ME 3507: Theory of Machines

Balancing

Dr. Faraz Junejo

 Objectives

Balance simple rotating objects and

pin jointed fourbar linkages
 Introduction
Shaking forces and shaking torques (Chapter 11) will
lead to vibrations

Shaking forces and shaking torques are produced by

unbalanced rotating members

Unbalanced rotating mass used in machinery where

vibration is required, ex: vibration function in cell
phone

For common machinery, vibration is not a desired

feature (leads to noise, faster wear and tear) and can
be removed through balancing
PlayStation 2 Dual Shock controller
 Purposes of Balancing
Making machine element’s center of mass or
gravity coincide with their rotating centers

 The center of mass of some machine may not

coincide with their rotating centers, the reasons
are:
 The asymmetry of the structure
 Uneven distribution of materials
 Errors in machining , casting and forging
 Improper boring
 By keys
 By assembly
 Centrifugal Force
• A particle made to travel along a circular path
generates a centrifugal force directed outward along
the radial line form the center of rotation to the
particle.

• As the particle rotates about the center point, so

does the centrifugal force.
 Centrifugal Force (contd.)
• Centrifugal force is an inertia force and is actually
the body’s reaction to an externally applied force.
• For circular motion the external force is known as
centripetal force. The centripetal force acts on the
particle in a radially inward direction.
• They both have the same magnitude but differ in the
direction of action.
 Centrifugal Force (contd.)
• Similarly, a rotor with mass center slightly displaced
form the axis of rotation will generate centrifugal
force.
• This is the force associated with static unbalance.
• The shaft supports counteract the forces of
unbalance i.e. the externally applied centripetal
force.
• It should be noted here that the quantity m. r is known as
unbalance and that centrifugal force is the product of
unbalance and angular velocity squared. While unbalance
force (Fcentrifugal) increases rapidly with speed, the unbalance
quantity itself (m. r) does not change at all.
 Centrifugal Force (contd.)
• With rigid bodies the unbalance remains the same
although an increase in speed causes an increase in
force.

• The increased force will in turn cause increased

motion depending on the stiffness of the shaft or the
shaft supports.

• Force increases exponentially as the square of the

change in speed. Twice the speed equates to four
times the force and four times the motion.

F = m·r·ω2 = U·ω2
 Unbalance: Summary
A rotor is unbalanced if its centre of gravity (S) or
principal axis of inertia does not coincide with the
axis of rotation.
During rotation the centre of gravity then moves on a
circular path and the rotor exerts centrifugal forces
and moments on its frame.

As system is rotating at some

constant angular velocity ω.
The accelerations of the masses
will then be strictly centripetal
(toward the center) , and the
inertia forces will be centrifugal
(away from the center).
 Unbalance: Summary (contd.)
In addition to mass, the factors governing the
centrifugal force of a body are the radius of the
circular path and the angular velocity/speed.
F = m r ω2

As the centrifugal force increases with the square

of the speed, good balancing is extremely
important, particularly for high-speed machines.
 Static Balancing
Applies to things in motion even though the word
‘static’ is used

Also known as single-plane balancing

Applied to rotating masses that are in, or nearly

in the same plane (2D problem)

Ex: Bicycle wheel, gear, grinding wheels, fan

propeller
 Common feature: All objects are short in the axial
direction compared to the radial direction. The axial
dimension B is smaller compared to the diameter D
( usually B/D≤0.2 )
 Masses almost lie on a single plane
Requirement for static balance: Sum of all forces on
system must be zero, ΣF = 0
 Principle of D’Alembert
Method of converting a dynamics problem into a
‘statics’ problem
Statement:
• The vector sum of all external forces and inertia
forces acting upon a rigid body is zero.

• The vector sum of all external moments and the

inertia torque, acting upon the rigid body is also zero.

• In summary, sum of forces in any direction and sum

of their moments about any point must be zero.
 Principle of D’Alembert (contd.)
Inertia force and couple
• Inertia: Tendency to resist change either from state
of rest or of uniform motion
• Let ‘R’ be the resultant of all the external forces
acting on the body, then this R will be equal to the
product of mass of the body and the linear
acceleration of c.g/c.m of body.
• The force opposing this R’ is the inertia force (equal
in magnitude and opposite in direction).

(Inertia force is an Imaginary force equal and

opposite force causing acceleration)
 Static Balancing: Example
• If the system is a simple disc then static
balance is all that is needed.
• Consider a thin disc or wheel on which the
centre of gravity is not the same as the centre
of rotation.
• If the centre of gravity is distance r from the
centre of rotation then when it spins at ω
rad/s, centrifugal force is produced.

• This has a formula C.F.= M r ω2 where M is the

mass of the disc.

