ights to the dynamic balancing machine in 1*12!
Through the years, craftsmanship and uality have been the hallmar$s of chenc$ products!
Technology advancements gave way to improved sensitivity, freuency selectivity and plane
separation capability! The development of electronics and mechanical3electrical transducers, greatly
reduced balancing time and paved the way for modern balancing technology!
Today chenc$ balancing euipment is used with confidence f or a wide range of applications / from the smalles t rotors for
dental drill instruments to the largest steam turbines in the world! 4ur precision balancing machines assure accurate,
dependable rotor operation and are available in nearly any configuration for rotors weighing as much as 500,000 lbs!
Fundamental
s of
of
Balancing
#fter a brief overview of basic theory that includes the principles of machine
operation, tolerance specifications and machine setup, students will be divided into
small groups with those that have similar euipment and applications! ervice
technicians and engineers will then supervise a number of eercises on machines
and instruments that closely resemble the students) euipment!6
Certification:
-evel 9/ ;alancing 4perator
Definition
#ccording to +9"394 1*<2 &nbalance is >that condition which eists in a rotor when
vibratory force or motion is imparted to its bearings as a result of centrifugal forces!?
Why Balance?
#n unbalanced rotor will cause vibration and stress in the rotor itself and in its supporting
structure! ;alancing of the rotor is, therefore, necessary to accomplish one or more of the
following@
a! 9ncrease uality of product
b! Minimi(e vibration
c! Minimi(e audible and signal noises
d! Minimi(e structural stresses
e! Minimi(e operator annoyance and fatigue
f! 9ncrease bearing life
g! Minimi(e power loss
&nbalance in Aust one rotating component of an assembly may cause the entire assembly to
vibrate! This induced vibration in turn may cause ecessive wear in bearings, bushings,
shafts, spindles, gears, etc!, substantially reducing their service life! Bibrations set up highly
undesirable alternating stresses in structural supports and housings, which may eventually
lead to their complete failure! :erformance is decreased because of the absorption of
energy by the supporting structure! Bibrations may be transmitted through the floor to
adAacent machinery and seriously impair its accuracy or proper functioning!
This figure shows the side view of a rotor having an ecess mass m on one side! +ue to
centrifugal force eerted by m during rotation, the entire rotor is being pulled in the direction
of the arrow !
Causes of unbalance
The ecess of mass on one side of the rotor in this figure is called unbalance! 9n the
eample illustrated, it is the heavy spot! &nbalance may also occur due to lac$ of mass
%such as a drill hole, porous spot, etc!' in which case it is called the light spot?! Gither one
may be caused by a variety of reasons, including the following@
-imitations imposed by rotor design often introduce unbalance effects that cannot be
corrected adeuately by refinement of the design itself! or eample, electrical design
considerations impose a reuirement that one coil be at a greater radius than the others in
a certain type of universal motor armature! 9t is impractical to design a compensating
unbalance into the armature!
abricated parts, such as fans, often distort nonsymmetrically under service conditions!
+esign and economic considerations prevent the adaptation of methods that might
eliminate this distortion and thereby reduce the resulting unbalance!
9deally, rotating parts should always be designed for inherent balance, whether a balancing
operation is to be performed or not! Dhere low service speeds are involved and the effects
of a reasonable amount of unbalance can be tolerated, this practice may eliminate the need
for balancing! 9n parts that reuire unbalanced masses for functional reasons, these
masses can often be counterbalanced by designing for symmetry about the shaft ais!
Correction methods
Corrections for rotor unbalance are made either by the addition of mass to the rotor, by the
removal of material, or in some cases, by relocating the shaft ais %>mass centering'! The
selected correction method should ensure that there is sufficient space or material to allow
correction of the maimum unbalance which may occur! T he ideal correction method
permits a reduction of the maimum initial unbalance to less than balance tolerance in a
single correction step! However, this is often difficult to achieve! The more common
methods described below, e!g!, drilling, usually permit a single step reduction of 10@1 in
unbalance if carried out carefully! Milling and grinding are less accurate, unless carried out
in automatic or semi/automatic balancing machines, which have integrated mass correction
devices!
