What is the Difference between Unbalance and Runout?

Unbalance and runout are two terms that we hear frequently in the predictive maintenance community. Both unbalance and runout can be serious issues and need to be addressed to prevent inefficient functioning and damage to machines.

Unbalance occurs due to corrosion, erosion of the fan wheel, or if a correction weight is removed. Runout occurs due to eccentricity (machining error) or bent shaft. Both cause an uneven distribution of mass around an axis of rotation. Both also cause destructive forces, contribute to misalignment, and result in decreased machinery life.

Both problems can be serious. Runout, however, can be viewed as more of a root problem that needs to be corrected by replacing parts, while unbalance can often be field remedied by adding to or taking weight from an accessible fan wheel.

In order to correct unbalance, you must also know two things:

1. The force—how much vibration is being caused by rotational unbalance?
2. Direction—where is the heavy (or light) spot

You must also have an accurate measure of runout before you can begin to correct this issue. An accurate way to measure runout on a shaft is to use the Fixturlaser Run out Probe.

To read more about unbalance and runout, watch the helpful videos below: