Commtest Instruments vbBalancer Instrument Reference Manual Download Page 1

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Instrument Reference

Guide

Revision May 19

2008

vbBalancer™ and vbB™

Imbalance Correction Instruments

Summary of Contents for vbBalancer

Page 1: ...Instrument Reference Guide Revision May 19th 2008 vbBalancer and vbBalancer Imbalance Correction Instruments ...

Page 2: ...out warranty of any kind either expressed or implied respecting the information supplied including but not limited to implied warranties for the document s quality performance merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose Neither Commtest Instruments Ltd nor its employees dealers agents or distributors shall be liable to the user of this document or any other person or entity with respect ...

Page 3: ...erating Overview 14 Balancing 14 Onsite Analysis 15 Section 2 Instrument Basics 16 Powering On Off 16 Navigating Menus 17 Returning to a Previous Menu 17 Using Navigation Keys and Icons 18 Selecting an Option from a List 19 Canceling an Option 21 Displaying Hint Labels and Detailed Help 21 Displaying Alternative Options 22 Entering Alphanumeric Characters 23 Entering Punctuation Spaces and Special...

Page 4: ...g Information 38 Setting up a Balancing Job 39 Balance Planes and Weight Positions 40 Balance Planes 40 Weight Position Reference Mark 40 Sensors 41 CH Position 42 Averages 44 Machine Information 44 Rotor Weight Diameter and Speed 44 Reference Mark 44 Weight Orientation 45 Tach Trigger 45 Weight Lin Dist 45 Store Units 46 Combining Trim Weights 46 Reviewing Previous Balancing Jobs 47 Section 5 Bal...

Page 5: ...Scale 67 Amplitude Display Units 68 Setting the RPM 69 Viewing Orders 70 Viewing Revolutions 71 Saving Measurements 71 Section 7 Setting Measurement Options 73 Setting Measurement Units and Spectrum Scaling 73 Setting Measurement Parameters 75 Creating Your Own Parameter Sets 76 Assigning Sensors to Channels 77 Explaining Spectrum Parameters 78 Fmax 78 Spectral Lines 79 Fmin 79 Tach Trigger 80 Ave...

Page 6: ...ng Recordings 93 Attaching Notes 93 Section 10 Creating Editing and Deleting Items 94 Storage Capacity and Recording Volume 94 How are Recordings Organized and Stored 94 Working with Folders 96 Creating a Folder 96 Renaming a Folder 96 Deleting a Folder 96 Restoring a Deleted or Over Written Folder 96 Working with Machines 97 Creating Machine Structures 97 Creating Parameter Sets 98 Adding Structu...

Page 7: ...Directly to a Network Printer 110 Adjusting Screen Contrast 111 Turning the Backlight On Off 111 Recharging the Instrument 112 Estimating Remaining Operating Time 112 Conserving Battery Power 112 Setting Backlight Timeout 113 Setting Sleep Mode Timeout 113 Setting Complete Powerdown Timeout 114 Checking How Much Memory is Available 114 Freeing Instrument Memory 114 Backing Up the Instrument Databa...

Page 8: ...viii Appendix Specifications 122 vbBalancer 122 vbBalancer 124 Index 126 ...

Page 9: ...d by this reference guide or would like to make a suggestion please contact us at www commtest com Standard Features Balancing capability single and dual plane Tachometer and Keyphasor input for speed and phase measurements DSP for fast accurate calculations 24 bit A D converter providing high precision measurements Displacement velocity and acceleration measurements Frequency and time domain meas...

Page 10: ...ometer sensor vbXManager software on CD ROM Instrument Reference Guide Warranty card QA card Carry bag Number provided varies according to instrument model vbBalancer 2 units vbBalancer 4 units Balancing kit items Reflective tape Adjustable tachometer stand with magnetic mount Tachometer extension cable 5 meters Accelerometer extension cables 5 meters Number provided varies according to instrument...

Page 11: ...l variant For details of your specific instrument model s capabilities see the information listed below Measurement Channels Max vbBalancer vbBalancer Dual 2 Channel Simultaneous Four 4 Channel Simultaneous Balancing Capability vbBalancer vbBalancer Balancing 2 Planes Balancing 2 Sensors Balancing 4 Sensors ...

Page 12: ...Section 1 Introduction 4 Measurement Capabilities vbBalancer vbBalancer Spectrum Waveform Bump Test Coast down Run up Sensor Output Accepted vbBalancer vbBalancer Acceleration Velocity Displacement ...

Page 13: ...hinery Do not bring any objects sensitive to magnetic fields near the magnetic mounting bases e g cardiac pacemakers credit cards floppy disks video tapes audio cassette tapes mechanical watches Do not operate the instrument in an explosive environment Do not detach the battery pack from the instrument for more than 10 minutes This will cause the instrument s date time to be lost The instrument wi...

Page 14: ... an IEPE ICP type accelerometer otherwise the measurements will be incorrect Mount the sensor properly before taking measurements to ensure their accuracy and consistency Use a mild detergent diluted in warm water to clean the instrument Do not use abrasive or polishing substances hydrocarbons petrochemicals or solvents as they will degrade the plastic casing Do not place the instrument or the mag...

Page 15: ...ormal operation or in which ignitable concentrations of gases are normally prevented by positive pressure or mechanical ventilation and which might become hazardous through abnormal operation of the ventilation equipment The approval specifically covers use in the United States of America and also any other countries which recognize the CSA certification When using a certified vbBalancer in a haza...

Page 16: ...Section 1 Introduction 8 ...

