Upgrade Your Shaft Alignment Tool Today with Acoem's AT-Series Trade-In Program! Click Here to Learn More About This Limited Time Offer

Industry 4.0: What is it and How to Adjust

Industry 4.0 Industry is in the midst of a technological revolution. While many companies are still waking up to Industry 4.0 and what it means, we’re not exactly in the dawn of this new era. Technology on the whole has rapidly advanced since the start of the new millennium, and we don’t have to look…

Read More

Reddit AMA Recap – Industry Q&A On Machine Reliability

We use our social media and blog as a way to educate and directly connect with our trainees and customers. Most recently, we took to Reddit as a way to engage with industry professionals. To get started, our trainer Stan Riddle hosted an AMA back in October. If you’re new to Reddit, an AMA is…

Read More

6 Common Faults of Rotating Machinery

Successful predictive maintenance programs are dependent on the expertise and tools of the teams behind the machines being maintained. We’ve identified 6 common machine faults you’ll likely encounter on your maintenance routes. Bearing defects include wear and tear on any part of a bearing. This can mean abrasion, pressure damage, fluting, and corrosion. These issues…

Read More

Cardan Shaft Alignment in the Belly of a Boat

  If you have read any of our blogs, you have seen we run into some unique alignment scenarios. During a recent class in a shipyard, there was a need to perform a Cardan Shaft Alignment in a boat with very little space to work in. It also required shooting the lasers through a hole…

Read More

Adding Process Points to a Data Collection Route

Sometimes other data can influence analysis when running your regular routes. This data can range from discharge pressure on pump to slide valve position on a chiller or maybe just bearing temperature just to name a few. With the Falcon and Nest this type of data can be collected and even trended in the Nest.…

Read More

Laser Alignment and the Effects of High Humidity

A recent question from a customer prompted me to write on this topic.  The question was essentially “Can we use the laser alignment tool in steamy conditions?” I have heard similar questions over the years for example: Can the laser alignment tool withstand use in wet conditions? How resistant is the laser alignment tool to…

Read More

Is it really Bolt Bound?

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

Don’t Forget a Lift Check!

    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

Aligning a “Bouncy” Motor!

  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 “Typical – Atypical” Alignment

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

Fundamental Pump Laws

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

Understanding and Troubleshooting Centrifugal Pumps

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

Qualifying the Fixturlaser Level When Using a Fixture

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 More

The Three Keys to a Successful Maintenance Team

Maintenance 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