BALANCING

Unbalance
 UNBALANCE
• The technical way to describe unbalance is as a
condition where
“a shaft’s geometric centerline and mass
centerline do not coincide”
or where
“ the center of mass does not lie on the axis of
rotation”.
In other words, there is a heavy spot
somewhere along the shaft.
 UNBALANCE

• International Standards Organization (ISO):

“. . . that condition which exists in a rotor

when vibratory force or motion is imparted
to its bearings as a result of centrifugal
forces.”
 Causes Of Unbalance
• Uneven distribution of mass of rotor.
• Dirt accumulation on fan rotors.
• Rotor eccentricity
• Roller deflection, especially in paper machines
• Machining errors
• Uneven erosion and corrosion of pump
impellers
• Missing balance weights
SOURCES OF UNBALANCE
1. CASTING IMPERFECTIONS
2. ECCENTRICITY
3. ADDITION OF KEYS AND KEYWAYS
4. DISTORTION
5. CLEARANCE TOLERANCES
6. CORROSION AND WEAR
7. DEPOSIT BUILDUP
 UNITS OF UNBALANCE

Vibration instruments measure unbalance amplitude in

units of displacement, velocity or acceleration.
 TYPES OF UNBALANCE
• Static Unbalance - central principal axis is displaced
parallel to the shaft axis
• Couple Unbalance - central principal axis intersects
the shaft axis at the rotor center of gravity
• Quasi-Static Unbalance - combination of static and
couple unbalance where central principal axis
intersects the shaft axis, but NOT at the rotor center
of gravity
• Dynamic Unbalance - random combination of static
and couple unbalance
STATIC UNBALANCE
 Static Unbalance

Detection:
• Highest radial vibration
• Amplitude increases as square of speed.
• Dominant frequency at 1x rpm
• Horizontal to vertical phase difference 900 on
the same bearing housing
 STATIC UNBALANCE

Vibration amplitude and phase readings

measured at the two supporting bearings
will be nearly identical
If a machine has an imbalance, the time wave
form will be sinusoidal with a frequency of the
running speed.
If a machine has an imbalance, the spectrum
will have a large peak at the running speed.
If a machine has an imbalance, the time wave
form will be sinusoidal with a frequency of the
running speed.
If a machine has an imbalance, the spectrum
will have a large peak at the running speed.
The speed of the rotating shaft affects
the centripetal forces and thus the
vibration level.

In fact, the out of balance forces are

proportional to the square of the speed.
The relative levels of the 1X vibration at the
bearings depend on the location of the
heavy spot along the rotor.

The amplitude of the vibration is proportional

to the severity of the imbalance and the
square of the RPM
Recap….
Force Unbalance
Force Unbalance will be in-phase and steady.
Amplitude due to unbalance will increase by the
square of speed (3x speed increase = 9x higher
vibration).
1x RPM always present and normally dominates
the spectrum.
Can be corrected by placement of only one
balance weight in one plane at rotor center of
gravity (CG).
COUPLE UNBALANCE
 Couple Unbalance

Detection:
• High horizontal & some times axial vibration
• Dominant frequency at 1x RPM
• 1800 phase difference between both bearings
horizontal as well as vertical direction.
 Recap….
Couple Unbalance

Couple Unbalance tends toward 180° Out-of-phase on same

shaft.
1x always present and normally dominates the spectrum.
Amplitude varies with square of increasing speed. May cause
high axial vibrations as well as radial.
Correction requires placement of balance weights in at least 2
planes. Note that approx. 180° phase difference should exist
between Outboard and Inboard horizontals as well as Outboard
and Inboard verticals.
QUASI-STATIC UNBALANCE

Combination of Static and Couple Unbalance where vibration

amplitudes at one support are considerably higher than the
other and phase readings are the same or differ by 180
degrees
 DYNAMIC UNBALANCE

Most common type of unbalance condition and accounts for

any condition that does not meet the conditions of static,
couple or quasi-static unbalance.
Overhung Rotor Unbalance
 Overhung Rotor Unbalance

