Trial-Mass Force Screening
Calculate the trial unbalance and synchronous centrifugal-force magnitude created by a proposed trial mass, then compare it with an externally authorized force limit. This worksheet does not choose or certify a safe trial mass.
Documented input
Screening record
| Quantity | Calculated value |
|---|---|
| Trial unbalance, Ut | — |
| Angular speed, ω | — |
| Synchronous force magnitude, Ft | — |
| Force / supplied limit | — |
| Force margin (limit − Ft) | — |
| Mass exactly at supplied scalar limit | — |
What the worksheet actually calculates
General mechanics identities
ω = 2πn / 60
Ft = mt rt ω² = Utω²
Code units are kg, m, s, rad/s and N. The displayed g·mm value is the same trial-unbalance magnitude expressed in workshop units.
Comparison—not approval
ΔF = Flimit − Ft
mat limit = Flimit /(rtω²)
The last value is only the mathematical mass at the supplied scalar limit. It is not a recommended starting mass and may still be unsafe for reasons this worksheet cannot model.
Why the former recommendation was removed
- The former expression multiplied rotor mass by invented support-stiffness and vibration-severity coefficients. Those coefficients had no verified primary source, were dimensionally unexplained and could increase the proposed trial mass when vibration was already severe.
- The former automatic cap of trial-mass force at 10% of rotor weight was presented as a safety rule without a verified standard or manufacturer basis. Rotor weight alone cannot establish attachment, bearing, rotor-stress or resonance limits.
- ISO 21940-11:2016 with Amendment 1:2022 addresses procedures and residual-unbalance tolerances for rotors with rigid behaviour. Its public scope does not establish the removed trial-mass formula.
- ISO 21940-13:2012 addresses criteria, safeguards and records for in-situ balancing of medium and large rotors; its public abstract explicitly says it does not give a method for calculating correction masses.
- ISO 1940-1:2003 is withdrawn and replaced by ISO 21940-11:2016. It must not be presented as the current basis for a trial-mass recommendation.
Sources and normative status
| Source | Verified use | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| BIPM SI Brochure, 9th edition, version 4.01 (2026) | SI coherent units and general mechanics quantities used in the equations. | These identities are general mechanics, not an ISO trial-mass sizing rule. |
| ISO 21940-11:2016 + Amd 1:2022 | Current public lifecycle; rigid-rotor procedures and residual-unbalance-tolerance scope. | Under systematic review. Exact clauses and amendment changes require licensed controlled copies. |
| ISO 21940-13:2012 | Current confirmed public scope: in-situ balancing criteria, safeguards and records. | The public abstract says correction-mass calculation methods are outside its guidance. |
| Balanset-1A operation manual | Product workflow, measurement sequence and operator controls for the Vibromera system. | Follow the current software mode and the approved machine-specific procedure. |
| Peer-reviewed rotor-balancing methods review | Influence-coefficient method context using known trial mass, radius and phase. | Does not establish a universal safe trial mass or attachment limit. |
Independent check example
For a proposed 20 g mass at 650 mm and 1001 r/min, Ut = 13,000 g·mm and Ft ≈ 142.84 N. If the authorized external limit is 300 N, this is 47.61% of that supplied limit; it is not thereby certified safe.
Technical revision: 15 July 2026 · English source page · Computational guards: mass ≤ 10⁹ g, radius and speed ≤ 10⁷, force limit ≤ 10¹⁵ N. These are software guards, not equipment ratings.