On rotating machinery, runout is defined as the degree to which a shaft or coupling deviates from true circular rotation. Every shaft or coupling has a center or rotation, or centerline. Any stray from concentricity is considered runout. If runout is severe, it can cause many problems with equipment, such as: Excess vibration Seal wear…
Read More
During a recent training class at a new facility in Indiana, the class wanted to check alignment of a recently installed circulating pump. Their response was, “It’s brand new, so it must be aligned, right?”. To which I responded, “I’ll bet it isn’t”. Here are the alignment results as we found it. For an 1800…
Read More
VibrAlign’s Shaft Alignment Training is the best in the industry. We not only train maintenance personnel on how to use our tools – we teach alignment! Lots of it! We teach correcting soft foot, bolt bound problems, pipe strain, coupling problems – real world stuff. Our training staff has about one hundred combined years of…
Read More
One of my co-workers recently fielded a call from a customer, asking, “What is the proper way to size shims under motor feet?” In other words, if the foot is 6 by 4 inches square, how big should the shim be? Excellent question! And one I wasn’t sure how to answer. I have always tried…
Read MoreSometimes precision laser shaft alignment is a quick, neat, orderly maintenance task. And sometimes, it is not! Occasionally, everything that can be wrong IS wrong. While teaching a Fixturlaser Go Pro training class in Illinois, the class went into the plant for some “hands on” shaft alignment work. The machine chosen was a 25 HP…
Read More
Stainless steel shims are now the standard for use in shimming machinery when preforming a precision laser or dial indicator shaft alignment. They are clean, corrosion resistant, flat, and most importantly, pre-cut. Their use speeds up the alignment process significantly. However, it is very important to measure the thickness of a shim before using it.…
Read More
Some machines are not manufactured with a typical 4 footed configuration. Precision shaft alignments can still be easily accomplished on these “non-typical” machine configurations, if you remember a couple of simple rules. When aligning a machine with three feet, like this example (left), remember that you are positioning machinery in two planes: The inboard, or…
Read More
Variable pitch sheaves are used frequently in air handlers. They allow the design engineer to increase or decrease the speed of the driven machine. In doing so, they allow for: Changes in amp draw of the motor, to maximize efficiency, Increase or decrease static pressure and air flow. Normally, the design engineer will specify the…
Read More
A customer in the northeast US was concerned that his laser wasn’t working properly. He called into our office stating “the motor shaft is a ¼ inch low at the coupling, but the laser shows I need to remove a lot of shims from the motor feet – both front and rear”. His thought was…
Read More
Most mechanics are pretty familiar with flexible couplings. They are designed with an elastomer, or flexible element, which compensates for slight amounts of misalignment through a sliding motion between the coupling hubs and the insert. However, it is very important to have some idea as to how much the coupling will flex before it begins…
Read More
Normally, it is faster and more accurate to perform shaft alignment while the machines are coupled together. This offers several benefits such as: Keeping the relative angular positions of the shafts the same allows the technician to align the true shaft rotational centerlines. Coupling Gap is less likely to change while adjusting the moveable machine,…
Read More
VibrAlign’s Verti-Zontal Compound Move is a shaft alignment process to allow the aligner to make both vertical and horizontal alignment corrections with a single measurement, or spin of the shafts. It’s touted as making shaft alignments faster and more accurate. But here’s what it means to me – it makes shaft alignment EASIER! If I…
Read More
There are only two types of measurements for shaft misalignment – offset, which may be called parallel or rim, and angularity, which is sometimes called slope, or face. Offset (parallel or rim) is easy to understand. One shaft is simply higher, lower, or to the left or right of the other one. But angularity can…
Read More
Some companies have a policy of torquing motor hold down bolts to set prescribed value. While this may be a regulation in some industries, or required on specific types of machines, it really has little to do with the quality, accuracy or repeatability of shaft alignment–if the alignment is done properly. Most millwrights may disagree. This is…
Read More
In mechanical trades, most of us have been taught that most installed machines must be installed level and the bases must be flat. But contrary to what many of us think, level and flat are two completely different terms. Level simply means that the machine is parallel to earth, or horizontal. Flat means that the…
Read More
If you’re working to maintain machines, Acoem USA wants to help.
We’re committed to providing tools, training, and services that will transform your approach to maintenance and reliability.
