Fundamentals for Successful Field Balancing

Before we dismiss all these details so quickly, it is probably a good idea to understand
the basics of the technology and its practical application. As with other automatic
analysis and corrective recommendations from handheld instruments, a basic
knowledge of what is going on behind the scenes and the physics of the measurements
will instill a bit of confidence in arriving at the problem solution.

The first assumption that is made in most field balancing work is that we are dealing
with a "rigid" rotor. A rotor is considered rigid if it shows no flexure throughout its
operating speeds. A rigid rotor typically operates at a maximum running speed that is
below 70% of what is called its first critical frequency, where it shows flexure in the
middle of the shaft length. Next, we need to decide if we can balance the rotor in a
single plane or whether we need to balance in two or more planes. Rigid rotors can be
balanced in two planes, with two-plane balancing usually necessary when the length of
the rotor exceeds three times its diameter. Most applications will utilize rolling-element
bearings, where infinite stiffness is assumed in the support structure.

Before we begin our work on a machine, we should first establish our goals. We need to
decide the balance criteria for the job and establish the maximum allowed amplitude for
rotational vibration. There are several possible references, with the most common ones
listed below. These are listed in no particular order, and depending on the customer (the
requirements set forth by your facility or your client), one should be selected as your
target.

 Manufacturer's recommended balance criteria

 ANSI S2.19-1989/ISO 1940 balance grades

 Machine average baseline + 1 sigma (standard deviation)

 MIL-STD 167; API 610

 Work experiences

Next, we need to be certain that we are really correcting a fundamental balancing issue.
This is a very important step because we have to rule out any other related issues that
might give us a false indication that we have an unbalance problem or could prevent us
from improving the balance condition of the rotor. In the end, you don't want to try to
"balance out" some other underlying vibration problem. This can prove to be a very
 frustrating and futile exercise. This is the time to perform further measurements and
analyses to rule out other possible causes of a high 1X vibration level. Some of these
potential problems are stated below:

 Dirt build-up,

 Rotating shaft instability,

 Looseness or excessive clearances,

 Bent shaft,

 Resonance,

 Cracked shaft,

 Structural or foundation looseness,

 Pulley/sheave eccentricity,

 Misalignment.

Our process is fairly straightforward. Unbalance can be represented by a spinning mass

at a particular location outside the center of rotation. What we don't know when we start
out with balancing is the magnitude of the mass and its location. If we did know, we
could put an equal mass opposite the unbalance mass to cancel out its effects. The task
of balancing a machine consists of finding the amount of unbalance mass and its
location, and then affixing one or more correction masses at appropriate places to
cancel the effect of the unbalance mass. The machine will need to be started and
stopped several times throughout the process. At a minimum, you will need to perform
the following five steps:

1. Original Run,

2. Trial (Calibration) Run,

3. Correction Run,

4. Trim Runs (if required),

5. Final Run (for before and after assessment).

We start out with an initial reading of vibration on the rotor. Since there most certainly
will be a residual unbalance condition contributing to vibration at the 1X turning speed,
we need to assess its magnitude as compared to the overall level and other vibratory
forces present. If the overall amplitude of vibration exceeds published industry
standards for the class of machine and a 1X component exceeds 80% of the overall
value, then an unbalance condition is most likely the root of the problem. However, as
discussed earlier, a 1X high component also could be due to structural looseness and a
number of other root causes. Phase and amplitude measurements in two or more radial
locations will help to pinpoint unbalance issues. Amplitude values will be close and
phase will be 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal, showing a true radial force.

Once we are convinced that unbalance is the machine's real problem and that it must
be corrected, we need to look at the physical makeup of the machine and where we can
make any weight modifications - both at the radius and the positions. We also need to
look at where we place our transducer to see the most effects of the unbalance forces
within the machine. For machines with the running shaft parallel to the floor, we typically
see the most effect of movement in the horizontal plane, where there is a higher degree
of freedom. The vertical movement is generally suppressed a bit by the gravity effect of
the weight of the machine, the supporting structure and the holddown bolts.

Next, we need to consider safety factors for our work. We need to make certain
electrical lock-outs exist during our steps for balancing and that we are running at safe
speeds with safe trial (calibration) weights. Making sure of safety with lock-outs and
appropriate notification and tagging, we need to estimate safe trial weights to be used.
Sometimes this will come from field experience or a simple calculation. For normal
running speeds between 1200 RPM and 3600 RPM, this is a simple estimate of trial
weight in ounces given by 0.004*rotor weight (lbs.)/radius of weight (in.). It is important
to note that the value of the trial weight is based on calculating a safe amount of weight
to meet the so-called 30/30 rule (30% vibration change and/or a 30-degree angle shift.)
To be more precise with actual running speed, the recommended trial weight (Wt) value
in ounces is calculated as follows: Wt = 56,375 WR/(N2*r), where rotor weight (WR) is
in pounds, speed (N) is in RPM and radius (r) is in inches.