Page 17: ... battery pack 3 USB socket Provides a data connection between the instrument and the vbXManager software s host computer 4 BNC sensor input Channel 1 5 BNC sensor input Channel 2 OR LEMO seven pin input Channels 2 to 4 6 LEMO four pin tachometer input This feature is only available on the vbBalancer instrument model Note The comms and charger area s protective rubber gasket should be kept closed a...

Page 18: ...s the keys can perform several functions to see what options are available press ALT to toggle the key functions Help key expand on screen icons with easy to see hint labels A long press displays detailed help text Navigate up down through a list To move more rapidly through a list press and hold Navigate left right Also expands and collapses levels in the navigator and directs movement between sp...

Page 19: ...s Power supply GREEN Illuminates when power is supplied to the instrument from the power adapter Charging RED Indicates that the instrument battery is charging Danger RED Illuminates when a DSP or critical error occurs Alert AMBER Not used on vbBalancer instruments models OK GREEN Indicates that a measurement is being or has been collected successfully without an error or alert triggered ...

Page 20: ...s DC output to the instrument s charger power socket The instrument s Power supply and Charging LED indicators will illuminate indicating a charging state Notes A full battery charge will complete in approximately 3 hours The fast charge Lithium Ion type battery pack should be charged for a minimum of 1 hour before or during its initial use Battery Features The instrument is powered by a rechargea...

Page 21: ...s Head attaching the battery cover to the bottom panel of the instrument Set aside the battery cover and extract the battery Warning Do not detach the battery pack from the instrument for more than 10 minutes as this will cause the date time to be lost However all data will be retained Replacement batteries part number BATT0206 are available from authorized Commtest Instruments distributors Warnin...

Page 22: ...t rotating mass imbalance problems in situ A rigid rotor can be balanced in one or two planes Take an initial measurement of the imbalance Attach a trial weight to the balancing plane and take another measurement For dual plane balancing do the same for the second plane Attach correction weights to the balancing planes as recommended by the instrument Take a measurement in each plane to confirm th...

Page 23: ... You can measure vibration spectra and waveforms and analyze these onsite This is suitable for one off investigations Set measurement parameters on the instrument Measure and analyze the spectrum or waveform Record the data to memory optional ...

Page 24: ... the on screen icons with hint labels Display detailed help Powering On Off Press to power up the instrument or turn it off The following menu displays at power up Main Menu The Main Menu displays details such as the amount of charge remaining in the battery today s date and time the instrument serial number firmware version the instrument s user defined description and the name of the currently s...

Page 25: ...ument will enter Complete Powerdown Mode immediately when turned off Navigating Menus To navigate menus press the key that displays the name of the task you want to perform e g to begin balancing from the Main Menu press Balance Returning to a Previous Menu To return to a previous menu press If you have opened several sub menus pressing this key will return you to the original menu A long press wi...

Page 26: ...having to scroll through each individual parameter set location and point Move the selection bar in the direction indicated Move the selection bar to the top of a single column list Move one column to the left in a multi column list Move the selection bar to the bottom of a single column list Move one column to the right in a multi column list Expand the highlighted machine structure to show its p...

Page 27: ...til your option is highlighted then press to select that option Example From the Main Menu press Measure Vibration To select Tachometer Display press or repeatedly to highlight this option Press to select this option Jumping directly to the end of a list When there are a large number of options left and right arrows will display on either side of the screen Example From the Main Menu press Measure...

Page 28: ...end of this list To jump to the last entry in the list press Press to jump to the first list entry Scrolling through a multi column list Lengthy lists are displayed in multi column format You can jump across the columns as well as scrolling up down Example Press to return to the Spectrum Menu then press Fmax Fmin To move to the next column in a multi column list press or ...

Page 29: ...b menus pressing this key will return you to the original menu A long press will return you to the Main Menu Displaying Hint Labels and Detailed Help Each on screen icon can also display a hint label Hint labels are turned off by default so that less screen space is used To display hint labels press The hint labels will disappear when you press another key ...

Page 30: ...ey again to hide them Press and hold to display more detailed help information Example From the Main Menu press and hold Detailed help text will be displayed Press again to hide the detailed help text Displaying Alternative Options Pressing a key causes the instrument to perform the task shown beside that key For example in the following picture pressing will cause the Y Axis of the on screen char...

Page 31: ... can be up to 50 characters long and contain a mix of upper case and lower case letters spaces numbers and punctuation To enter letters and numbers use the instrument keys in the same manner as a multi tap type mobile phone pressing the keys repeatedly to cycle through the characters until you reach the one you want to use For example to enter the number 7 press four times Pressing a different key...

Page 32: ...o rename the currently selected folder to FANS From the Main Menu press Folders Press Edit Name Press then Clear All to clear the current folder name Press three times until F displays To enter the letter a press once Press twice to display n ...

Page 33: ...diting menu containing options for using upper and lower case characters etc When you have finished entering your text press to save Entering Punctuation Spaces and Special Characters To add punctuation from the alphabetic character screen press to display the punctuation menu To use a punctuation character press the corresponding key The instrument will then re display alphabetic characters ...

Page 34: ...press Folders Press Edit Name Press to activate alternative functions then to display the advanced editing menu containing options for lower case letters deleting characters etc Using Other Icons Each on screen icon represents a function that you can use to perform a task such as creating or deleting an item To perform the task represented by the icon press the key beside that icon Remember that y...

