In the process of dynamic unbalance detection for precision cylindrical rollers, challenges such as difficulty in achieving effective driving and susceptibility to surface damage during driving significantly impact the accuracy of unbalance detection. This hinders the industry’s ability to achieve the non-destructive detection of cylindrical rollers. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel driving method to enable non-destructive driving of precision cylindrical rollers. The structural principles of the driving mechanism are presented, and a mechanical model for the cylindrical roller is established to analyze the force distribution. Subsequently, a mathematical model for the air film bearing the cylindrical roller is developed to study the variation characteristics of the air film’s load-bearing capacity. The optimal air film thickness is determined, and the rationality of the mathematical model is validated through simulation analysis. Finally, an experimental platform for non-destructive driving is constructed to further verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. This research provides a prerequisite for the non-destructive detection of dynamic unbalance in precision cylindrical rollers.

Due to their small size and light mass, small precision cylindrical rollers present challenges in dynamic unbalance detection, including difficulties in measurement and the risk of surface damage. This paper proposes a non-destructive detection device for assessing the dynamic unbalance of small precision cylindrical rollers. The device utilizes an air flotation support method combined with resonance amplification to indirectly measure the dynamic unbalance. A dynamic model of the air flotation tooling-cylindrical roller vibration system was developed to explore the relationship between the vibration parameters of the air flotation tooling and the dynamic unbalance of the cylindrical roller. Modal analysis and harmonic response analysis were performed, revealing that the amplitude of the vibration system at resonance could be detected using the sensor. Additionally, modal testing was conducted to determine the natural frequency of the system. A non-destructive detection platform was constructed for testing the dynamic unbalance of cylindrical rollers. Microscopic observation of the roller surface before and after testing confirmed that the device successfully performs non-destructive detection of dynamic unbalance.

In order to solve the problem of small high-speed precision cylindrical roller, which is difficult to drive and the surface is easily damaged when doing dynamic unbalance detection due to the small size and light mass of the roller, this paper proposes a new drive method, using air flotation non-destructive support instead of V-block or cylindrical surface of the roller and other lossy contact support and air flotation electric spindle combined with vacuum suction cup instead of belt friction drive; establish a mathematical model of cylindrical roller force to study the force of cylindrical roller in the air flotation sleeve during the drive, and through the force analysis, it is shown that under the condition that the structural parameters and material parameters of the drive remain unchanged, the start-up speed of the drive depends on the load-bearing capacity of the air film on the cylindrical roller; the mathematical model of the air film load-bearing capacity and the thickness of the air film is established to study the changing characteristics of the air film load-bearing capacity in the air flotation sleeve, and the correctness of the mathematical model is verified through numerical calculation combined with simulation analysis; the test platform of the drive device based on the non destructive detection of cylindrical roller dynamic unbalance is built to further verify the feasibility of high-speed non-destructive drive of cylindrical rollers and to create favorable conditions for the development of the non-destructive detection instrument for small mass cylindrical rollers dynamic unbalance.