• This is the out of balance force. In order to

cancel it out an equal and opposite force is
needed. This is simply done by adding a mass
M2 at a radius r2 as shown. The two forces
must have the same magnitudes.
• Placing a suitable mass at a suitable radius moves the
centre of gravity to the centre of rotation.

• This balance holds true at all speeds down to zero

hence it is balanced so long as the products of M and
r are equal and opposite.
 Another Example !!
Figure shows a link in the shape of a vee which is
part of a linkage. We want to statically balance it.

We can model this link dynamically as two point

masses m1 and m2 concentrated at the local CGs of
each "leg" of the link as shown in Figure b.
 These point masses each have a Dynamic model
mass equal to that of the "leg"
they replace; and

 are supported on massless rods

at the position (R1 or R2) of that
leg's CG.

 We can solve for the required

amount and location of a third
"balance mass" mb to be added
to the system at some location
Rb in order to satisfy equation F
– ma = 0.
Assume that the system is rotating at some constant angular velocity ω. The
accelerations of the masses will then be strictly centripetal (toward the center) ,
and the inertia forces will be centrifugal (away from the center) as shown in
Figure.
We will set up a coordinate system with its origin at the center of
rotation and resolve the inertial forces into components in that
system. Writing vector equation (F – ma = 0) for this system we get:
 Remember !!
Note that the only forces acting on this system are the
inertia forces.

 For balancing, it does not matter what external forces

may be acting on the system.

External forces cannot be balanced by making any

changes to the system's internal geometry.

Note that the ω2 terms is cancelled, b/c for balancing as

discussed earlier, it also does not matter how fast the
system is rotating, only that it is rotating (ω will
determine the magnitudes of these forces, but we will
make their sum to be zero anyway for balancing).
Static Balancing (contd.)
Static Balancing (contd.)
 Once a combination of mb and Rb is
chosen, it remains to design the
physical counterweight.
 The chosen radius Rb is the
distance from the pivot to the CG of
whatever shape we create for the
counterweight mass.
 Our simple dynamic model, used to
calculate the mR product, assumed
a point mass and a massless rod.
These ideal devices do not exist.
 A possible shape for this
counterweight is shown in Figure
12-1c. Its mass must be mb,
distributed so as to place its CG at
radius Rb at angle θb.
 Example: 1
 Given : The system shown in the
right figure has the following data:

m1=1.2kg R1=1.135m @∠113.4°

m2=1.8kg R2=0.822m @∠48.8°

ω=40rad/sec

 Find: The mass-radius product and

its angular location needed to
statically balance the system. Please
note desired value for Rb=0.806m
 Example: 1 (contd.)
(1) Resolve the position vectors into x, y components:
R1=1.135m@∠113.4, R1x=-0.451m, R1y=1.042m
R2=0.822m@∠48.8, R2x=+0.541m, R2y= 0.618m
(2) So the mass-radius product of the counterweight is:
mbRbx = -(m1R1x+m2R2x) = -[(1.2)(-0.451)+(1.8)(0.541)]
= -0.433kg.m
mbRby = -(m1R1y+ m2R2y)= -[(1.2)(1.042)+(1.8)(0.618)]
= -2.363kg.m

 2.363
 b  arctan  259.6
 0.433
mb Rb  ( 0.433) 2  ( 2.363) 2  2.402kg  m
 Example: 1 (contd.)
(3) If a value for Rb=0.806m is desired, the
mass required for this counterweight m1
design is: m2
mb=(2.402kg-m)/(0.806m) =2.980kg r1

at a chosen CG radius of: ω r2

Rb=0.806m
rb
mb
 Exercise: 1
• Three masses A, B and C are placed on a balanced
disc as shown at radii of 120 mm, 100 mm and 80
mm respectively. The masses are 1 kg, 0.5 kg and 0.7
kg respectively. Find the 4th mass which should be
added at a radius of 60 mm in order to statically
balance the system.
Answer: The mass
required is 2.4 kg at
208.7o counterclockwise
of +ve x-axis.
 Static Balance/Single Plane Balance
Usually the counterweight mb are placed at as large a
rotating radius as is practicable to minimize the amount
of the added mass.
An alternative approach could be by removing mass in
the direction of imbalance (e.g. drilling a hole as the
open circle mb’), rather than by adding counterweights
to it.
Any number of masses in a disk-like rotor can be
balanced by adding a single mass or removing a mass at
an appropriate position.
This is also called single-plane balance.
 Dynamic Balancing
Also known as two-plane balancing
 Applied to rotating objects that are relatively
longer in the axial direction compared to the
radial direction
 Ex: Car tire, squirrel cage fan, turbine rotor
 Example
• Consider 2 masses statically balanced as shown but
acting at different places along the axis.