The addition of mass may achieve a reduction ratio as large as <0@1 or higher, provided the
mass and its position are closely controlled! 9f the method selected for reduction of
maimum initial unbalance cannot be epected to bring the rotor within the permissible
residual unbalance in a single correction step, a preliminary correction is made! Then a
second correction follows to reduce the remaining unbalance to its permissible value!
Addition of Mass
1! Addition of two-component epoxy
9t is difficult to apply the material so that its center/of/gravity is precisely at the desired
correction location! Bariations in location introduce errors in correction! This method is
often used in balancing of wound armatures!
<! Addition of !olted or ri"eted standard washers
This method is uic$, but somewhat limited in accuracy because the washers come in
incremental si(es, i!e!, the mass of one washer may vary considerably from the mass of
the net washer of the same type and si(e! This method is often used in balancing of #C
motor rotors!
=! Addition of premanufactured weights
The same limitations as in %<' apply! # typical application is addition of spring clips to the
blades of automotive #3C blower wheels!
! Addition of cut-to-si#e weights
This is practiced on drive shafts, for instance, by resistance welding the weights to the
outside rotor surface! Delding provides a means of attaching a wide variety of correction
masses at any desired angular locations! Care must be ta$en that welding heat does not
distort the rotor!
$emo"al of Mass
1! %rilling
Material is removed from the rotor by a drill which penetrates the rotor to a measured
depth, thereby removing the intended amount of material with a high degree of accuracy!
# depth gage or limit switch can be provided on the drill spindle to ensure that the hole is
drilled to the desired depth! This is probably the most effective method of unbalance
correction!
<! Milling& 'haping& or Fly Cutting
This method permits accurate removal of mass when the rotor surfaces, from which the
depth of cut is measured, are machined surfaces, and when means are provided for
accurate measurement of cut with respect to those surfacesF used where relatively large
corrections are reuired!
=! (rinding
9n general, grinding must be considered a trial/and/error method of correction! 9t is
difficult to evaluate the actual mass of the material, which is removed! This method is
usually used only where the rotor design or material does not permit a more economical
type of correction!
Mass Centering
uch a procedure is used, for instance, to reduce initial unbalance in cran$shaft castings or
forgings! The shaft is mounted in a balanced cage or cradle, which in turn, is rotated in a
balancing machine! The shaft is adAusted radially with respect to the cage until the
unbalance indication for the combined shaft and cradle assembly is within a given
tolerance! #t this point the principal inertia ais of the shaft essentially coincides with the
shaft ais of the balanced cage! Center drills, guided along the ais of the cage, then drill
the shaft centers and thereby provide an ais in the cran$shaft about which it is in balance!
The subseuent machining of the cran$shaft is carried out between these centers!
;ecause material removal is uneven at different parts of the shaft, the machining operation
will introduce some new unbalance! # final balancing operation is, therefore, still reuired! 9t
is generally accomplished by drilling into the cran$shaft counterweights! However, final
unbalance corrections are small and balancing time is significantly shortened! urthermore,
final correction %usually by drilling' does not eceed the material available for it, nor does it
reduce the mass of the counterweights to a level where they no longer perform their proper
function, namely to compensate for the opposed throws and cran$pins of the cran$shaft!
Units of unbalance
&nbalance is measured in ounceinches, graminches, or grammillimeters, all having a
similar meaning, namely a mass multiplied by its distance from t he shaft ais, i!e!, its
radius! #n unbalance of 100 gin, for eample, indicates that one side of the rotor has an
ecess mass euivalent to 10 grams at a 10 inch radius, or <0 grams at a 2 inch radius!
ince a given ecess mass at a given radius represents the same unbalance, regardless of
rotational speed %provided the rotor does not change its shape over speed', the speed at
which the unbalance is measured is determined primarily by the type of balancing machine,
its drive system, the reuired balancing accuracy, and safety concerns %i!e! the slower the
rotational speed, the less energy is stored in the rotor'!
