A basic alignment class consists of one and a half days of work.
Yes, there is real work involved.
The first day is in class working on alignment demonstrators and covering topics like pre-alignment, colinear shafts, base-bound/bolt-bound solutions, etc. It’s a controlled environment to learn the concepts and ask questions. Less of the ‘buttonology’ (learning how to press buttons) and more on how to be effective at measuring alignment conditions and efficient at moving the machinery.
The next day is spent in the field aligning real equipment. Check out some of the pics below.
Above is from a recent experience to work with a service company in Texas that deals mainly with gas compressors. During the second day of class, they chose to align one of the systems they had in the shop. This was an engine to compressor alignment where the engine was just “plopped” down on a skid for us to work with.
Above is a blower at a water treatment plant. We were setting up to solve a base-bound problem. From big to little and everything in between, we run across all kinds of equipment.
Do you have any alignment stories to share? Jot them down in the comment box below. We love talking shop.