Page 35: ...ate a new point Create a new location Create a new parameter set Use these icons to manage all your items Use To do this Create a new item Edit the selected item Delete the selected item Copy the selected item into memory Paste the copied item to the highlighted position ...

Page 36: ...ed with your instrument How to use the supplied accelerometer and tachometer How to correctly mount a sensor Supported Sensor Types The following table summarizes the sensitivities and types of measurement that can be taken by each sensor supported on each instrument model vbBalancer Sensor Type Sensitivity Measurement Types Accelerometer mV g 0 1 10 000 Acceleration Velocity Displacement ...

Page 37: ...ors page 101 Connecting Sensors to the Instrument Sensors are connected to the instrument via BNC and in the case of the vbBalancer instrument seven pin LEMO socket Use the provided triple BNC adapter LEMO breakout cable to connect channels 2 through 4 if using these channels on a vbBalancer instrument BNC left seven pin LEMO right Note The triple BNC adapter s three BNC inputs are numbered to ind...

Page 38: ...gripping the end connector Sensor Inputs Input vbBalancer vbBalancer BNC 1 Channel 1 BNC 2 Channel 2 LEMO 1 Channels 2 4 LEMO 2 TACH Mounting Sensors Your choice of sensor mounting will affect the accuracy of balance jobs and vibration measurements Accelerometers are usually mounted using the supplied magnetic base However for permanent installations on balancing stands they can be stud mounted as...

Page 39: ...st 10 times heavier than the accelerometer itself Do not mount the accelerometer on lightweight motors or similar parts as the weight of the accelerometer will distort the vibration signal Use a smaller accelerometer for small structures Attach the accelerometer as closely as possible to and in line with the centerline of the bearings in order to avoid distorted signals The mounting surface should...

Page 40: ...r collects information on a machine s rotation speed providing you with an exact reading of machine speed as a measurement is taken This is more accurate than using a default RPM as a machine s speed can vary significantly under different loads The tachometer also provides information on the angle at which the rotor is vibrating The angle is measured from a fixed reference mark on the rotor and is...

Page 41: ...pe to a machine part that rotates at the rotor speed e g the shaft This trigger spot should provide a pronounced increase in reflection as it passes under the tachometer light beam The tape width must be at least double the diameter of the light beam spot Mount the tachometer magnetic base to a stationary portion of the machine convenient to the trigger spot Position the tachometer slightly away f...

Page 42: ...hometer sensor e g Keyphasor this can be used as the tach signal for your vbBalancer instrument The sensor should have a buffered front panel BNC output to ensure the instrument s measurements can t interfere with pre existing speed measurements Keyphasor LEMO connector tach cables can be purchased through your local Commtest reseller for this purpose The Keyphasor proximity sensor gap should be a...

Page 43: ...oving weight to from precisely calculated positions on the rotor A rigid rotor can be balanced in one plane or two planes i e any uneven mass distribution in the rotor can be corrected by adding removing weights to from one or two selected cross sectional planes on the rotor For single plane balancing the mid plane of the rotor is usually used as the balancing plane For dual plane balancing usuall...

Page 44: ... balancing More than 0 5 150 RPM or less Single plane balancing More than 150 RPM Dual plane balancing Note Before attempting to balance a rotor you must confirm that the cause of vibration is uneven mass distribution in the rotor Good balancing results can be obtained only if vibration is caused by uneven rotor mass distribution Attempting to balance a rotor with other problems will not in genera...

Page 45: ... If you are welding on the weight make sure that the weight of the flux is not included scrape the flux off before weighing the electrode Ensure that the shape of the correction weight does not cause it to become a dirt trap since dirt accumulated on the weight may cause rotor imbalance It is important to attach the correction weight s at the same radial distance that the trial weight was i e if t...

Page 46: ...ption to manually enter amplitude and phase values for the initial trial and trim readings This allows you to Interrupt the balancing process without saving the values then re enter them later and continue balancing Experiment with different trial weight masses and placements to see the effect on the imbalance without having to attach weights to the machine Calculate the effect of further trim bal...

Page 47: ...u set up balancing jobs Many of the setup items are optional you can also select items in any order you wish e g you can select a machine to save the balancing report to at the beginning or end of the process or perform balancing without saving the report From the Main Menu press Balance Press New Job This clears any existing setup data from previous balancing jobs Press Setup and use the options ...

Page 48: ... must first establish a reference mark somewhere on the rotor circumference then choose the weight positioning system that is most appropriate for your balance job Degrees Measure the angle in degrees 0 to 359 from your reference mark The radius of the rotor must stay constant Circumference arc Measure the linear distance around the outside of the rotor from the reference mark to the balance weigh...

Page 49: ...sed inches or mm are set in the Balance Setup screen by pressing Weight Lin Dist then Linear Distance If you have selected dual plane balancing press Plane B Weight Position and repeat the previous steps for Plane B Press repeatedly if necessary to return to the Balance Setup Menu from where you will specify your sensor settings If you selected dual plane balancing pressing will automatically take...

Page 50: ...se the CH Position option on the left hand side of the screen see next topic otherwise skip this step and press to return to the Balance Setup Menu CH Position Note This item is optional CH Position is used in conjunction with Reference Mark The instrument uses this information to calculate where on the rotor you should place your trial weights after taking an initial reading The aim is to reduce ...

Page 51: ...eight angle in the upper right of the screen Notes Angles are measured in the direction you designate as your Weight Orientation i e with rotation or against rotation If you are performing a dual plane balance you should only use this option in cases where each balance plane is physically close to its sensor and the two planes are separated from each other by a distance greater than the rotor diam...

