Technology has made so many of our jobs easier, and this certainly includes the maintenance industry. One aspect of technology you should be taking advantage of if you are a maintenance foreman, team member, or technician is the many smartphone apps that exist to make your job easier and your plant more efficient. Below…
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Unbalance and runout are two terms that we hear frequently in the predictive maintenance community. Both unbalance and runout can be serious issues and need to be addressed to prevent inefficient functioning and damage to machines. Unbalance occurs due to corrosion, erosion of the fan wheel, or if a correction weight is removed. Runout occurs…
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Achieving a perfect alignment can seem daunting at times, but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right tools and if you know to look out for three common reasons for shaft alignment frustrations. Once you know these three factors, you can take the necessary steps to avoid them and/or correct them. The…
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Fixturlaser Shaft Alignment Tools come pre-programmed with generally accepted industry tolerances for electric motor driven machinery. These tolerances are based on the motor RPM and will give you an “endpoint” in the alignment process (based on the measured offset and angular misalignment at the center point of the coupling in both the vertical and horizontal…
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Not only do we write blog articles at VibrAlign, we also read them. Nearly every training session I conduct, pipe strain as a source of alignment frustration, comes up. I recently came across an excellent blog written by Ricky Smith CRL CMRP CMRT that I would like to share. There is some really good information…
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One of the most under-rated procedures of the precision shaft alignment process is the TIGHTENING SEQUENCE of the hold down bolts on the movable machine. Also, tightening the bolts to proper torque specifications is many times considered unnecessary and is just not typically done. Tightening sequence and proper bolt torque are critical to the performance…
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Sound familiar? I can’t tell you how many times I personally have heard this over the years. I am sure many of you have as well. The issue is, scheduled downtime seems to be put on the back burner so to speak, to meet production goals. And as it has become all too familiar,…
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Even though laser shaft alignment systems have been in use for over 3 decades some industries have alignment tolerances and cold alignment targets in dial indicator terms or language. Take for instance the gas compression and processing industry. Many OEM’s, packagers, end users, and service companies use laser alignment systems, however their cold alignment targets…
Read MoreWhen a machine is checked, and found to be out of alignment, the “as found” alignment data can be saved. Soft foot checks and corrections can also be saved. Continue with the alignment, and when in tolerance save the “as left” alignment. Exit to the Main Menu of the NXA, then press the File Cabinet…
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One of the many things I love about my job is the numerous challenges we face during the field alignment portion of our Precision Shaft Alignment Training. Prior to the training, there were some repeatability issues when attempting to perform a precision alignment on this piece of equipment. One of the main causes of non-repeatability…
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Alan Garbers with Johnson Controls International contacted me regarding an alignment problem, and asked for my advice. Here is a condensed version of his email. A client rents portable chillers, and related equipment. They built a 125HP portable pump skid with a Bell & Gossett pump on a VFD. I was there to commission the…
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The difference between luck and success is this; Luck is when you achieve a desired result despite mistakes made along the way. Success is when you follow a known process to achieve the expected result. When attempting a precision shaft alignment, precise practices must be followed. One thing for certain in precision alignment is the…
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The majority of precision shaft alignments are relatively close coupled where there are only a couple of inches between the shaft ends of the driver and driven elements. Close coupled alignment quality is traditionally displayed as angle (driver to driven) and offset (at the center of the coupling). The question is what do you do…
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And it just may be a lot more than you would think. While visiting a customer site to do an alignment check using the EVO laser alignment tool on a 1750 HP Electric Motor / Boiler Feed Water Pump / 3574 rpm, measurements were taken several times (x3) to make sure the values were repeatable. …
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At first thought it may sound like a good idea as the specialized fasteners in the channel make it easy to tighten the motor hold down bolts, however in reality it’s a cause for precision shaft alignment issues. Here’s why. A good pump/motor base is engineered to meet specific standards (IE: ANSI, API, etc.) with…
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