Compact Manual Balancing Systems

Schmitt Industries, Inc. (Portland, OR), a leading U.S. manufacturer of precision products for grinding wheel balancing, dressing, and automated process control under the SBS® brand, exhibited several new products at the IMTS trade show, including the SB-2000, a fixed-installation system for single and dual plane manual balancing, and the SB-2000-P for portable applications. Both versions provide exceptional balancing accuracy, to within 0.02 µ displacement, and can work with a spindle speed range of 30 rpm to 100,000 rpm.

“The CNC interface on the dedicated control and the magnetic mounting on the SB-2000-P are unique features that make both products stand-outs among similar products.” says James A. Fitzhenry, the president and chief executive officer of Schmitt Industries. “In addition, the price of the two system versions provides customers with great value in addition to superior performance.”

The SB-2000 is a compact manual balancing system that offers both one- and two-plane manual balancing capabilities. It can be used with all of SBS’s existing keypad control-based mounting hardware and includes a dedicated CNC/PLC interface, so that the machine can be alerted when the vibration exceeds the user specified limits so that personnel may intervene to rebalance the machine.

Where the two products differ is in their packaging.

The SB-2000 is designed as a unit to be permanently installed on the machine. With its digital design and intuitive icon-driven user interface, the SB-2000 is simple to set up and easy to use. Five balancing modes are supported (single position, two-weight, three-weight, fixed position and circumferential arc) with storage capacity for up to 30 balancing profiles for different machines or setups. The unit also allows spectrum vibration plots to be generated and stored.

The SB-2000-P is designed with portability in mind. The CNC/PLC interface is removed and a magnetic attachment system is provided, such that the user can easily attach it to any metal surface for balancing, then remove it and carry it to the next machine. The USB port allows the user to export balance data and settings and to update unit firmware. The SB-2000-P is available in a travel case that includes the vibration sensors and rpm sensor, along with other accessories that assist when using it in a mobile fashion.

“Our customers are always looking for more economical, precise and easier to use balancing and process control capabilities,” said Fitzhenry, “Customers will be able to see first-hand how our full range of products, including the SB-2000, can improve part quality and throughput and increase profitability.”

The company designs, manufactures and sells high precision test and measurement products for two main business segments: the Balancer Segment and the Measurement Segment. For the Balancer Segment, the company designs, manufactures and sells computer-controlled vibration detection, balancing and process control systems for the worldwide machine tool industry, particularly for grinding machines.

For the Measurement Segment, the company designs, manufactures and sells laser and white light sensors for distance, dimensional and area measurement for a wide variety of commercial applications, laser-based microroughness measurement products for the semiconductor wafer and hard disk drive industries and for other industrial applications, laser-based surface analysis and measurement products for a variety of scientific applications, and ultrasonic measurement products that accurately measure the liquid levels of propane tanks and transmit that data via satellite to a secure web site for display.

The company also provides sales and service for Europe and parts of Asia through its wholly owned subsidiary, Schmitt Europe Limited (SEL), located in Coventry, England, and through its sales representative office located in Shanghai, China.

Schmitt Industries, Inc., 2765 NW Nicolai Street, Portland, OR 97210, 503-227-7908, Fax: 503-223-1258, www.schmitt-ind.com.