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What the Verti-Zontal Compound Move Means To Me
VibrAlign’s Verti-Zontal Compound Move is a shaft alignment process to allow the aligner to make both vertical and horizontal alignment corrections with a single measurement, or spin of the shafts. It’s touted as making shaft alignments faster and more accurate.
But here’s what it means to me – it makes shaft alignment EASIER!
- If I can roll the shafts only two times – once to measure and correct, and one more time to confirm and store the corrected alignment, it is faster. On a small pump, it’s not a problem to rotate the shafts numerous times. But sometimes the rotor is 15 tons, and it must be rolled using a 6 inch nylon strap and a spud wrench, all attached to a 50 ton bridge crane. Less rotation means less times I worry about damaging something by this process.
- If I have to lie down on the motor, with an eye bolt stuck in my belly, to tighten and loosen the foot bolts, it means I don’t have to do that as many times.
- If I have to tighten and loosen the foot bolts each time with a “knock wrench” and an 8 pound sledge hammer, it means much less hard manual labor.
- It means much less tightening and loosening of the bolts.
- It means much less climbing up and down cooling towers to make adjustments and re-measure.
- It means fewer times shimming, hammering, prying, lifting, sweating, and so on.
Faster is better. Accuracy is better. And easier on me is better!
I enjoy millwright work – I really do. But it can take a toll physically over 30 years or so. And if the Verti-Zontal Compound Move makes it easier on me and the machinery, I’m a fan!
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Stan Riddle
Stan Riddle joined VibrAlign in 2008. He has over 35 years experience in aligning industrial machinery. Stan received his AAS Degree in Machinist Technology from Surry Community College in Dobson, NC, and also holds a diploma in Industrial Systems Technology from Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, NC, where he was also an instructor in the program.
Stan began his maintenance career working as a machinist and millwright for companies such as Weyerhaeuser, R.J. Reynolds, and Tyco Electronics. He also has over 25 years experience in Predictive Technologies, such as vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, and ultrasonic inspection. He is a certified Level III Vibration Analyst with the Vibration Institute, and is a Past Chairman and Board Member of the Piedmont Chapter.
Stan and his wife live in Yadkinville, NC.
3 Comments
When using the verti-zontal how is the angular mis alignment handled?
Guy, the angular misalignment is corrected as the offset misalignment is corrected. That’s the beauty of the VertiZontal compound move. You can correct the vertical, the horizontal, the offset, and the angularity, usually in just one spin of the shafts.
Can vertizontal be performed with only fixturelaser gear or is it a concept possible on most laser systems?