VibrAlign’s blog has been up for a few months now, and we hope the information we have all shared has been informative. But, with all of the information available on the internet, why a blog dedicated to shaft alignment? At VibrAlign, we’re out to Realign America. We’ve stood by and watched as: Manufacturing jobs have gone…
Read MoreJacking bolts provide a smoother, easier way of moving machinery than using pry bars and hammers. Their use will almost always speed up the alignment process, prevent excessive minor moves back and forth, and generally make the task of shaft alignment much more pleasant. More and more companies are realizing the benefits of using jacking bolts…
Read MoreMy name is Stan Riddle, I’m a trainer for VibrAlign, I’ve been involved in aligning machinery for about 31 years. My background was as a machinist, and a tool and die maker. In the early 80’s I decided that I would get into maintenance because they would never computerize it, and I’ve been pulling wrenches…
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The photo to the right was taken at a recent training class. The maintenance guys at this facility were excellent aligners. They were adamant about getting their shaft alignments to “better than excellent” levels. They believed in preparing the surfaces of the base and the motor before installation. Their company spent thousands of dollars re-working…
Read MoreEngineering and technical people often use technical phrases that sound complicated. Thermal growth is one of those terms. It sounds like it could be an engineering marvel – one that would help us perform complicated alignments of high temperature, high speed machines. So, here’s the “secret” of thermal growth. When metal gets hotter, it gets…
Read MoreA machine train alignment, one in which there are more than two machine components, and more than one coupling, may seem difficult to most aligners. But with some basic understanding, and the ability to “see the forest as well as the trees,” a machine train alignment can be performed accurately and quickly. We recently helped…
Read MoreIn a recent training class, a mechanic asked, “Why should I worry about aligning a flexible coupling? I thought the reason we used flexible couplings is because they didn’t have to be aligned.” That’s a great question, and one that deserves an honest answer. Let’s pick a commonly used coupling, and look at its alignment…
Read MoreThis is probably one of the most common questions we are asked during our alignment training classes. And the best answer might be, “Sometimes, if you must, maybe!” Let me preach on it. Undercutting bolts is a method used to align machines that are bolt bound. A bolt bound condition occurs when the movable machine…
Read MoreA few months ago, while teaching a shaft alignment training class, a customer asked if we could take a look at a machine that the maintenance group was having trouble assembling. After a quick inspection, the photo on the right was taken. Do you notice anything unusual? Leave a comment below if you spot it.…
Read MoreNo, it is not the place where good alignments get lost – never to be seen again! It is a way of thinking about locating machinery feet so that the shafts are in alignment, even when the feet of the moveable machine may be a few thousandths up, down, left, or right of perfect. Shaft alignment…
Read MoreJacking bolts provide a smoother, easier way of moving machinery than using pry bars and hammers. Their use will almost always speed up the shaft alignment process, prevent excessive minor moves back and forth, and generally make the task of shaft alignment much more pleasant. So why aren’t they used more often?
Read MoreOne of our trainers recently taught an XA Pro class at a large chemical company in Western Kentucky. Normally, our training classes consist of one day of classroom training, and ½ day of field alignments done by the students. During the field alignment part of the class, the students aligned four overhung pumps, rated between…
Read MoreThere are many types of tools with which we can perform an accurate shaft alignment. For most of us, laser alignment is considered the most accurate and effective. But shaft alignment can be done with reverse dial indicator sets, or dial indicators and chain-type brackets, or a straightedge, feeler gauge, and an outside caliper. I’ve…
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