Page 52: ...priate size and placement of trial weights based on your machine s physical properties The aim is to calculate a trial weight which will cause a significant change from the initial reading From the Balance Setup Menu press Machine Information and use the on screen options to enter your values If you need to enter a decimal point press then If you need to change a measurement unit e g for rotor wei...

Page 53: ...l weight angle in the upper right of the screen Weight Orientation Weight Orientation allows you to choose where to place balance weights on a rotor relative to the rotor s direction of rotation With rotation WR means you choose a reference point then place your weights forward of that point in the direction of rotation i e in the same direction as the rotor turns Against rotation AR means that if...

Page 54: ...ontinue to fine tune a balance job you may end up with several trim weights fixed at various angles on the balancing planes You can combine all trim weights for an individual plane into one weight angle solution using the Adjust Weights calculator After taking a trim reading press to display the Trim Weight Menu or from the Balancing Menu Balance Readings Press the left hand arrow key beside Plane...

Page 55: ...n you are satisfied with the suggested weight calculation press to continue To exit the menu without combining any trim weights replace any removed weights before continuing Reviewing Previous Balancing Jobs From the Main Menu press Balance then Select Machine Use the left hand arrow keys to highlight a machine All balancing jobs associated with that machine will display in the right hand Recordin...

Page 56: ... The newest balance job is highlighted at the top of the column Press to display the selected recording or use the left hand up down arrow keys to select another In the Balancing Menu press View and Save to see the Balancing Report ...

Page 57: ...nce measurements Set up and apply trial weights Balance the rotor using correction weights Perform trim balancing to further reduce the vibration Save and review your balancing job Produce balancing reports Step 1 Set Up a New Balance Job From the Main Menu press Balance then press New Job to clear any previous settings Press Setup Use the options in the Balance Setup Menu to choose the required s...

Page 58: ...meter see Setting up the Tachometer on page 32 Start the machine and let the rotor settle to its normal operating speed Since the vibration level depends on the speed of the rotor it is important to take all readings while the rotor is operating at its normal speed From the Balance Setup Menu press to take the initial reading The initial reading measures the out of balance level of the rotor After...

Page 59: ... around the balancing plane It does not need to be referenced to the tachometer reflective tape position In dual plane balancing establish a reference mark on Plane B also It does not need to correspond with the Plane A reference mark Attach a trial weight to the balancing plane It is important that the trial weight is not too large as this may damage machine bearings and not too small as its effe...

Page 60: ... or AR against rotation In the Trial Weight Menu press and enter the value for your trial weight If you need to enter a decimal point press then Press to return to the Trial Weight Menu then press and enter the position of your trial weight in relation to the reference mark Press to return to the Trial Weight Menu Press to specify whether you are adding or removing drilling out weight Replace safe...

Page 61: ...then press If the trial weight was not of sufficient mass to affect the imbalance the instrument will display a warning prompt You can redo the trial reading several times if required or continue with balancing The instrument then displays the prompt Will the Trial Weight be removed now Press the appropriate key You can redo the trial reading several times if required or continue with balancing He...

Page 62: ...ial weight must be removed before performing the Plane B trial reading Step 4 Balance the Rotor With Initial and Trial Readings completed the Balance Weight Menu will now display The instrument displays the weight required to correct the initial imbalance and the angular position at which it must be attached Stop the machine If you are removing trial weights as you go do this now before attaching ...

Page 63: ...eed to Trim Balance For dual plane balancing two sets of values will display Step 5 Perform Trim Balancing Replace safety covers start the machine again and let the rotor settle to its normal operating speed Press to take a trim reading After a few seconds the instrument displays the vibration level with the imbalance corrected ...

Page 64: ...itional weight adjustments required to trim balance the rotor i e to further reduce the level of vibration imbalance You can end balancing at this point or continue with another reposition of trim balance weights as indicated to improve on the balance level Repeat trim balancing until you are satisfied with the results ...

Page 65: ...reading and any trim balances Saving the balance job From the Balancing Report Menu press Save Balance Job Select or create a machine to save this balancing job to then press To print the report directly from the instrument press Print Report see Printing Balance Reports Directly from the Instrument page 110 for setup details Note You can save multiple balance jobs to a single machine to create a ...

Page 66: ...chine using a typical load and running speed This will ensure that the loads on the components such as bearings are the same as those that define their wear For multi operating mode machines it is best to take measurements when the loads on the bearings are at a maximum and to take all future measurements in the same mode When taking the measurement try not to lean on the machine and do not put he...

Page 67: ... their operating shapes and relative speeds in order to look for symptoms that might later aid vibration analysis Walk through Taking Measurements Onsite analysis involves watching a machine s vibration on screen as it occurs and analyzing the measurement on the instrument This method of measuring allows you to take a quick look at a machine s vibration patterns without storing the measurement You...

Page 68: ...efault settings are displayed on screen You can change any of these defaults before taking a measurement See sub heading Changing the default settings at the end of this topic To start the measurement press The instrument and sensor will take a short time to settle before measuring begins Measurements are taken in free run mode which means that the signal continually updates on screen until you st...

Page 69: ...71 Changing the default settings To change any of the settings shown on the right of the screen press the keys beside the on screen icons To change any of the settings shown at the bottom of the screen press then press the keys beside the on screen icons Pressing keys causes the display to cycle through the available options or opens a sub menu where you can enter a value or choose a value from a ...

