What is vibration and why does it matter?

[Todd@RUPES]

Vibration Free: Why does it matter? 



When RUPES set off to develop the BigFoot System, one of the primary goals was to create a nearly vibration free polishing experience. While the obvious benefit is user comfort - a vibration- free tool will fatigue the user less and can reduce the risk the of long-term health problems such as carpel tunnel syndrome - it also reduces/eliminates most of the factors that cause wear to the tool in addition to producing a better finish potential. 



Vibration, for this discussion, is a factor of being out of balance. Random orbital polishers, by design, are quite unbalanced. You have a large mass (backing plate/pad/spindle) that is orbiting around a center axis point. The further the mass is away from the axis, the greater the unbalance, the more intense the vibration becomes.


RUPES BigFoot Polishing System remains the most balanced single-head random orbital polishing system on the market. If ran in free air at full speed, BigFoot Polishers, when used with the appropriately weighted BigFoot Pads will produce almost ZERO vibration. The reason that RUPES remains the only near vibration free large-stroke system on the market is because it is time consuming and hard to engineer (3 years) and nearly impossible to copy. 


While the internal counter balance of the machine is important, it must be married to backing plate and pad that are not only correctly weighted, but are also dynamically balanced and have a proper center of gravity. 



What is dynamic balance? It is the ability of a moving part to remain in balance. A couple examples are if you stick your leg out to the side, you might have to move the opposite arm out. Move your leg out, your arm needs to go out further - staying balanced in motion.(Bad example, but point made). Some tools, like a rotary tool, are inherently dynamically balanced if the pad is centered. That is the force on all sizes of the axis are equal and the tool operates smoothly. 



As mentioned above, an orbital polisher requires a counter weight that is properly married to the internal counterbalance system. But dynamic balance goes further. RUPES BigFoot pads also feature a proper center of gravity. Inside the tool, there is a shaft that runs through the bearing into a secondary counter weight on the top of the tool. If the pad is too bottom or top heavy, additional stress is placed on the shaft which can create excessive wear. You may have noticed that RUPES 100 mm and 150 mm pads are shorter in height than the 180 mm pads. This is part of maintaining a proper center of gravity.



So to expand on the opening paragraph and fully answer the initial question, why does vibration matter? 

Any vibration you feel is a result of unbalance and it creates excessive wear inside the tool.

Hold your tool our with one hand and run it full power… Feel any tingle/buzz? That tingle is placing unwanted side-load on the bearing inside the tool’s head. That tingle is your bearing wearing out faster than necessary.



Vibration also makes it hard to manage a foam pad’s behavior as it engages the workpiece surface. The result is that it makes it more difficult to achieve maximum gloss (although the difference is often so small not to be recognized, if your goal is to truly create maximum gloss, it is something worth remembering). 

RUPES spent nearly 3 years to develop a nearly vibration free tool when paired in the RUPES system. This amount of engineering cannot be copied by sight and calipers. The weight and center of gravity of the system is imperative to a long-lasting design that will produce consistent results. 





[number1show]

Had I known that the Rupes vibrate much less than the G21, I would have gone that route with no hesitation. It really is a big deal.

[Todd@RUPES]

Had I known that the Rupes vibrate much less than the G21, I would have gone that route with no hesitation. It really is a big deal.

It really is a systematic approach, truly engineered from the ground up. If you compare the vibration level of any other orbital polisher system against the BigFoot System, the difference is night and day. It is why RUPES doesn`t recommend changing backing plate sizes or using pads that will effect the balance of the tool. The point of this thread is emphasize how important vibration free operation is.

It is a responsibility that RUPES as a tool manufacturer (since 1947) and engineering firm takes very seriously.

[RaskyR1]

It really is a systematic approach, truly engineered from the ground up. If you compare the vibration level of any other orbital polisher system against the BigFoot System, the difference is night and day. It is why RUPES doesn`t recommend changing backing plate sizes or using pads that will effect the balance of the tool. The point of this thread is emphasize how important vibration free operation is.

It is a responsibility that RUPES as a tool manufacturer (since 1947) and engineering firm takes very seriously.

So I`m assuming Rupes has accelerometer testing data of all the other manufactures orbital polisher systems to back up this claim then? Not saying the claim isn`t true, but I`ve used some other systems where where I couldn`t personally detect a difference.

[Todd@RUPES]

So I`m assuming Rupes has accelerometer testing data of all the other manufactures orbital polisher systems to back up this claim then? Not saying the claim isn`t true, but I`ve used some other systems where where I couldn`t personally detect a difference.

The internal testing done at RUPES is very sophisticated. The engineer a lot of systems for a lot of companies in Europe. As you can imagine, there are a number of highly educated engineers and creative powerhouses inside the company. With the acquisition of Cyclo Toolmakers in CO, the teams strength is further fortified. Cody, the former owner of Cyclo and VP of Operations is a Harvard educated business man and engineer. However, some things are so readily apparent that testing isn`t needed (although it is still performed).

It is also why I suggest that user do the comparison themselves.

The vibration management of a large diameter random orbital polisher is absolutely critical. Something that is traveling in a circumference with a 21mm diameter is placing a huge amount of stress on the internal components in the tool. I am surprised that you cannot feel a difference between the BigFoot System and other systems, it`s pretty significant. Then again, you and I are old school. Maybe those years of slinging a PC have caught up to you old friend.

[ShawnF350]

Had I known that the Rupes vibrate much less than the G21, I would have gone that route with no hesitation. It really is a big deal.

Are you saying you own a G21 & it vibrates a bit?

I`m wondering how much smoother Rupes 21 might be with the backing plate and Pads it was designed for.

I`m running the smaller backing plate and Pads.

