Precision alignment of rotating equipment is a task which requires precision. Those of us who perform this task are asked to position big, heavy machines to tolerances often less than the thickness of a human hair. The measuring tools used to perform shaft alignment are quite capable of successfully showing us how to position these…
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Check out Stan Riddle’s article that appears in the July issue of EPnews that is published by our friends at Empowering Pumps. http://empoweringpumps.com/is-precision-shaft-alignment-really-worth-the-time/?utm_campaign=Empowering+Pumps&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20410553&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8wDAT0u6imImafDL0h66xtUJrPlUp3asbpte8HTcflZB1DHqU1-TWloPcXHoBv71NTWae9KWqOQ0kprU2t58atzGdYaA&_hsmi=20410553
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There are many pump types, sizes and applications. Positive displacement: gear, screw, progressive cavity, lobe, peristaltic, diaphragm, Velocity: radial & axial flow, mixed flow, educator, etc. With all the various pump types, sizes and applications it would be quite the feat to list the exact cost for each one in this blog. I will leave…
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The world of machinery maintenance continues to grow with reliability and technology at the forefront of the majority of today’s maintenance programs. The mechanics toolbox must change to support these changes. Computer based manuals and programs were the first step into “the future” of machine maintenance. Now smart phones and tablets have more memory available…
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Occasionally industrial machinery is not level relative to earth, but is designed to operate on an angle. Those angles can be: • Driver High • Driver Low • Angled to the left or right (as viewed from one end) Regardless of the orientation, these machines can be effectively and easily aligned with any Fixturlaser Shaft…
Read MoreDuring a precision laser shaft alignment, we measure the setup dimensions and input these into the Fixturlaser Laser System Display Unit. The requisite dimensions are Stationary Sensor to Movable Sensor, coupling center to M Sensor, M Sensor to movable inboard foot, and foot to foot on the moveable machine. One dimension that shaft aligners occasionally…
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One of the common misconceptions in industry is that precision shaft alignment is not needed when using flexible couplings. Studies have show that nearly 50% of all machine breakdowns is due to misalignment. So what happens to misaligned machines? Check out the recently added video to the VibrAlign You Tube Channel titled “5 Effects of…
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Dynamic Movement, often thought of as thermal growth, is a hot topic among alignment professionals (I’ll be here all week!). Plant Services Magazine in conjunction with VibrAlign recently hosted a webinar on this subject (details below). One of the more popular ways to compensate for thermal growth is through the use of a thermal growth…
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There are many things that can affect the precision shaft alignment process, which needs to be checked and eliminated during the Pre-Alignment Steps, such as pipe strain, disintegrating bases, bearing or coupling wear, etc…. One of the main issues concerning shaft alignment of rotating equipment is the challenge of soft foot and its detrimental effect…
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A dowel pin, in its simplest form, is a hardened steel shaft, usually very short, and can be straight or tapered. It is often used in machinery for: Precise locating of machinery components, such as the top half of a pump, gearbox components, line shaft bearings, etc. Dowels are usually located in diagonal corners of…
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As any of the Vibralign trainers can attest, more often than not, when going out into the field on day two of a training class our clients want to perform a shaft alignment on their biggest challenge. When conducting training at a Waste Water Treatment facility, the decision was made to perform a precision shaft…
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There have been numerous posts on the Acoem blog dealing with Thermal Growth and Dynamic Movement of rotating machinery. https://acoem.us/blog/?_new_facet=dynamic+movement Thermal Growth continues to be a subject that is discussed and taught in our training classes, though on a daily basis is not always correctly compensated for in industry. Many maintenance personnel performing precision shaft…
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A reader of our blog posted a comment stating that he could not cut a step shim to correct for angular soft foot, since it was not permitted in API standards. Which, naturally, made me do two things: • Look at API Standards, because, at least in my 33 years of aligning machinery, I have…
Read MoreOn numerous occasions I have witnessed brand new pump skids where the electric motor was already bolt bound. Bolt bound is common in all industries. While conducting the field alignment portion of a precision shaft alignment training class at a chemical plant in southeastern Georgia, I had the opportunity to witness innovation at work to…
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Recently while visiting a client’s site, we were asked for alignment advice regarding an electric motor coupled to a mixer. The customer shared that the electric motor sat upon an adjustable base plate with adjustment bolts (jack bolts) in the vertical and horizontal planes. Despite the base plate having vertical jack bolts, VibrAlign’s typical…
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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.
