Fire Pumps are a critical safety item in facilities across the world. Their purpose is to make sure a building has enough water pressure in case of a fire emergency. Of course, the hope is that they are never needed but if they are they need to perform reliably. Fire Pumps are typically tested on…
Read MoreOne of the most enjoyable parts of precision shaft alignment training for me as a trainer, is the field portion. This provides the opportunity to build confidence that what the students learn in the classroom, really works in the field! In a recent Fixturlaser GO Basic class, the decision was made to align two recently…
Read More
I read an interesting article in the June/July 17 issue of Uptime Magazine. It was titled “The Reliability Impact Within the P-F Curve” by Randy Riddell. Randy is the Reliability Manager for the SCA Barton Mill in Alabama. I encourage you to read the full article (https://reliabilityweb.com/articles/entry/the-reliability-impact-within-the-p-f-curve). The article includes the following graphic that I…
Read More
In the precision shaft alignment business, we encounter all types of electric motors. One type we come across are “Rolled Steel Frame” (RSF) motors. These motors have a frame housing and feet that are made from mild, rolled steel. They range from very small up to about 25hp. They are common in many industries; however,…
Read More
We all have run into situations where things just aren’t working out the way we think they should. Kind of like not seeing the forest for the tree’s. Part of our profession as trainers at VibrAlign is fielding support calls when a client has questions or has reached the point of frustration where they just…
Read More
I recently taught alignment training at a gas compression site. These were sharp technicians, and they keep these large gas compressors in excellent shape. We went out to check alignment between the engine and compressor. It was great just as I expected, because compressing gas is their only product. So I asked if they had…
Read More
Have you ever struggled with a precision shaft alignment, even though you did everything right? (Preformed the pre-alignment steps, controlled backlash, etc., etc.) So, what was different? Maybe it was pipe strain. An alignment check of a new installation of a 40 HP, 3600 RPM motor/pump revealed the vertical angular misalignment was 3.2 times the…
Read More
A customer called me, extremely frustrated, because he could not get a good alignment. “I’ve spent two hours trying to align this stupid pump!” he said. He blamed the laser, the “cheap” pump his company had, the bad base, his bad trainer (me), and anything else that came to mind. I did not take it…
Read More
A question often asked during our training classes is how to deal with base bound and/or bolt bound conditions when performing a precision shaft alignment on rotating machinery. Base Bound and Bolt Bound Conditions Base bound is the vertical condition that occurs when the moveable machine needs to be lowered but is “bound” by…
Read More
Some people believe that precision laser shaft alignment has evolved to the point where pre-alignment steps, such as roughing in the alignment with a straightedge, are no longer needed. Well, quite frankly, those people are wrong! The reason for roughing in the alignment has little to do with how accurately the lasers/sensors measure. It has…
Read More
We have written, here on the VibrAlign blog, about adjustable chocks used in place of shims for vertical adjustment and machine support. A recent experience at a customer site prompted this article, to share a simple tip that could save valuable time and effort. The customer was using vertical jack bolts while viewing live alignment…
Read More
Time is a commodity maintenance personnel typically have in short supply. We hear quite often, in our on-site Shaft Alignment Best Practices training classes, “………. doesn’t give us enough time for a proper shaft alignment”. So how can maintenance personnel get more time for shaft alignment? Stop wasting it! I had the pleasure of working…
Read More
A VibrAlign customer recently called, stating they were having repeatability problems with aligning a small motor to gearbox to pump. After some phone conversation, I asked if they could send me photos of the machine, and the discrepancy in the measurements. After seeing them, I knew what the problem was. Machines with small diameter…
Read MoreThis question comes up frequently in our Shaft Alignment Best Practices training classes. The result screens below both show two different aligned machines meeting 3600 tolerances. The question is; is one better than the other? There has been a lot of discussion about this very topic. The theories are abundant and points of view…
Read More
In industry, many couplings utilize an elastomeric insert or element. This type of coupling has many advantages, among them: Ease of replacement Ability to absorb torsional loading No need for lubrication Tolerant of slight amounts of misalignment Inexpensive It is important to remember that even though these elastomer couplings can be tolerant of misalignment, the…
Read More
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.
