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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Back around 1982, when I made my first forays from machinist into mechanical maintenance, I remember hearing about coupling alignment while working at a now-defunct rope factory in North Carolina.…
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In shaft alignment, machines that run hot often have thermal growth targets. Thermal targeting simply means that the shafts may be misaligned while at room temperature, but as they heat…
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Jacking bolts provide an easy and accurate way to horizontally position a motor during a shaft alignment. However, it they are left tight against the feet, some unexpected problems may…
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There are some special considerations to keep in mind when performing shaft alignment on machines which are supported by sleeve bearings, regardless of the type of alignment measuring tool being…
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Vertically-mounted motors that are coupled may need alignment, whether they are C-faced or not. In cases where the motors are not C-faced, the shaft alignment is treated as a horizontally-mounted…
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There are several things that must come into play to achieve a quick and accurate shaft alignment. One of those things is starting with a good foundation. By foundation, I…
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The guy in the photo is Peter Eccleston. Peter is the Senior Technical Support Specialist for VibrAlign. Peter and the other technicians in the Repair Group perform calibrations and repair…
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Stainless steel shims have for the most part replaced cutting shims from rolled stock. They speed up the alignment process dramatically. They usually assure a more accurate alignment since they…
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QUESTION: When mounting the lasers, if it isn’t possible to mount to the shafts, can they be mounted to a flanged sleeve gear type coupling? (The outer “floating hub”, not…
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