Section  11  —  Balancing  Rotors 
216 
 
Balancing Tips 
 
Here  are  some  tips  for  balancing  a  rotor: 
•  Before  performing  a  balance  job,  clean  the  rotor  by  removing 
any  dirt  or  loose-hanging  material  (e.g.  rust,  flaking  paint).  If  the 
debris  later  falls  off,  this  may  affect  the  balancing  results. 
•  Ensure  any  weight(s)  you  add  will  NOT  come  loose  at  the  normal 
rotor  speed  or  obstruct  machine  motion.  If  possible,  manually 
rotate  the  rotor  to  ensure  the  weight  does  NOT  clash  with  any 
part  of  the  machine.  Keep  in  mind  that  the  rotor's  center  line 
may  shift  when  it  operates  at  its  normal  speed. 
•  Ensure  the  weight  of  any  mechanism  used  to  hold  the 
correction  weights  in  place  is  included  as  part  of  the  correction 
weight.  If  you  are  welding  on  the  weight,  ensure  the  weight  of 
the  flux  is  NOT  included  (scrape  the  flux  off  before  weighing  the 
electrode). 
•  Ensure  the  shape  of  the  correction  weight  does  NOT  cause  it  to 
become  a  dirt  trap.  Dirt  accumulated  on  the  weight  can  cause 
rotor  imbalance. 
•  It  is  important  to  attach  the  correction  weight(s)  at  the  same 
radial  distance  as  the  trial  weight.   
 
EG: If the trial weight was attached 2 mm/inches from the center 
of the rotor, the correction weight must also be attached 2 
mm/inches from the center of the rotor. 
 
 
Tachometer 
 
The  tachometer  provides  your  instrument  with  information  regarding 
the  rotational  speed  of  a  rotor  and  the  angle  at  which  the  rotor  is 
vibrating.  The  angle  is  measured  from  a  fixed  reference  mark  on  the 
rotor.  It  is  called  the  phase  angle.  To  balance  a  rotor,  you must  consider 
the  amplitude  of  vibration  and  the  phase  angle.  The  amplitude  shows 
the  severity  of  the  imbalance.  The  phase  angle  indicates  the  geometry  of 
the  imbalance  (i.e.  the  location  of  the  heavy  spot).   
 
MORE: See Set up Tachometer to learn how to set up the 
tachometer to measure phase angles.