In a recent RT300 class during the field portion of the training, the team made the decision to take vibration readings on a motor/pump assembly that was very noisy and had frequent coupling failures. The RT300 diagnosed misalignment, cavitation and shock modulation. Then using the same RT300, they checked the alignment and it was indeed…
Read More
I recently had the pleasure of teaching an alignment class for a Midwest company involved in pipe fabrication and installation. Their primary concern wasn’t so much in precision shaft alignment, but in being able to measure the effect pipe strain has on alignment. Before I arrived, they had told me they had fabricated a rig…
Read More
A lift check isn’t always done when performing a precision shaft alignment, nonetheless excessive lift can be the cause of alignment frustration. Here is a recent example from a very experienced aligner. This particular alignment was on a 150 HP motor driving an extruder through a gearbox. The horizontal alignment came in as…
Read More
In recent years many new gas processing plants have been built to keep up with the demand for natural gas. Some of the process equipment for these plants are constructed on “modular skids” which are simply set in place, on the ground, then the piping is connected. During a recent training class, at a…
Read More
A colleague and client of ours called, in a bit of a quandary. “Ever seen anything like this?” he asked. I had to answer “No, I have not”. This is a C-face motor. It is typically mounted to a C-face flange, which connects to a vertically oriented pump. But in this case, the C-face motor…
Read More
It doesn’t matter what size, shape or design of the pump its purpose is to move fluids. Head loss that must be overcome makes the task a bit more complicated and the type of pump makes a difference. Two of the basic pump laws are volumetric flow rate and pump power: Volumetric Flow Rate:…
Read More
Choosing the right type of pump to meet your industrial plant’s needs is crucial to maintaining efficiency and prolonging the life of your machinery. Pumps are classified by the purpose they serve and the way they are built to operate. The most commonly used types of pumps are classified as centrifugal, reciprocating, and rotary. Centrifugal…
Read More
The Fixturlaser level is calibrated to earth level out of the box. If the level is used without a fixture it reads level directly. If a fixture is used, however, you must first qualify the level with the fixture. This is a very simple procedure when using the Fixturlaser NXA. Level measured with no fixture…
Read MoreMaintenance teams carry a great deal of responsibility, and we’re not strangers to that. A team is only as successful as its individual members. Ensuring each team member has the resources necessary to contribute to the best of their abilities is an integral part of building a strong maintenance team. We’ve compiled the three keys…
Read More
Monitoring and maintaining the condition of your machines is essential to maximizing efficiency and prolonging machine life. You need human expertise and the right tools in order to have an effective condition monitoring program. When choosing from our suite of condition monitoring tools, it is important to look inside your toolbox and take inventory. To…
Read More
The Fixturlaser Level is a high precision two axis digital machinist level. The primary application is base leveling. The Fixturlaser Level offers the following advantages: Two axis live measurement Calibrated to earth level out of the box No line of sight required Immediate feedback with live values Documentation of results Simple to qualify to other…
Read More
Coupling manufacturers have an “acceptable” misalignment tolerance range that is typically much greater than precision shaft alignment tolerances. Why is that? Because flexible couplings are designed to allow for incidental movement of machines during operation. Seal manufacturers have very tight tolerances for allowable misalignment. Why? Because of how they seal. Typical mechanical seals have mating…
Read More
As maintenance and reliability professionals we have a tremendous responsibility to keep the machines in our facilities up and running. As the entire world navigates through this pandemic, water, power, food, medicine and many other essentials have continued to be provided. Having the necessary skills and knowledge is critical to ensuring that we are able…
Read More
Out-of-the-box thinking is sometimes required in these uncertain times we are living in. This became clear on a recent training assignment in Northeast Nevada. Improvisation became the backdrop for my class with the mining maintenance technicians of Direct Force Maintenance, of Winnemucca Nevada. The current cultural changes facing our nation provide challenges for conducting on-site…
Read More
We get asked a multitude of questions in our training classes, which we appreciate. But a few questions pop up almost every time. Here are some of our most common questions and answers. QUESTION: Sometimes on small machines, I don’t have enough room on the shaft to mount the laser. Can I mount it…
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.
