The IRD Advantage

Benefits of the IRD® Balancing Soft Bearing Machine

Besides the fact that IRD® has been one of the top providers in the balancing industry for decades, our quality, technology, and service make us the best choice.  Below you will find just a few of the important reasons you should look towards IRD for your balancing needs!

• Truly portable machines - no large, permanent foundation required
  • IRD® Balancing's machines do not require any special beds or foundations to achieve and maintain system sensitivity and balancing accuracy.  Our machines can be set up on any standard floor that will support the weight of the machine and rotor.  This makes IRD® Balancing systems ideal for transporting to any site for quick set up and balancing of all types of rotors.
• Easy set up for new rotors
  • The self-aligning properties of the standard IRD® roller bearing work supports removes the need for prolonged and precise alignment and leveling procedures.
  • No special purpose, pressure lubricated hydrostatic or shell bearings are required for heavier rotors.
• Less damage to rotor journals
  • IRD's unique "Flat Roller" design reduces point loading stresses to eliminate damage being caused to rotor journals during balancing operations whereas the "Crowned" rollers of some hard bearing machines can cause damage to the surfaces of rotor journals due to the reduced area of contact between roller and journals, and the consequent lack of lubricating oil retention.
• Only balancing system that provides vibration quality check
  • Like most other balancing machines, the IRD® system gives unbalance readings in grams and gram millimeters or ounces and ounce inches, but is unique in that it also provides pure vibration displacement readouts that are directly proportional to the displacement of the residual unbalance.  This continuous means of checking the system is commonly referred to as an "Electronic Clock-gauge" which is measuring the true effect of residual "Mass Eccentricity" as against geometric eccentricity.
• Easy to upgrade and update
  • The rotor weight handling capacity of IRD® Balancing machines can be easily upgraded by doubling up pedestals and/or suspensions modules with no changes to the base or foundation.  This is not possible with hard bearing machines because uprating the capacity also requires uprating the entire balancing machine system, including the bed and foundations.
  • IRD components can also be used for updating and uprating existing competitor soft and hard bearing machines, or as kits to facilitate customers manufacturing their own machines.

• Soft-Bearing Worksupport Design
  • IRD's balancing machine utilizes a pendulum like design for the roller work supports and suspension system (modular work supports).  We believe our design is more durable and can handle more aggressive loading of rotors.  The self-aligning properties of the standard IRD® roller bearing work supports remove the need for prolonged and precise alignment and leveling procedures.
• IRD ® Balancing's unique system can achieve the most exact balance tolerances at lower and safer balancing speeds
  • The best balancing speed is the lowest speed possible based on the balancing machine sensitivity and the balancing instrument.
  • Low speed balancing is safer.
  • Low speed balancing is faster due to reduced start and stop time of the rotor.
  • Tests have shown that IRD® machines can achieve specified balance tolerances at speeds as low as 250 rpm, whereas rotors in hard-bearing machines may need to be spun up to at least 800 rpm to meet the same quality standards.
  • The inertia of the unbalanced rotor is absorbed by the unique pendulum action of the IRD suspensions.  This significantly reduces the likelihood of the rotors coming off the rollers during testing.
• Regenerative motor and braking system
  • Regenerative control gives a motor the capability to act as a generator while in operation.  Energy is regenerated during the braking process (regenerative braking) and the output of energy is supplied to an electrical load.  Regenerative DC drives are often called "regen drives" for short.  In its basic form, a regenerative braking system will stop the rotor in the same amount of time that it takes to bring the rotor up to balancing speed.  The energy, material, and time savings make it well worth the investment in many industrial facilities.
• End Thrust Assembly
  • IRD's soft bearing balancing machines come with an end thrust assembly kit.  This assembly will prevent rotors from walking off either end of the balancing machine, whereas some competitors will require a step next to the journal as a means to control end thrust.  This greatly limits the types of rotors that can be balanced on competitor's machines.