Page 70: ...h Charts You can display a separate on screen chart for each measurement channel This allows you to watch multiple live measurements at the same time freeze all measurements on screen and compare them together and also toggle between the charts so that you can view them one at a time Viewing two waveforms simultaneously Analyzing Measurements To halt a measurement so that you can analyze it press ...

Page 71: ...ate a cursor and move it across the screen To move the cursor rapidly from peak to peak within a displayed waveform recording press and hold the key Placing a second cursor on the chart Press Second Cursor The second cursor will not be immediately visible as it will be placed directly behind the first cursor the new cursor s values will appear at the top right of the screen Press or repeatedly to ...

Page 72: ...of the screen Displaying the frequency or time difference between peaks Press or repeatedly to activate a cursor and move it to the first peak Press Second Cursor to add a new cursor to the display and press or repeatedly to move it to the second peak Both cursors values appear at the top right of the screen The delta symbol will appear on the far right of the screen The value beside the delta dis...

Page 73: ... indicate that zooming options are available If the magnifying glass icons are not visible press toggle them on Press to display hint labels for zooming and expansion options Zooming horizontally across the chart To expand the peaks of a spectrum or waveform use the right hand arrow keys to move the cursor to the position of interest and press X Axis Zoom repeatedly to zoom in on the cursor positi...

Page 74: ...y be applied to the selected chart Selecting a chart With the charts displayed press You don t have to display the hint labels but this will help Press Select Chart The axes of the selected chart will become thicker and darker to indicate that this chart has the focus Press repeatedly to toggle which chart you wish to work with Displaying a single chart To make one chart fill the entire screen sel...

Page 75: ... to open the Multi Chart Layout screen Press to choose which channels will be displayed in your Multi Chart Layout Press or to pick a layout from those listed For single channel displays you may choose waveform spectrum or spectrum waveform For multi domain measurements using three or more channels and with all channels set to display simultaneously Show All Channels in the previous step you may o...

Page 76: ...o return to the measurement screen Fixed Y Axis scale options Setting a Max dB Value sets the highest value that the amplitude axis can display so if a peak goes above this value while you are measuring you will not see the top of the peak When using Linear scaling you have two extra display options Automatic This allows the instrument to auto scale the left axis to accommodate the highest and low...

Page 77: ... to a reference velocity value the vdB reference The value 1e 6 mm s is an abbreviation for 1x10 6 mm s and is the SI reference level The value 1e 5 mm s is the reference level used by the US Navy and many American industries adB The vibration acceleration level adB US is defined as 20 times the logarithm of the ratio of the RMS acceleration level to 1 µg RMS The SI version of adB is less commonly...

Page 78: ...om this rather than any entered value Viewing Orders When orders are displayed the frequency axis of a spectral chart is labeled in orders of running speed instead of in Hz or CPM This allows you to see how closely spectral peaks correspond to the running speed of the machine In addition you can move a cursor to a peak of interest the exact number of orders at that frequency will appear at the top...

Page 79: ...aveform chart displaying Revs on the X axis Saving Measurements Stop the measurement by pressing then press Save You now need to select a machine point and location to save the measurement to or create these now Selecting an existing machine Press Save to keys to depending on the number of channels used for the measurement then press or to scroll up and down and press Expand Navigator repeatedly t...

Page 80: ...t then press Create New Machine The following image shows the machine creation icons after pressing to display hint labels Creating a new machine to save the measurement to Enter a name for this machine then press Repeat this process to create a point then press and use the arrow keys to select a location Press until you see the message Data Saved ...

Page 81: ... sensors to channels Setting Measurement Units and Spectrum Scaling You can choose the standard US or SI units or choose your own preferences The table below summarizes the options To set a preference from the Main Menu press Options then press Measuring Units Press repeatedly to toggle which unit set is displayed To set your own preferences select Custom then press the keys beside the first optio...

Page 82: ...isp mm µm mil As above As above Unit Set SI US Custom Frequency Hz CPM Hz CPM vdB Units vdB SI 1e 6 mm s vdB US 1e 5 mm s vdB US vdB SI adB Units adB SI 1 µm s 2 adB US 1 µg adB US adB SI Linear Speed Distance mm in mm in Weight g kg lb oz lb oz tons kg g Balancing Units Quantity Acceleration Velocity Displacement Units g in s mm s mm µm mil Scaling RMS 0 pk pk pk ...

Page 83: ...ess Measure Vibration then press Spectrum Waveform Press to display hint labels then press Create New Paramset The default parameters for a spectrum measurement are displayed To change a parameter value press the key beside the value s on screen label This will cause the parameter to cycle through the available options or it will open a sub menu where you enter a value via the keypad or select a v...

Page 84: ... type and press to select it 2 Press to display hint labels then press Create New Paramset to create a new copy of the default parameter set 3 Press Edit Name and enter a description for this parameter set then press 4 The new parameter set will be highlighted to indicate that it is selected Press the keys beside the on screen labels to set your values as described in the previous topic Example Cr...

Page 85: ...dly to cycle through the values then press Your new parameter set is now ready to use If you have already defined a sensor and enabled a channel you can now take a measurement by pressing Assigning sensors to channels is explained in the next topic Assigning Sensors to Channels You must specify which sensor is assigned to each channel When you take a measurement the instrument will know which sens...

Page 86: ...ign it to your channel To enable the channel for measuring press the left hand key beside your chosen channel The text will change from to Enabled to indicate that this channel can now be used to take measurements Press twice to return to the Main Menu Multi channel measurements To take simultaneous measurements follow the procedure described previously and enable as many channels as required Expl...

