We work with clients in many types of harsh climates, from cold with rain, sleet, snow & ice to hot humid and hot & dry and everything in between. Whatever the climate, the need for equipment maintenance intensifies with the severity of the climate. Harsh climate conditions will create situations where precision shaft alignment of…
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With the availability and decreasing prices of technology to help diagnose rotating machinery health, machine failure should be a diminishing concern. Thermal imaging cameras can be expensive; however, these cameras have very detailed diagnostic abilities and high resolution. Reduced cost Thermal Imaging has recently become available through various sources. I recently purchased an infrared camera…
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Spanning over 250 pages, The Alignment Field Guide features articles covering a variety of shaft alignment topics, including common alignment issues, shims and hold down hardware, coupling alignments, belt and sheave alignments, and tips on saving time and money during your alignment procedure. The book also features full-color photos of alignments from the field, as…
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In industrial machinery, the centerpiece of vibration analysis is the ability to detect bearing problems BEFORE the bearing fails. Even more beneficial is detecting the root cause of a bearing problem before damage is done. The bearing really is the heart of the rotating machine. There’s a plethora of bearing types and designs. There…
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LUBRICATION Lubrication is sometimes incorrectly thought of as a job for unskilled workers, apprentices, or operators. When I hear a maintenance person say, “I’m just an oiler”, I cringe a bit. Proper lubrication methods, formulations, quantities, and procedures are essential to machine reliability. A machine can no more do without lubrication than it can do…
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I have been in industrial maintenance longer than I have not. A portion of that time was spent in Maintenance Management. One lesson I learned was, that in order for a team leader (or company as a whole) to be successful, the entire team needs to be successful. I tend to simplify things, maybe to…
Read MoreDoes the z axis affect alignment? In short, no it does not. There are aspects of the z axis that could affect the running of a machine, but rotational shaft alignment is not of them. What is the z axis? The X and Y axes are references to horizontal and vertical planes respectively. With regard…
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As technical trainers, we travel all over the country visiting factories, mills, power plants and refineries. Just to mention a few. We see and work on equipment of every type and size. From small 10 HP electric motors and pumps moving cooling water, to house sized engines turning generators that power our cities. Out of…
Read MoreUnbalance is another common machinery vibration problem. Unbalance is the uneven distribution of mass around a rotating axis. Any rotating machine can have an unbalance problem, not just fans. It is important to note that once rotating machinery components are balanced, they should stay balanced until something changes. These changes are normally: Dirt, paint, or…
Read MoreIn today’s lean manufacturing, RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance) is becoming more prevalent. Condition Monitoring is a big part of RCM. However, continuous monitoring is typically only done on “critical” equipment which amounts to approximately 20-25% of the equipment. The other 75-80% might get picked up during vibration rounds, which will then have to be analyzed,…
Read MoreMachines vibrate for lots of different reasons-some good, others not so good. Over the next few months, we are going to write about some of the most common machinery vibration causes, and possible solutions. COUPLING MISALIGNMENT One of the most common problems in coupled rotating equipment is misalignment. Simply stated, misalignment is when the driving…
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Precision alignment of the generator to the gearbox in a wind turbine (the high speed shaft) is critical to proper operation. 60 percent of wind turbine downtime is related to drive train failure: gearbox, generator, main shaft, and their associated bearings. We also know from industry studies that misalignment of rotating machinery is responsible for…
Read MoreI love my job, I love conducting precision shaft alignment training at various facilities across this great country and interacting with industrial maintenance technicians that have suffered through or are suffering through the same issues I did. I love proving over and over again that the VibrAlign method of precision shaft alignment is the best…
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Performing precision shaft alignment correctly the first time is crucial to the longevity of your equipment and your long term cost savings. New installations suffer greatly from infant mortality rates if the proper installation procedures are not followed. Most common causes are lack of follow up on the essentials, such as proper foundation work, elevations,…
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Pipe strain is a relatively common problem seen in pump installations. It is a cause of premature bearing and seal failure. Here is a link to an excellent article from Pumps and Systems magazine that discusses the detrimental effects of pump strain. http://www.pump-zone.com/topics/seals/how-do-plant-pipe-strain-problems-affect-my-pumping-systems You can easily measure the effects of pipe strain using dial indicators…
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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.
