- Types of Balancing Equipment: Hard and Soft Bearing Machines
- Characteristics of Hard Bearing Machines
- Principles of Operation
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Hard Bearing Machines
- Usage Scenarios for Hard Bearing Machines
- Soft Bearing Balancing Machines Overview
- Comparison to Hard Bearing Machines
- Pros and Cons of Soft Bearing Machines
- Vibromera and Balanset-1A
Types of Balancing Equipment: Hard and Soft Bearing Machines
Characteristics of Hard Bearing Machines
Hard bearing balancing equipment functions based on a pre-resonance mechanism featuring extremely stiff supports. These supports are engineered to possess resonant frequencies much higher than the peak operating frequencies of the rotors they balance. Such a design prevents operational interference from resonance effects, thus maintaining high accuracy in measurement at lower rotational speeds.
The machine’s supports are robust, often made with large, intricately cut plates that introduce intended flexibility points. When balancing, these areas flex slightly due to the forces exerted by the rotor’s imbalances.
Principles of Operation
Rotors to be balanced are fixed onto these machines via their hard bearings, spun up to a predetermined speed, and the imbalances cause specific forces. These forces deform the external parts of the machine’s supports in a repetitive, yet minimal, manner.
To measure these deformations, two main types of sensors are used:
- Piezoelectric force sensors that detect the forces affecting the supports.
- Vibration displacement sensors that are non-contact types, tracking minuscule shifts in the support structures.
The data collected by these sensors are processed to calculate the rotor’s imbalance in terms of magnitude and positional angle, followed by the adjustment of balancing weights accordingly.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Hard Bearing Machines
These machines excel in their versatility and precision, ideal for balancing a broad spectrum of rotors by size and mass at speeds close to those during actual operations. However, their complex design and precision components typically make them more costly than other types of balancing machines.
Usage Scenarios for Hard Bearing Machines
Hard bearing machines are particularly beneficial where varied rotor types require high-accuracy balancing, especially at lower speeds.
Soft Bearing Balancing Machines Overview
Comparison to Hard Bearing Machines
Soft bearing machines operate based on resonance, with support structures significantly more flexible than those in hard bearing machines, leading to resonant frequencies that are lower than the rotational frequency of the rotor.
During operation, these supports exhibit vibrations induced by the rotor’s centrifugal forces, which are then measured by vibration sensors attached to them. This data is analyzed to ascertain the imbalance and correct it with appropriate weights.
Pros and Cons of Soft Bearing Machines
These machines are simpler and less costly, suitable for balancing lighter rotors but are limited by their sensitivity to larger masses and critical frequencies.
Vibromera and Balanset-1A
Vibromera offers the Balanset-1A, a versatile portable balancer suitable for field use and as part of a measurement system in various balancing applications. This equipment is adept at balancing diverse machinery such as fans, grinders, and pumps, providing options for single or dual-plane balancing with an intuitive software interface.
For further exploration of balancing technology and methods, additional detailed resources are available.