For static balance

MArA = MBrB

• It is clear that even with static balance, centrifugal

force will produce a turning moment about the centre
of gravity for the system.
 Example (contd.)
• In this case, the problem is solved by adding
equal and opposite forces at the two points as
shown.
Consider the assembly in Figure. Two equal masses
are at identical radii, 1800 apart rotationally, but
separated along the shaft length.
A summation of inertial forces due to their rotation
will be always zero (i.e. statically balanced). However,
in the side view, their inertia forces form a couple
which rotates with the masses about the shaft.

The couple will act on the frame and tend to produce

rotation vibration of the frame.

The criterion for the balancing in such cases is:

Both the vector sum of all inertia forces and the
vector sum of all moments of inertia forces about
any point must be zero, i.e.
∑Fi=0 and ∑Mi=0
 Dynamic Balancing (contd.)
Requirements for dynamic balancing:
– Sum of all forces must be zero, ΣF = 0
– Sum of all moments must be zero, ΣM= 0

Requires addition of balancing weights in two

correction planes separated by some distance
along the shaft to provide a counter couple to
cancel the unbalanced moment
 Example: Dynamic balancing
When an automobile tire and wheel is dynamically
balanced, the two correction planes are the inner and
outer edges of the wheel rim.

Correction weights are added at the proper locations

in each of these correction planes based on a
measurement of the dynamic forces generated by the
unbalanced, spinning wheel.
Dynamic balancing: Summary
Dynamic balancing: Summary (contd.)
 Consider the system of three masses arranged around and
along the shaft in Figure 12-3.
 We then create two correction planes labeled A and B. In this
design example, the unbalanced masses m1, m2, m3 and their
radii R1, R2, R3 are known along with their angular locations θ1,
θ2, and θ3.
A 3D coordinate system is applied with the axis of
rotation in the Z direction.

Note that the system has again been stopped in an

arbitrary freeze-frame position. Angular acceleration is
assumed to be zero. The summation of forces is:
 Taking moment about pt. O on correction plane A yields:

12.4d

12.4e

12.4f
Equation 12.4 c becomes
Dynamic Balancing (contd.)
Example 2: Determine the mass radius products and their
angular locations required to dynamically balance the system
using the correction planes A and B
Example: 2 (Summary)
 Balancing Linkages
Balancing forces the CM
of the object to coincide
with the center of
rotation
 CM of object becomes
stationary as a result of
this
Static balancing is in
effect making the CM of
the object stationary
 Balancing Linkages (contd.)
Balancing forces the CM
of the object to coincide
with the center of
rotation
 CM of object becomes
stationary as a result of
this
Static balancing is in
effect making the CM of
the object stationary
 Balancing Linkages (contd.)
 We will employ static balancing on a linkage, because mass
of fourbar linkage is distributed in a single plane

 CM of entire linkage will move as linkage moves

 Linkage Balancing Strategy
Force CM of entire linkage, CMt to be stationary

 Do this by adding 2 balancing weights, mA and mB, to

links 2 and 4 (because they are in pure rotation)
 Linkage Balancing Strategy (contd.)
Force CM of entire linkage to be stationary

Derive equation describing location of CM of

entire linkage

 Eliminate all variables from equation to

ensure location of CM is constant (stationary)
 Balancing of 4 bar linkage
• Total mss of the system is given by
mt = m2 + m3 + m4
• Now the total mass moment about the origin O2
must be equal to the sum of mass moments due to
individual links, i.e.
∑MO2= mt Rt = m2 R2 + m3 R3 + m4 R4
Where, R2, R3 and R4 are individual CM of links
located in global system centered at O2 using
position vectors
Global CM of Linkage w.r.t. O2
Vectors Representing Link Lengths
Vectors for Local CM of Links
Vectors for Local CM of Balancing Weights
Expression for R2
Expression for R3
Expression for R4
Expression for RA
Expression for RB
Expansion of Linkage CM equation
Vector Loop Equation
 Location and mass of balancing weights
 α and β gives orientation of RA and RB relative L2 and L4
respectively
 Any combination of mA and RA are acceptable so long as their
product is equal to mARA(same with mBRB)
 Exercise: 1
Figure shows an unbalanced fourbar linkage.

Balance this linkage using two balancing weights of

mA = mB = 100gm. Please note, all dimensions are in
mm, unless stated otherwise.

The distance and angular orientation of the second

balancing weight mB, relative to link 4 has been
determined for you. There values are shown in
figure.

Determine the distance RA and angular orientation 

of the first balancing weight mA, relative to link 2 .
Exercise: 1
 Exercise: 1 (contd.)
Hint: Need to use following equations for
fourbar pin joint mechanisms

Answers are as follows:

• RA= 14.2mm
•  = 180 + θ = 193.4o