[Todd@RUPES]

I`m wondering how much smoother Rupes 21 might be with the backing plate and Pads it was designed for.

I`m running the smaller backing plate and Pads.

I spent a lot of time on the road, teaching our distribution on the RUPES system. I almost always use the system in the manner it was developed (although I also love that people think and go outside of the box). I am so used to feeling the balance and near vibration free performance, that I am likely sensitive to changes. When I used my 21 with 15`s backing plate and pads, I felt a significant difference.

Simply operate the tool in free air and touch the body. You will feel the buzz. Swap to engineered backing plate and pad and it is as close to vibration free as likely possible. A significant amount of time was invested in this effort.

I understand - and appreciate - that even a small amount of vibration is understood to be normal with this style of tool, but I also know that it can all but be eliminated. Give it a shot and report back :-)

[ShawnF350]

I spent a lot of time on the road, teaching our distribution on the RUPES system. I almost always use the system in the manner it was developed (although I also love that people think and go outside of the box). I am so used to feeling the balance and near vibration free performance, that I am likely sensitive to changes. When I used my 21 with 15`s backing plate and pads, I felt a significant difference.

Simply operate the tool in free air and touch the body. You will feel the buzz. Swap to engineered backing plate and pad and it is as close to vibration free as likely possible. A significant amount of time was invested in this effort.

I understand - and appreciate - that even a small amount of vibration is understood to be normal with this style of tool, but I also know that it can all but be eliminated. Give it a shot and report back :-)

I`ll need Ray`s help!!!
Two of all four colored 7" Pads for my 21.
Waiting on a PM from him after he reads this.. Lol

[ShawnF350]

I spent a lot of time on the road, teaching our distribution on the RUPES system. I almost always use the system in the manner it was developed (although I also love that people think and go outside of the box). I am so used to feeling the balance and near vibration free performance, that I am likely sensitive to changes. When I used my 21 with 15`s backing plate and pads, I felt a significant difference.

Simply operate the tool in free air and touch the body. You will feel the buzz. Swap to engineered backing plate and pad and it is as close to vibration free as likely possible. A significant amount of time was invested in this effort.

I understand - and appreciate - that even a small amount of vibration is understood to be normal with this style of tool, but I also know that it can all but be eliminated. Give it a shot and report back :-)

Todd, the 7 inch pads are with FedEx. Ordered all 2ea 7" of all 4 colored pads + the UHS pads all 3 sizes.
I have a blue and yellow microfiber pad. I think I have a 6"+7". Are the microfiber pads a very small difference between the two sizes?
One is tapered and the other is mostly a straight cut from the padding to the microfiber. Larger Velcro area. I would say it`s only 1/4" diameter larger.

Will the 6 +7 inch pads be the full inch larger where the microfibers aren`t?

[Todd@RUPES]

Todd, the 7 inch pads are with FedEx. Ordered all 2ea 7" of all 4 colored pads + the UHS pads all 3 sizes.
I have a blue and yellow microfiber pad. I think I have a 6"+7". Are the microfiber pads a very small difference between the two sizes?
One is tapered and the other is mostly a straight cut from the padding to the microfiber. Larger Velcro area. I would say it`s only 1/4" diameter larger.

Will the 6 +7 inch pads be the full inch larger where the microfibers aren`t?

I`m not 100% sure what 6+7" means?

The microfiber pads are available in 3 different sizes:

The 170mm pads with a 150mm mounting face for the LHR 21ES.
The 150mm pads with a 125mm mounting ace for the LHR 15ES/Duetto
The 100mm pads with a 80mm mounting face for the LHR 75E Mini and LHR 75 air driven polisher.

The one with the straight cut is the 170mm, the one with the beveled cut is the 150mm. There is a slight difference between the actually polishing face of the 170mm and 150mm pads, it isn`t 20mm. I believe both measure close to 150mm (about 6 inches), and the name difference is just to clarify the models.

In addition to the difference in mounting faces, both pads weigh different. The 170`s are a closer match to the 21`s counterbalance and the 150`s are a closer match to the 15`s counterbalance. However, neither is perfect and if you hold the machines is free air (off the paint) you will feel a slight buzz with the microfiber that you will not feel with the foam pads. If you plan on using the microfibers a lot we do have a different backing plate that will optimize the weight and dynamic balance should you desire.

Does this help?

[allenk4]


RUPES BigFoot Polishers remain the most balanced single head random orbital polishers on the market.

Interesting Distinction since the aquisition of Cyclo

[Todd@RUPES]


RUPES BigFoot Polishers remain the most balanced single head random orbital polishers on the market.

Interesting Distinction since the aquisition of Cyclo

An important distinction none-the-less. Cyclo`s have an advantage of having the an identical mass spinning the same directions, although timed to be opposing. It works much like a counter balance crankshaft.

Although in fairness, I had to edit the sentence and change Polisher to System. The polisher itself is not balanced, it is an integral part of a system that becomes balanced through the careful engineering of all of the components.

[Greg Nichols]

So if someone changed the backing plate but it was of the same mass and same size that shouldn`t affect the vibration correct?

[Todd@RUPES]

So if someone changed the backing plate but it was of the same mass and same size that shouldn`t affect the vibration correct?

Greg, I am not an engineer but I trust the ones that I have frequent contact with. The backing plate is only part of the system, the other part being the mass of the pad and the center of gravity of the pad/plate combination (among many many other details). So if you went with smaller plate (that had identical mass) and a smaller pad (that somehow managed to have the same mass as the larger pad) I think you would be close. However, this is assuming you had near vibration free running to begin with.

[rlmccarty2000]

It`s a shame this wasn`t posted prior to the release of the Griots system. It could have saved some people (not me) some money and vibration.