Like industrial machines, everyday structures also experience thermal expansion due to temperature changes. Bridges, for example, have expansion joints to accommodate the expansion and contraction of materials as they heat up in the sun and cool down at night. Houses and buildings are designed with flexible materials and gaps to prevent cracks and structural damage…
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Maintenance is a necessary function for any facility in industry today. Many corporations view this as an expensive cost of doing business. However, if done correctly, it can be a profit center for your business. Condition-based maintenance has been around for quite some time due to its success in reaching this goal. Preventive, predictive, and…
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What is often called “axial alignment” of couplings is really not shaft alignment at all. Proper shaft alignment consists of offset (parallel) alignment and angular alignment, which is really the coupling gap difference (top to bottom and side to side). These measurements are vertical and horizontal. Axial spacing allows for sufficient space between the coupling…
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Vertically-oriented pumps are used primarily in municipal water, HVAC, and power plant operations, although it is not uncommon to see small vertical pumps in many industrial applications. Many vertical pumps utilize a flexible coupling to transfer power from the motor to the pump, so proper shaft alignment is an important part of overall machine reliability. …
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Shaft alignment is a critical process in the maintenance of rotating machinery. It ensures that the centerlines of the shafts are collinear when in operation, which reduces wear and energy consumption to increase equipment lifespan. However, achieving precise shaft alignment has its challenges. This blog post explores some of the common hurdles faced during machinery…
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When companies seek a laser alignment tool, they often struggle to determine which option is best for their specific requirements. Some may opt for a “cheap” solution and choose the least expensive model, while others aim for “the best” without fully understanding what “the best” entails for their situation. “The best laser alignment tool” is…
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The Acoem AT-400 Laser Shaft Alignment Tool has been named Plant Engineering’s Gold 2024 Product of the Year in the Asset Management category. The AT-400 won out over other 3 nominees based on voting by readers of Plant Engineering magazine. Acoem (Formerly known as Fixturlaser (Acoem AB) and VibrAlign (Acoem USA), respectively) previously won Product…
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Pipe strain happens when the piping is not adequately supported, either by the use of pipe supports underneath (stiff legs), hangers, or both. It can cause problems when bolting up flanges and can contribute to premature seal failure. Pipe strain can also move the pump or base. For those performing precision shaft alignment, this can…
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Acoem is a renowned Laser Shaft Alignment Systems manufacturer, offering the AT-Series range of tools tailored to different applications and requirements. The lineup includes the AT-100, AT-200, AT-300, AT-400, and EXO, each designed to address specific alignment challenges across various machinery types. This article aims to highlight the benefits of the AT-Series of tools and…
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Vibration data was taken on a motor/pump during initial training on the Acoem Falcon. This pump was chosen based on history and a visual inspection. The visual inspection pointed towards a potential misalignment issue. Misalignment Diagnosis The Accurex software in the Falcon diagnosed misalignment. This was confirmed by the Acoem EVO laser alignment tool.…
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In reliability and maintenance, base-related vibration and alignment problems have been common issues encountered. Problems such as: Soft foot Bearing misalignment within machines – such as motors, pumps, compressors, etc. Seal and bearing failures – related to radial loading, due to tightening down the pump to a base that isn’t flat Hold down bolts becoming…
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Recently I conducted training at a location that had quite a large population of centrifugal pumps, the majority of which were overhung pumps. As you can see from the diagram below, the overhung pump casing bolts to the volute by a ring of bolts in a circular flange. Issues with Bolt Bound and…
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A customer called me recently with concerns about a pump alignment job he completed about six months earlier. He had checked the alignment again and found that the alignment values changed. He was concerned that he had done something wrong. I explained to him that he was performing the alignment correctly, however, the machine could…
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Acoem alignment systems allow the user to input thermal growth (offline to running) targets prior to performing a precision shaft alignment. Using targets allows the alignment to be completed to tolerance and the thermal growth will be compensated for. The real key to success, of course, is determining good targets. These are best obtained via…
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Centrifugal pumps are common in industry. They are used to move various liquids from one place to another. This work is performed using a rotating pump wheel, or “impeller”, with a number of “vanes” on it. The wheel acts against the pump housing internals, which are either a volute or diffuser style, and produce the…
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