Page 87: ... the orders keys and enter your machine s default RPM value Press twice to return to the measurement setup When you take the measurement the resulting display will use an Fmax with the specified number of orders the value will be rounded up to the closest Fmax if an exact match is not available Spectral Lines The resolution of the spectrum increases with the number of spectral lines used i e the m...

Page 88: ...is combined overlapped with each subsequent measurement The higher the overlap percentage the less newly acquired data is needed to generate a spectrum and thus the faster the spectrum can be displayed An overlap percentage of 50 is ideal for most cases Explaining Waveform Parameters Equivalent Fmax This allows you to control the waveform sampling rate by expressing it in terms of the maximum freq...

Page 89: ...so that it covers your required frequency range the instrument will select the maximum number of samples and duration that can be used with this Fmax You can then adjust these values as required Duration The Duration of a waveform is its recording time The duration value depends on the number of samples selected increasing the number of samples increases the duration ...

Page 90: ...omponent shows the frequencies at which the component is vibrating and the amplitude of vibration at each of these frequencies Spectra consist of discrete spectral lines displayed at fixed frequency intervals The height of each spectral line represents the amplitude of vibration at that frequency The more spectral lines in a spectrum the higher the resolution of the spectrum but more memory is use...

Page 91: ...bration level amplitude at each time interval during the measurement period The more sample points in a spectrum the higher the resolution of the waveform but the more memory used The key parameters you need to set are the duration and number of samples The duration determines the equivalent Fmax value From the Main Menu press Measure Vibration then press Spectrum Waveform Use the left hand arrow ...

Page 92: ...s stopped while taking a peak hold measurement Careful selection of the mallet or hammer is required along with the strength and direction of the bump to ensure that suitable frequencies are injected into the structure without causing damage From the Main Menu press Measure Vibration then press Bump Use the left hand arrow keys to select a parameter set or press to create a new one and set the par...

Page 93: ... machine location to save measurements to then press again to begin measuring After the first spectrum has been recorded switch off the machine or begin ramping its speed up or down Once the machine has stopped rotating or its speed has been fully adjusted press to stop measuring and return to the Coast down Run up Menu The measurement location will contain a large number of measurements Recommend...

Page 94: ...s to keep e g you can save a measurement taken on channel 2 but discard the measurement taken on channel 1 Setting up Sensors and Channels Select your measurement type and parameters as normal and press then Sensor Setup You will need to assign and enable a sensor to each channel you are measuring Press Change Sensor opposite your chosen measuring channel If this is new sensor that has not yet bee...

Page 95: ...ave the measurements refer to the next topic Saving Multi channel Measurements 1 When you are ready to stop measuring press 2 Press Save This opens the Select Location to Save Menu 3 You can save each channel s measurements or select only those that you wish to keep Press the right hand Save to key opposite the channel you wish to save ...

Page 96: ...nformation 5 Press to return to the Select Locations Menu Repeat this process from step 3 to store your other measurement s If you change your mind after saving a measurement press the channel s right hand Save key again the text will change to Don t Save 6 When you have selected all the measurements you want to save press The instrument will display Data Saved before returning to the measurement ...

Page 97: ...aining the machines you want to monitor is selected the name of the currently selected folder will display on the Main Menu beside the Folders label If you need to select a different folder press Folders and use the arrow keys to highlight your choice then press This loads the folder and all its machines into current memory and returns you to the Main Menu 3 Press Review Vibration to display the m...

Page 98: ... instrument stores them to the correct measurement location and returns you to the Record Review Menu To take additional recordings select another parameter set or select a location to record all parameter sets under that location and repeat this process from step 5 Taking Individual and Multiple Recordings You can choose to record all parameter sets at a location or select the parameter sets indi...

Page 99: ...Record Review Menu or if you have selected a location with multiple parameter sets underneath it begin taking the next recording Free Run Manual Save The instrument will continuously record the signal and update the on screen display To stop measuring press To save the recording press To record the next parameter set without saving this recording press This will either return you to the Record Rev...

Page 100: ...d recordings will appear in the Review column The newest recording is highlighted at the top of the column To display the newest recording press Review Selected Recording 4 To display older recordings press once more to select the Review column a black border will appear around the column indicating that you can now move up down through the recordings Use the left hand arrow keys to select a recor...

Page 101: ... set location or machine press to navigate back to the machine list in the Record column A black border will appear around the Record column indicating that you can now select items 4 Repeat steps 2 4 to review additional recordings Deleting Recordings To delete an individual recording access the Review Vibration Menu and select the recording as described in the previous topic Press to delete the ...

Page 102: ...acity and Recording Volume The instrument s storage capacity is determined by the amount of available memory space which decreases as more recordings are stored There is no limit to the number of routes folders and machines that can be held in the instrument The number of recordings that can be stored depends on the type and setup of those recordings e g more 400 line spectra can be stored than 80...

Page 103: ...Each machine point can have many locations because you can vary the direction location of the sensor with each new recording A point represents a position on a machine that a measurement will be taken e g the drive end or driven end A route is a sequential list of machine measurement locations that you follow when taking recordings A folder is used to group and identify machines For example if you...

Page 104: ...ect a folder then press Renaming a Folder From the Main Menu press Folders Use the arrow keys to select the folder then press Edit Name Edit the name as required then press Deleting a Folder From the Main Menu press Folders Use the arrow keys to select the folder then press Delete Folder Restoring a Deleted or Over Written Folder A folder backup is automatically generated every time a folder is de...

