719. A Method of Automated Dynamic Balancing

Paper

Abstract

The mass properties measurement equipment produced by the Miller Research Corporation has advanced the state-of-the-art to a point where it is no longer necessary to use numerous individual facility setups to accomplish the entire measurement procedure; instead, a one-step operation can now be performed to accomplish all the mass properties measurements normally required. The current mass properties measurement equipment not only simplifies the measuring procedures, but it also makes possible determinations of greater accuracy than were achieved here to fore.
Although this mass properties measurement equipment accomplished its primary objective, the optimization and simplification of mass properties measurements, the MRC engineers felt that more could be accomplished in the field. As a result, a preliminary system has been developed to automate (to a large extent) the measurement procedures.
A low-capacity, universal facility has been modified to make it possible to control many of the functions of the machine by means of a computer. With the addition of a rebalancing skirt having integral static and dynamic balancing weights, the equipment is capable of remotely nulling any unbalance in the test object. Static and dynamic balance can be readily calculated from the differences in positions of the weights. The weight positions can be varied from a remote location; their positions are displayed digitally on the console. Movement of the weights is controlled by the computer, through a series of relays.
The computer can read and record the periods for moment of inertia measurements, and the positions of the various weights for static balancing and for dynamic balancing. This new development has resulted in the nearly complete automation of the measurement of mass properties. With a minimum of operator control and inputs a test object can be completely diagnosed, calculations can be made, and the acceptability of both the data and the inherent balance characteristics can be determined by the computer. Much of the human element is eliminated, thereby increasing the total accuracy.
Future plans include the development of similar equipment for larger stores, and the incorporation of a desk-top computer into the equipment. The ultimate design will allow the measurements to be completed by an operator who does nothing more than monitor the apparatus after initial turn-on and preliminary check-out procedures.