Balance of Reciprocating Masses
Product Code : EL-TOMP-11411
Quick Answer: The Balance of Reciprocating Masses apparatus is a bench-mounting model four-cylinder engine that shows primary and secondary forces and moments in reciprocating masses and how to balance them. Strain gauges on its cantilever detect bending and torsional strains.
Last updated: October 2026
Key Features
- Model four-cylinder engine with crankshaft, connecting rods, bushes, pistons and cylinder block
- Support pillar fixes to a workbench with the engine centre of mass on the cantilever axis
- Strain gauges on the cantilever detect bending and torsional strains
- Separate control and instrumentation unit drives the crankshaft motor and processes the gauge signals for an oscilloscope
- Crankshaft sensor for measuring and displaying engine speed
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | Model four-cylinder: crankshaft, connecting rods, bushes, pistons, cylinder block |
| Mounting | Support pillar fixed to a bench or table with a low natural frequency |
| Sensing | Strain gauges on the cantilever (bending and torsional strain) |
| Speed measurement | Crankshaft sensor |
| Control | Separate control and instrumentation unit with outputs for an oscilloscope |
About This Product
The apparatus lets students see the out-of-balance forces and moments that reciprocating parts produce in a multi-cylinder engine. By trying different engine arrangements they learn how balancing works and how to allow for reciprocating masses that remain unbalanced. Laboratories and colleges in Lesotho, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Iceland and Burkina Faso can buy the Balance of Reciprocating Masses through an export order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the forces measured on the Balance of Reciprocating Masses apparatus?
Strain gauges on the cantilever pick up bending and torsional strains. The control and instrumentation unit calibrates and processes their signals and gives outputs for an oscilloscope.
Related: Theory of Machines Products, Governors and Universal Vibrations Apparatus.
For a quotation on the Balance of Reciprocating Masses, contact Educational Instrument.
