Occasionally we get asked how to convert shaft alignment angularity values expressed as mils (thousandths) per inch to degrees. Since mils per inch is the rise over run that means that the conversion to an angle is the arctangent. Or the conversion from an angle is the tangent of that angle. Remember to include the…
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No, it is not the place where good shaft alignments get lost – never to be seen again! It is a way of thinking about locating machinery feet so that the shafts are in alignment, even when the feet of the moveable machine may be a few thousandths up, down, left, or right of perfect. …
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This is a question that comes up surprisingly often in our training classes. The question is usually regarding Thermal Growth offsets (dynamic movement) and shaft alignment tolerances. There are several ways to obtain the data in question. The easiest and most readily available would be the equipment manufacturer. Most companies will supply specific offset and…
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I recently took a call from a customer at a coal-fired power plant in Arkansas. He was performing a precision laser shaft alignment of a 450 HP, 1750 RPM electric motor coupled by a fluid drive coupling to a gearbox on a coal conveyor. Similar to the one pictured above. This conveyor is one of…
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When using a Fixturlaser Alignment System and you are not able to get it aligned in three tries here are a few things to look for. Ensure that you start with a clean base and have checked for soft foot. Do not use more than 4 shims under the machine feet. Check for run out…
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The Realigning America Tour 2 follows VibrAlign’s successful Realigning America Tour held this past May and June. The original Realigning America Tour featured events in 35 cities in 24 states around the United States. The upcoming Tour is being expanded beyond shaft alignment to include a session on coupling issues and innovations hosted by industry…
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Balancing your couplings is not essential to a great precision shaft alignment, though it is an essential part of a job well done. As part of your prealignment steps/checks, the keyways of the driver and driven machine shafts should be set 180 degrees apart from each other. This will help to correct any influence that…
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Recently a customer contacted us about increased vibration on a motor, due to a broken washer. And they wanted to know if there was a specification for washer hardness, and a guide for bolt size to washer size. There are many standards for bolting (USS, SAE, ASME, etc.), of which, washers are an important part. …
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On rotating machinery, runout is defined as the degree to which a shaft or coupling deviates from true circular rotation. Every shaft or coupling has a center or rotation, or centerline. Any stray from concentricity is considered runout. If runout is severe, it can cause many problems with equipment, such as: Excess vibration Seal wear…
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Has this ever happened to you? You’re aligning a machine and your laser alignment system or dial indicator calculations tell you to add shims under the motor feet. You do what is expected, re-measure and you still have to add shims! Wonder why? I’ve heard it before, my laser doesn’t work or you calculated wrong.…
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During a recent Fixturlaser GO Pro Training class, at a mid-west university, we performed a shaft alignment on a large Flowserve HVAC pump with a 500 HP electric motor. This motor was large enough that multiple people could work on both sides without really seeing each other. Well, that proved to be an issue with…
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During a recent training class at a new facility in Indiana, the class wanted to check alignment of a recently installed circulating pump. Their response was, “It’s brand new, so it must be aligned, right?”. To which I responded, “I’ll bet it isn’t”. Here are the alignment results as we found it. For an 1800…
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During a recent cooling tower shaft alignment, using a Fixturlaser XA Alignment System, when we started taking our initial set of measurements the laser beam went slightly off the “S” sensor detector, even in 60 degrees of rotation. Normally when the laser beam travels off the detector I use the laser beam, to perform the…
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Certain types of flexible couplings are designed to have looseness creating coupling backlash. Even when installed correctly! Looseness from coupling backlash, if not controlled, will have a negative effect on measurement quality by increasing measurement error and the amount of time it takes to do a precision shaft alignment. So, how can coupling backlash be…
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Efficiency is a critical element in today’s maintenance environment. In every aspect of maintenance, the right tools are necessary to complete a job quickly and efficiently. When performing precision shaft alignments in the field, there are tools that are typical to almost every job. Aside from the tools that are included in the case with…
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