Mechanical and Electrical Run-Out Removal on a Precision Rotor-Vibration Research Spindle

Abstract

Experimental determination of both steady-state and dynamic performance of a journal bearing requires the use of a high precision spindle with a vanishingly small range of run-out. This was achieved by first eliminating the mechanical run-out of the spindle by grinding the journal specimen while rotating in place. Once the mechanical run-out was removed, the electrical run-out sensed by the displacement proximity-probe-transducers was also removed. Using this procedure the mechanical and electrical run-outs of a research spindle were reduced to less than 0.2 micron (10 μin.), which is better than the resolution of the data acquisition system, 1 micron (50 μin.).