Page 105: ...ing All folder backups will be erased during an instrument Proflash page 116 Working with Machines If you intend to take large numbers of recordings on a regular basis you should create permanent machine structures so that you can save your recordings to named locations You can group your machines within different folders so that they can be segregated by type geographic location or frequency of d...

Page 106: ...ibes the settings that are used to take a measurement A parameter set includes information such as the type of measurement Fmax the units of measurement and number of averages etc From the Main Menu press Review Vibration and use the left arrow keys to select a machine If no machines are displayed press to make them visible Press repeatedly to expand the machine until the required axis location is...

Page 107: ...gn a different sensor press Sensor Setup then press Change Sensor opposite your measuring channel and select a different sensor To define a new sensor press Create New Sensor See Defining and Editing Sensors on page 101 for more information Press Select as Default If required press the left hand key beside your chosen channel so the text changes to Enabled then press twice to return to the Record ...

Page 108: ...om the Main Menu press Review Vibration If no machines are displayed press to make them visible Use the left hand arrow keys to select a machine To make the points and other lower level items visible press repeatedly Highlight the item you wish to copy then press then Copy Use the on screen arrows to choose where your copied item will be pasted then press Paste Renaming Machine Structures Note The...

Page 109: ...eted machine will not be removed but will remain stored in the instrument so they can be applied to future recordings From the Main Menu press Review Vibration If no machines are displayed press repeatedly to make them visible Use the arrow keys to select a machine To make the points and other lower level items visible press repeatedly Select the item you wish to delete then press Delete Press whe...

Page 110: ...ggle Voltage Ring and Coupling settings Toggle Auto Settling ON OFF When Auto Settling is ON the instrument will ignore the user specified settling time see above and will automatically select the most efficient settling time for your sensor type Edit the Sensitivity The range of sensitivities will vary depending on the selected sensor s Store Unit To enter a decimal point press then Toggle the St...

Page 111: ... cannot select a current sensor When you try to take the measurement the instrument will display a message similar to the following Incompatible Sensor Cannot take recording of type Current When using a sensor type Acceleration Using the Bias Voltage Check The Bias Voltage Check allows the instrument to warn operators of errors or fault conditions such as short circuits faulty sensors or open circ...

Page 112: ...heck on off Press Create New Bias Voltage Press and enter a name You may wish to use the name of the sensor then press Press Min Bias and enter the minimum bias Voltage level then press Press Max Bias and enter the maximum bias voltage level then press Press twice to select the new bias check configuration The sensor will now use the new or edited bias values Deleting Sensors From the Main Menu pr...

Page 113: ...e Entry Menu press and enter your text Press to enter punctuation and to enter a space and then to delete characters Press to save the note Editing Notes From the Main Menu press Review Vibration Press to display the Note Menu then press Create New Note In the Note Entry Menu press Edit Note and enter your new text If the note is attached to any items you will be prompted to create a new note Pres...

Page 114: ...te is attached Viewing Notes To view a note use the arrow keys to highlight the item with the note attached then press Notes Removing Notes Removing a note only detaches it from a selected item The note will remain in the Note Entry Menu where it can be selected and attached to other items To permanently delete a note see the next topic Use the arrow keys to highlight the item with the note attach...

Page 115: ...meter sets recordings and notes etc are stored in a single container called a database To clear out all your machine structures customized settings and recordings you can empty the instrument database This restores the instrument to its factory default settings Use this procedure only if the database becomes corrupt or if you are certain that you no longer require any of the information stored in ...

Page 116: ...e date and time stamped according to this clock The instrument adjusts the date and time automatically to accommodate leap years and daylight savings You can also select your local time zone automatically see next topic From the Main Menu press Options Press Date Time then press to set the date or to set the time Press the number keys to enter your values the cursor will automatically advance to t...

Page 117: ...t hand arrow keys and Adjusting Sound Volume From the Main Menu press Options Press Sound Use the right hand arrow keys to adjust the volume up or down Press and hold to turn sound off Press to test the volume then to save your setting Set the Instrument Language The language used by the instrument interface varies from region to region based upon the original purchase location Some regions such a...

Page 118: ... software Connect the instrument to your printer or network switch hub using an Ethernet cable Turn on your network printer From the Main Menu press Options Press Network then Printer Press Printer Type to toggle between printer types Available options are Postscript PCL and Disabled The Disabled setting will disable the print function Note PCL is the most widely supported printer language Check y...

Page 119: ... 1 1 for example Press Paper Size then select a paper sheet type using the left hand arrow keys and press Press Print Test Page A test page will be printed if the instrument configuration is correct Adjusting Screen Contrast From the Main Menu press Options Press LCD Contrast Backlight The screen displays a chart and text so that you can preview the effect your adjustments will make on the display...

Page 120: ...t usage The true operating time before the battery runs flat will depend on how you use the instrument You can check the estimated operating time in the Battery and Power Management Menu From the Main Menu press Options Press Battery Pwr Mngmnt The estimated operating Time Left is displayed near the middle of this screen Conserving Battery Power The length of time you can operate the instrument wi...

Page 121: ...ult This method of auto powering off the instrument conserves battery charge and allows for fast powering up approximately 7 seconds However it is less battery efficient than using the Complete Powerdown option because the internal module remains on The instrument will power down completely once the complete powerdown timeout period has elapsed see next topic When recording a route powering up the...

Page 122: ...wn and enter a value in hours minimum 1 maximum 9999 then press Checking How Much Memory is Available The Memory Menu displays information on the instrument s memory capacity the amount of memory in use and the number of folders schedule entries and recordings stored in the instrument From the Main Menu press Options Press Memory to display the instrument s memory usage Press to return to the Opti...

