Just like for any plant, it is critical for the data center to sustain minimal to no interruptions to normal processes. The amount of (often sensitive) data housed in the data center servers makes it imperative that data centers continue to run, no matter the conditions. This is why backup generators are so important. In the…
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In this installment of our data center maintenance series, we will discuss fans. While HVAC chillers ensure cool water supplied to fans for cool air is pumped into the servers in a data center, fans ensure that the hot air from the servers is removed efficiently and redirected to the Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC)…
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This is the second installment of our series on data center equipment and maintenance. Among the types of equipment that require mechanical maintenance in a data center are HVAC chillers. HVAC chillers are widely used in data centers to cool the water used for heating, ventilation, and AC units. Since these chillers often run nonstop,…
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The emergence of portable computers, the internet, and the ubiquity of portable smart devices has given rise to a new type of industry–the data center. A data center is simply a building used to house computer servers. While these servers may be used for many different types of data storage, their requirements for in-house…
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It’s no secret that there is a shortage of skilled labor in manufacturing, specifically in machinery maintenance. Therefore, those in leadership positions must answer the question “training or no training?”. Another way to look at it is, am I willing to invest in the workforce to better insure a more reliable operation? I wrote a…
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Once unbalance is determined, the original unbalance run (amplitude and phase) is measured, and a trial weight size is determined, the next step is where to place the trial weight. If you have no balancing record for this rotor, where to place the weight is little more than a guess. But there are some things…
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Some things just don’t pass the “eye test”. Your eyes are actually great tools for seeing things that are not straight, not plumb, not level (pictures hanging on a wall for example), not right. Many times, just by looking at a coupling you can tell “it’s not aligned”, and you are usually correct. Visual Inspection:…
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One question that arises regularly in training is about doing alignment checks. Is it okay to just check the alignment? Of course, it is. As a matter of fact, many industries have dedicated crews to specifically do alignment checks. The major difference is no equipment is moved, just measured. We lockout, remove guards, install the…
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In our last Balancing How To, we discussed how to set up and get your original measurements on the rotor to be balanced. This How To discusses selecting a proper trial weight. A trial weight is used to make a change in the original vibration amount and direction. Changing either the AMOUNT of vibration (amplitude),…
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Unbalance (Imbalance) is often defined as the unequal distribution of the weight of a rotor about its rotating centerline. A rotor can be balanced either in-place or in a balancing machine assuming unbalance is the issue and weight can be added or removed. Modern balancing instruments will do the math for you. I originally learned…
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The recent blog on troubleshooting balancing ( https://acoem.us/other-topics/smc-touch-tip-using-the-smc-when-unbalance-is-diagnosed/ ) brought up some additional questions from our readers, so let’s tackle them in order. The first one is setting up to perform a balance job. NECESSARY EQUIPMENT FOR BALANCING If you have gone through the checklist and confirmed unbalance, you will need: A machine to perform…
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The goal of a precision alignment is to align the machine within tolerance when at operating condition. Many, but not all, machines are aligned without the need to compensate for offline to running (OL2R) movement most often associated with thermal growth. A previous blog post (see link below) discussed how to read an alignment report…
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A common source of frustration during the precision alignment process is, how can we make a controlled move when making the horizontal adjustment? We trainers often hear our clients say they don’t have jacking bolts, or pushers, etc. There have been numerous excellent blogs written on the subject of jack bolts. Pry bars, sledge hammers…
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The Fixturlaser Smart Machine Checker (SMC) is a great balancing tool (for me personally, it’s the best balancer I’ve ever used). Unbalance is one of the most common machinery problems on rotating equipment, especially fans. If you get a diagnosis of unbalance, be aware of these tips: Be mindful that a rotating mass, once balanced,…
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As you may have noticed if you follow VibrAlign’s social media accounts, we have been going through “Maintenance Tip Mondays” for the past couple months. This is a fun opportunity to hear from our experienced technical trainers as they share the top tips and tricks they have learned over the years in the field and…
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