Detection:
• High horizontal & axial vibration
• Dominant frequency at 1x RPM
• Axial readings will be in phase but radial
phase readings might be unsteady.
 Overhung Rotor Unbalance
Typical Spectrum Phase Relationship
 Correction

Overhung rotors might be having both

static and couple unbalance and each of
which requires correction.
Overhung Rotor
 CROSS EFFECT

• A heavy spot of unbalance located at one

end of a rotor will not only create unbalance
vibration at that end, but will also create
some unbalance vibration at the opposite
end of the rotor as well
 DETERMINING WHEN TO USE
2 – PLANE BALANCING

W/D Ratio 1 - Plane 2 - Plane

width

diameter Less than 0.5 0 – 1000 RPM Above

1000 RPM

width
150 – 2000
diameter More than 0.5 0 – 150 RPM RPM or
but less than 2 above 70%
of 1st critical
width
Above 100
diameter More than 2 0 – 100 RPM RPM to
70 % of 1st
critical
 BALANCE QUALITY GRADES FOR VARIOUS GROUPS OF
REPRESENTATIVE RIGID ROTORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH
ISO 1940 AND ANSI S2-19-1975
Balance
EW 1.2
quality Rotor type – General examples
(mm/sec)
Grades G
Crank shaft drives of rigidly mounted slow marine
G 4000 4000 diesel engines with uneven number of cylinders.
Crank shaft drives of rigidly mounted large two-cycle
G 1600 1600 engines.
Crank shaft drives of rigidly mounted large four cycle
G 630 630 engines. Crank shaft drives of elastically mounted
marine diesel engines.
Crank shaft drives of rigidly mounted fast four cylinder
G 250 250 diesel engines
Crank shaft drives of fast diesel engines with six or
G 100 100 more cylinders. Complete engines (gasoline or diesel)
for cars, trucks and locomotives.
 BALANCE QUALITY GRADES FOR VARIOUS GROUPS OF
REPRESENTATIVE RIGID ROTORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH
ISO 1940 AND ANSI S2-19-1975
Balance
EW 1.2
quality Rotor type – General examples
(mm/sec)
Grades G
Car wheels, wheel rims, wheel sets, drive shafts. Crank
shaft drives or elastically mounted fast four cycle
G 40 40 engines (gasoline or diesel) with six or more cylinders.
Crank shaft drives for engines of cars, trucks or
locomotives.
Drive shafts (propeller shafts, cardan shafts) with
special requirements. Parts of crushing machinery,
Parts of agricultural machinery. Individual components
G 16 16 of engines (gasoline / diesel) for cars, trucks and
locomotives. Crankshaft drives of engines with six or
more cylinders under special requirements. Slurry or
dredge pump impeller.
 BALANCE QUALITY GRADES FOR VARIOUS GROUPS OF
REPRESENTATIVE RIGID ROTORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH
ISO 1940 AND ANSI S2-19-1975
Balance
EW 1.2
quality Rotor type – General examples
(mm/sec)
Grades G
Parts of process plant machines. Marine main turbine
gears (merchant service). Centrifuge drums, fans.
Assembly air craft gas turbine rotors. Fly wheels. Pump
G 6.3 6.3 impellers. Machine tool and general machinery parts.
Normal electrical armatures. Individual components of
engines under special requirements.
Gas and steam turbines, including marine turbines
(merchant service). Rigid turbo generator rotors.
Rotors. Turbo-compressors. Machine tool drives.
G 2.5 2.5 Medium and large electrical armatures with special
requirements. Small electrical armatures. Turbine
driven pumps.
 BALANCE QUALITY GRADES FOR VARIOUS GROUPS OF
REPRESENTATIVE RIGID ROTORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH
ISO 1940 AND ANSI S2-19-1975

Balance
EW 1.2
quality Rotor type – General examples
(mm/sec)
Grades G

Tape recorder and phonograph (gramophone) drives.

G1 1 Grinding machine drives. Small electrical armatures
with special requirements.

Spindle, disks and armatures of precision grinders.

G 0.4 0.4 Gyroscopes.