One assumption for a rigid rotor is it can be balanced at any speed. A safe speed can
be chosen below the actual running speed, all the way down to about 500 RPM.
Unbalance forces are not linear with speed; they are proportional to the square of the
running speed. Hence, an unbalanced rotor at one speed will have four times the
unbalance force when the speed is doubled! Keep this factor in mind for safety.
 After making the initial run and deciding to perform a balancing correction, the next step
is to place a known trial (calibration) weight on the rotor at a known location and make
another set of amplitude and phase readings. This step is used to determine the rotor
characteristics, locate the heavy spot and calculate the corrective weight to minimize
the original unbalance force. This weight location will always be 180 degrees opposite
of the heavy spot on the rotor. It is important to note here that we are typically dealing
with displacement as our measurement of vibration. We are not measuring the heavy
spot, but we are seeing the high spot. However, for a rigid rotor running at 70% below
critical, the high spot and the heavy spot are one and the same.

It is also important to note that we will see linearity in our placement of weight with a
rigid rotor. As we place a weight at a known angle location, we will see a linear
corresponding change in phase reading in the opposite direction. For example, if
displacement phase is reading 165 degrees with a weight placement at 135 degrees,
then moving that same weight to 180 degrees will result in a new phase reading at 120.

The trial weight (or calibration) step is where we determine the so-called "influence
coefficients" of the rotor. The next step is to make some correction callouts. There are
five critical parameters here that must be adhered to for effective field balancing:

1. The exact same speed must be used on each run.

2. The same radius must be used each time.

3. Direction of placement must be consistent (against rotation-AR or with rotation-WR).

4. Magnitude of readings must be stable within 5%.

5. Phase readings must be stable within three to five degrees.

If any of these conditions show variation, then the system is not linear or there are
outside influences, and any attempts to balance will be futile. Sometimes, this will
appear to be a "chasing your tail" exercise, where things just don't seem to make any
sense!

Once a correction is made, then the resulting vibration reading must be compared to an
acceptable standard for the class of machine. It could be that the exact weight or
position could not be met, so a trim run might be necessary. Each subsequent run
should get to a convergence, i.e., where weight callouts are getting smaller and smaller
and vibration levels are decreasing as well. If excessive weights are being called out
and unbalance is getting worse with each run - the so-called "chasing your tail" scenario
- it is time to stop and look for other machine conditions that are not associated with
unbalance. Oftentimes, major outside influences like looseness, resonance and
misalignment can impede the process.

So far, we have been dealing with a simple single-plane balance. Performing a

procedure like this in two planes becomes an iterative process in determining the
influence coefficients. It involves a couple of extra steps. First, we perform an initial run
with two simultaneous unbalance readings - one in each plane. Next, we place a known
trial weight at a known location in one plane and read its influence on the two planes.
We remove that weight and place it (or a similar weight) at a known position in the
second plane and read its influence on the two planes. At this point, we are done with
calibrating and determining influence coefficients. The next steps follow recommended
correction and trim weights in the two planes with weight callouts and locations. The
same five rules stated earlier apply to step-by-step consistency and the stability of
readings.

There are truly some elements of art and science involved in performing successful field
balancing work. While microprocessor-based instruments with built-in software perform
the required vector mathematics and geometry calculations, it really helps with the
process to have a basic understanding of the tools and techniques involved. It also
helps to benefit from others' field experiences in performing some tricks in arriving at an
acceptable solution in a reasonable amount of time and number of trials.

Fundamental requirements for field balancing include three key elements: linear
response in the system, accurate/repeatable test measurements and consistent weight
placement. These might sound like simple assumptions, but any variations on these can
produce significant problems in getting to an acceptable residual unbalance level on a
machine component.

Dennis H. Shreve, CMRP, is currently employed with General Electric as Senior Engineer for
the Commtest Channel Partner Sales organization. He holds B.E.E. and M.Sc. E.E. degrees
from The Ohio State University. He has 43 years of experience in designing and developing
electronics and software systems and leading projects for real-time industrial process
monitoring and control applications. www.commtest.com