4nce the unbalance has been corrected there will no longer be any significant disturbing
centrifugal force and, therefore, no more ecessive vibration! # small residual unbalance
will usually remain in the part, Aust as there is a tolerance in any machining operation!
.enerally, the higher the service speed, the smaller should be the residual unbalance!
;alancing tolerances for various types of rotors will be discussed later in this boo$!
Dhile most countries use the metric system, and subseuently use metric units of
unbalance, e!g!, grammillimeters %abbreviated gmm', in the &!!#! many branches of the
industry use a combination of metric and Gnglish units, graminch %abbreviated gin',
because it has proven to be the most practical! # true Gnglish unit, e!g!, ounceinch
%abbreviated o(in' is too large for many balancing applications, necessitating fractions or a
subdivision into hundredths, neither of which has become very popular!
Types of unbalance
The following paragraphs eplain the four different types of unbalance as defined by the
internationally accepted 94 tandard "o! 1*<2 on balancing terminology! or each of the
four mutually eclusive cases an eample is shown, illustrating displacement of the principal
ais of inertia from the shaft ais caused by the addition of certain unbalance masses in
certain distributions to a perfectly balanced rotor!
a 'tatic n!alance
'tatic n!alance
tatic unbalance eists when the principal ais of inertia is displaced parallel to the shaft
ais! This type of unbalance is found primarily in narrow, dis$/shaped parts such as
flywheels and turbine wheels! 9t can be corrected by a single mass correction placed
opposite the center/of/gravity in a plane perpendicular to the shaft ais, and intersecting the
C.!
tatic unbalance, if large enough, can be detected with gravity/type balancing devices, for
instance, a pair of precision ground $nife edges! 9f the $nife edges are level, the rotor will
turn until the heavy spot reaches the lowest position!
The use of $nife edges for the detection of unbalance is very limited because of the
following@
The device can only indicate the angle of unbalance, not the amount of unbalance!
The amount of unbalance can only be estimated and corrected by trial/and/error!
The accuracy is limited by the friction between $nife edge and Aournal!
tatic unbalance can be measured more accurately by centrifugal means on a balancing
machine than by gravitational means on $nife edges or rollers! tatic balancing by gravity is
satisfactory only for relatively slowly revolving, dis$/shaped parts or for parts that are
subseuently assembled into a larger rotor, which is then balanced dynamically as an
assembly!
! Couple n!alance
Couple n!alance
Couple unbalance is that condition for which the principal ais of inertia intersects the shaft
ais at the center of gravity! This condition arises when two eual unbalances are positioned
at an aial distance on a rotor and spaced 180I from each other! ince this rotor will not
rotate when placed on $nife/edges, a dynamic method must be employed to detect couple
unbalance!
Couple unbalance is epressed in units of gram/millimeter< %abbreviated gmm<',
graminch< %abbreviated gin<', ounceinch< %abbreviated o(in<', or similar, wherein the
second length unit refers to the distance b between the two planes of unbalance!
This type of unbalance cannot be corrected by a single mass in a single correction plane! #t
least two masses are reuired, each placed in a different t ransverse plane %perpendicular to
the shaft ais' and 180I opposite to each other! 9n other words, a couple unbalance needs
another couple to correct it! 9n the eample for instance, correction could be made by
placing two masses at opposite angular positions on t he main body of the rotor! The aial
location of the correction couple does not matter as long as its value is eual in magnitude
but opposite in direction to the unbalance couple!
c .uasi-'tatic n!alance
.uasi-'tatic n!alance
Juasi/static unbalance is that condition of unbalance for which t he central principal ais of
inertia intersects the shaft ais at a point other than t he center of gravity! 9t represents the
specific combination of static and couple unbalance where the angular position of one
couple component coincides with the angular position of the static unbalance! This is a
special case of dynamic unbalance!
Note that the single unbalance mass in the first figure represents the same quasi-static
unbalance as the 3 masses in the second!
d %ynamic n!alance
ynamic unbalance, is that condition in which the central principal ais of inertia is neither
parallel to, nor intersects with the shaft ais! 9t is the most freuently occurring type of
unbalance and can only be corrected %as is the case with couple unbalance' by mass
correction in at least two planes perpendicular to the shaft ais! +ynamic unbalance is a
combination of static unbalance and couple unbalance, where the angular position of the
static unbalance relative to the couple unbalance is neither 0I nor 180I!