Page 123: ...perties window will open Click the Tasks tab then the Copy button in the Copy Database area Browse to the location you wish to copy the database to Enter a name for the file in the File name field and click the Save button A copy of the instrument database will be saved to the chosen location with a pbd file extension Copy Database to the Instrument Note The existing instrument database will be ov...

Page 124: ...in Menu screen Warning PROFLASHING will restore the instrument to the factory default state and delete all stored information This includes folders machines parameter sets balance jobs and recordings If you wish to save any of this information please transfer the instrument database to your PC before PROFLASHING See Backing Up the Instrument Database for details To check if a newer firmware versio...

Page 125: ...ewest recommended firmware version highlighted click the Proflash button When prompted press on the instrument PROFLASHING may take several minutes during which the instrument will display a series of progress messages Note Do not interrupt the PROFLASH process as this may damage the instrument Once Proflashing has completed restart the instrument by pressing and together ...

Page 126: ...instrument as soon as possible Note Resetting the instrument will not delete previously stored data or settings Hold then press The instrument will power off and re start immediately Network Communications Problems The instrument and the vbXManager program use a default network address to communicate Normally it will not need to be changed However it is possible that this address may interact nega...

Page 127: ...e instrument hardware and apply your changes Connect the Commtest supplied data transfer cable to the USB ports of the instrument and computer and power up the instrument Start the vbXManager application Double click the instrument from the list of those available Enter the new IP address into the IP address field in the USB area Click Apply to save your changes then OK Setting the Ethernet Networ...

Page 128: ...mputers using the Microsoft Vista Ultimate operating system may lose Ethernet communications with vbBalancer instruments following communication via USB This is the result of a network protocol incompatibility To resolve this problem disable support for the IPv6 network protocol in Vista Navigate to Start Control Panel View network status this is located under the Network and Internet heading Clic...

Page 129: ...s on the Windows Peer to Peer Networking platform or the Teredo transition technology If you wish to use these applications simply re enable IPv6 support Ethernet instrument connections will be unaffected by the reactivation of IPv6 support as the compatibility problem is resolved by the initial performance of the procedure above ...

Page 130: ...s sensor sensitivity and output voltage Other distortions and noise are lower 0 peak peak peak or RMS Auto scale by 1000x when required Digital readouts on chart AC measured at 100 Hz Acceleration and velocity From value measured at 100 Hz Spectrum Display Fmax possible ranges Fmin possible range Resolution Frequency scale Amplitude scale Window shapes Overlap Number of averages Averaging types 25...

Page 131: ...nal Power pack 12 V DC 3 A output included in kit 3 hours for complete charge Mechanical Size Weight 9 9 W x 5 8 L x 2 4 H 252 x 148x 60 mm 2 7 lb 1 2 kg Including battery and strap Environment Operating Temp Storage Temp Humidity EMC Ruggedness 14 F to 122 F 10 to 50 C 4 F to 140 F 20 to 60 C 95 RH EN61326 4 1 2 m drop onto concrete IP65 Procedure 26 drops following MIL STD 810F 516 5 IV Revised ...

Page 132: ... lower 0 peak peak peak or RMS Auto scale by 1000x when required Digital readouts on chart For DC level F S AC measured at 100 Hz Acceleration and velocity From value measured at 100 Hz Spectrum Display Fmax possible ranges Fmin possible range Resolution Frequency scale Amplitude scale Window shapes Overlap Number of averages Averaging types 25 50 100 125 150 200 300 400 500 600 800 1000 1200 1600...

Page 133: ... 4 H 252 x 148x 60 mm 2 7 lb 1 2 kg Including battery and strap Environment Operating Temp Storage Temp Humidity EMC Ruggedness 14 F to 122 F 10 to 50 C 4 F to 140 F 20 to 60 C 95 RH EN61326 4 1 2 m drop onto concrete IP65 Procedure 26 drops following MIL STD 810F 516 5 IV Revised 16 May 2008 While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information we advise that information in th...

Page 134: ...acing 45 Balancing against rotation 45 circumferance arc 40 degrees 40 fixed positions 40 initial reading 36 42 50 printing reports 57 110 reference mark 40 42 44 report 47 57 trial reading 36 51 trim balance 36 46 55 units 46 walk through 49 WR with rotation 45 Battery conserving power 112 features 12 recharging 12 removing 13 C Channels 66 assigning sensors to 77 86 multi channel measuring 86 87...

Page 135: ... equivalent Fmax 80 Fmin 79 Folders defining working with 94 96 H Harmonic cursors 63 I Incompatible sensor 101 Initial reading 36 50 Instrument capabilities by model 3 Instrument I O ports 9 K Keyphasor 34 L LCD screen 109 111 Log range 67 M Machines defining working with 97 Measurements measurements analyzing 62 saving 71 taking 58 59 Memory capacity 94 114 available amount 114 deleting all info...

Page 136: ...taking 89 Report balancing 47 57 Resetting the instrument 118 Resolution 79 80 Revs waveforms 71 RPM setting 69 rpm displaying 83 S Sensors bias voltage 103 connecting 29 mounting 30 31 sensitivity 28 supported types 28 Settling time 101 Spectral lines 79 T Tachometer 32 83 triggering 80 Trial reading 36 51 Trim balance 36 55 U Upgrading the instrument 116 V vbXManager 115 116 vdB 68 scaling 67 68...

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Commtest Instruments vbBalancer, Instrument Reference Manual

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