'oft-!earing
The soft/bearing balancing machine derives its name from the fact that it supports the rotor
to be balanced on bearings which are very fleibly suspended, permitting the rotor to vibrate
freely in at least one direction, usually the hori(ontal, perpendicular to the rotor shaft ais!
Kesonance of rotor and bearing systems occurs at one half or less of t he lowest balancing
speed, so that by the time balancing speed is reached, the angle of lag and the vibration
amplitude have stabili(ed and can be measured with reasonable certainty!
;earings %and the directly attached support components' vibrate in unison with the rotor,
thus adding to its mass! Kestriction of vertical motion does not affect t he amplitude of
vibration in the hori(ontal plane, but t he added mass of the bearings does! The greater the
combined mass of the rotor and the bearings, the smaller will be the displacement of the
bearings, and the smaller will be the output of the devices which sense the unbalance!
The relationship between unbalance and bearing motion is very comple! # direct indication
of unbalance can be obtained only after calibrating the indicating system for a given rotor by
ma$ing several calibration runs with calibration weights of $nown value attached to the rotor
in the chosen correction planes! Calibrating a soft/bearing machine by sha$ing the rotor
%without spinning it' has been attempted by several manufacturers but proven inaccurate
because the polar moment of inertia is ignored!
0ard-!earing
Hard/bearing balancing machines are essentially of the same construction as soft/bearing
balancing machines, ecept that their bearing supports are significantly stiffer in t ransverse
hori(ontal direction! This results in a hori(ontal resonance for the rotor and bearing support
system which occurs at a freuency several orders of magnitude higher than that for a
comparable soft/bearing balancing machine! The hard/bearing balancing machine is
designed to operate at speeds well below this resonance in an area where the phase angle
lag is constant and practically (ero, and where the amplitude of vibration / though small / is
directly proportional to centrifugal forces produced by unbalance!
ince the force that a given amount of unbalance eerts at a given speed is always the
same, no matter whether the unbalance occurs in a small or large, light or heavy rotor, t he
output from the sensing elements attached to the balancing machine bearing supports
remains proportional to the centrifugal force resulting from unbalance in t he rotor! The output
is not influenced by bearing mass, rotor mass, or inertia, so that a permanent relation
between unbalance and sensing element output can be established!
Centrifugal force from a given unbalance rises with the suare of the balancing speed!
4utput from the pic$ups rises proportionately with the second or third power of the speed
depending on the type of pic$up used! uitable integrator circuitry then reduces the pic$up
signal inversely proportional to the suare respectively cube of the balancing speed
increase, resulting in a constant unbalance readout! &nli$e soft/bearing balancing machines,
the use of calibration masses or sha$ers is not reuired to calibrate the machine for a given
rotor!
;alancing and Bibration tandards
12/3$2A/1O2A4 '/A2%A$%'
1'O *567:6++* Mechanical vibration // ;alancing // Bocabulary
1'O *58+-*:*59 Mechanical vibration // ;alance uality reuirements of rigid rotors // :art 1@
+etermination of permissible residual unbalance
1'O *58+-6:*55; Mechanical vibration // ;alance uality reuirements of rigid rotors // :art <@
;alance errors
1'O 6+8*:*55+ Bibration and shoc$ // Bocabulary
1'O 6<;*:*5;8 ield balancing euipment // +escription and evaluation %withdrawn'
1'O 657<:*555 Mechanical vibration // ;alancing machines // +escription and evaluation
%available in Gnglish only'
1'O 6578:*5;7 Mechanical vibration of rotating and reciprocating machinery // Keuirements
for instruments for measuring vibration severity
1'O <;*5:*558 Mechanical vibration // ymbols for balancing machines and associated
instrumentation
1'O 89:*55+ Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // Bibration of buildings // .uidelines for the
measurement of vibrations and evaluation of their effects on buildings
1'O 7<8<:*59< Criteria for evaluating fleible rotor balance %withdrawn'
1'O 7<88:*59+ Glectrodynamic test euipment for generating vibration // Methods of
describing
euipment characteristics
1'O 7<89:*559 Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // Mechanical mounting of accelerometers
1'O 78+:*59+ The mechanical balancing of fleible rotors %withdrawn'
1'O ;8;7:6++6 Mechanical vibration // ;alancing machines // Gnclosures and other protective
measures for the measuring station %available in Gnglish only'
1'O ;6-*:*59 Bibration and shoc$ // Gperimental determination of mechanical mobility //
:art 1@ ;asic definitions and transducers
1'O ;6-6:*55+ Bibration and shoc$ // Gperimental determination of mechanical mobility //
:art <@ Measurements using single/point translation ecitation with an attached vibration
eciter
1'O ;6-7:*558 Bibration and shoc$ // Gperimental determination of mechanical mobility //
:art 2@ Measurements using impact ecitation with an eciter which is not attached to the
structure
1'O ;5*5-*:*55 Mechanical vibration of non/reciprocating machines // Measurements on
rotating shafts and evaluation criteria // :art 1@ .eneral guidelines
1'O ;5*5-6:6++* Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements on
rotating shafts // :art <@ -and/based steam turbines and generators in ecess of 20 MD
with normal operating speeds of
1200 r3min, 1800 r3min, =000 r3min and =500 r3min
1'O ;5*5-<:*55 Mechanical vibration of non/reciprocating machines // Measurements on
rotating shafts and evaluation criteria // :art =@ Coupled industrial machines
1'O ;5*5-8:*55 Mechanical vibration of non/reciprocating machines // Measurements on
rotating shafts and evaluation criteria // :art @ .as turbine sets
1'O ;5*5-7:*55; Mechanical vibration of non/reciprocating machines // Measurements on
rotating shafts and evaluation criteria // :art 2@ Machine sets in hydraulic power generating
and pumping plants
1'O 9+86:*599 hoc$ and vibration measurements // Characteristics to be specified for
seismic pic$/ups
1'O 975:*55 Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // Measurement and evaluation of shoc$ and
vibration effects on sensitive euipment in buildings
1'O 996*:*595 Mechanical vibration // ;alancing // haft and fitment $ey convention
1'O 599:*55+ Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // #nalytical methods of assessing shoc$
resistance of mechanical systems // 9nformation echange between suppliers and users of
analyses
1'O *++77:*55 Mechanical vibration // Bibration testing reuirements for shipboard
euipment and machinery components
1'O *+*<;:*556 ;ases for design of structures // erviceability of buildings against vibration
%available in Gnglish only'
1'O=/' *+9**-*:6+++ Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // Bibration and shoc$ in buildings with
sensitive euipment // :art 1@ Measurement and evaluation
1'O=/' *+9**-6:6+++ Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // Bibration and shoc$ in buildings with
sensitive euipment // :art <@ Classification
1'O *+9*8:*55 Mechanical vibration // usceptibility and sensitivity of machines to unbalance
1'O *+9*-*:*557 Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements
on non/rotating parts // :art 1@ .eneral guidelines
1'O *+9*-6:6++* Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements
on non/rotating parts // :art <@ -and/based steam turbines and generators in ecess of 20
MD with normal operating speeds of 1200 r3min, 1800 r3min, =000 r3min and =500 r3min
1'O *+9*-<:*559 Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements
on non/rotating parts // :art =@ 9ndustrial machines with nominal power above 12 $D and
nominal speeds between 1<0 r3min and 12 000 r3min when measured in situ
1'O *+9*-8:*559 Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements
on non/rotating parts // :art @ .as turbine driven sets ecluding aircraft derivatives
1'O *+9*-7:6+++ Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements
on non/rotating parts // :art 2@ Machine sets in hydraulic power generating and pumping
plants %available in Gnglish only'
1'O *+9*-:*557 Mechanical vibration // Gvaluation of machine vibration by measurements
on non/rotating parts // :art 5@ Keciprocating machines with power ratings above 100 $D
1'O *+9*;-*:*559 Kotating shaft vibration measuring systems // :art 1@ Kelative and absolute
sensing of radial vibration
1'O *+9*5:*55 Mechanical vibration and shoc$ // Hand/arm vibration // Method for the
measurement and evaluation of the vibration transmissibility of gloves at the palm of the
hand
1'O **<86:*559 Mechanical vibration // Methods and criteria for the mechanical balancing of
fleible rotors %available in Gnglish only'
1'O **<86=Cor*:6+++ Mechanical vibration // Methods and criteria f or the mechanical balancing
of fleible rotors %Technical Corrigendum 1'
1'O *<<;<-*:6++6 Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines // Bibration condition
monitoring // :art 1@ .eneral procedures
1'O *858:6++< 9ndustrial fans // pecifications for balance uality and vibration levels
1'O *857:6++< 9ndustrial fans // Method of measurement of fan vibration
1'O *89<5-*:6++6 Mechanical vibration // Bibration of rotating machinery euipped with active
magnetic bearings // :art 1@ Bocabulary
1'O *+<-*:*559 Methods for the calibration of vibration and shoc$ transducers // :art 1@
;asic concepts
1'O *+<-**:*555 Methods for the calibration of vibration and shoc$ transducers // :art 11@
:rimary vibration calibration by laser interferometry %available in Gnglish only'
1'O *+<-*6:6++6 Methods for the calibration of vibration and shoc$ transducers // :art 1<@
:rimary vibration calibration by the reciprocity method %available in Gnglish only'
1'O *+<-*<:6++* Methods for the calibration of vibration and shoc$ transducers // :art 1=@
:rimary shoc$ calibration using laser interferometry
2A/1O2A4 '/A2%A$%'
A2'1 '6;-*596 ;alancing Terminology %identical to 94 1*<2'
>$*55;?
A2'1 '6+-*59; ;alancing Machines / Gnclosures and 4ther afety Measures %identical to
>$*55;? 94 772'
A2'1 '686-*596 :rocedures for ;alancing leible Kotors %identical to 94 205'
>$*55;?
A2'1 '6<9-*596 ield ;alancing Guipment / +escription and Gvaluation %identical to 94
>$*55;? <=71'
A2'1 '6*5-*595 Mechanical Bibration / ;alance Juality Keuirements of Kigid Kotors / :art 1,
'A3 %ocuments
A$@79;B : ;alancing Machines / +escription and Gvaluation Hori(ontal, T wo/:lane, oft/
;earing Type for .as Turbine Kotors
A$@799B : ;alancing Machines / +escription and Gvaluation Bertical, ingle/:lane, oft/
;earing Type for .as Turbine Kotors
A$@**<8 : #dapter 9nterface / Turbine Gngine ;lade Moment Deighing cale
A$@*6+6 : ;alancing Machines, +ynamic, ;all Type lave ;earings for Kotor upport
A$@*<96 : +esign Criteria for ;alancing Machine T ooling
A$@8+89 : ;alancing Machines / +escription and Gvaluation Hori(ontal, T wo/:lane, Hard/
;earing Type for .as Turbine Kotors
A$@8+7+ : ;alancing Machines / +escription and Gvaluation Bertical, Two/:lane, Hard/
;earing Type for .as Turbine Kotors
A$@8*6A ;alancing Machine :roving Kotors
:
A$@8*< : ;alancing Machines, Tooling +esign Criteria %as of 7/<00= being wor$ed on,
will supersede #K: 1=8<'
A$@7<6< : ;alancing Machines / +escription and Gvaluation Bertical, ingle/:lane, Hard/
;earing Type for .as Turbine Kotors
A$@7*+A : Moment Deight of Turbine and Compressor Kotor ;lades
A1$*9<5 : # .uide to #ircraft Turbine Gngine Bibration Monitoring ystems
#"9 and 94 +ocuments may be ordered through www!ansi!org
#:9 tandards may be ordered through a distributor, .lobal Gngineering +ocuments at
http@33global!ihs!com