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Posts Tagged ‘Precision Shaft Alignment’
Don’t Forget a Lift Check!
A lift check isn’t always done when performing a precision shaft alignment, nonetheless excessive lift can be the cause of alignment frustration. Here is a recent example from a very experienced aligner. This particular alignment was on a 150 HP motor driving an extruder through a gearbox. The horizontal alignment came in as…
Read MoreAligning a “Bouncy” Motor!
In recent years many new gas processing plants have been built to keep up with the demand for natural gas. Some of the process equipment for these plants are constructed on “modular skids” which are simply set in place, on the ground, then the piping is connected. During a recent training class, at a…
Read MoreA “Typical – Atypical” Alignment
A colleague and client of ours called, in a bit of a quandary. “Ever seen anything like this?” he asked. I had to answer “No, I have not”. This is a C-face motor. It is typically mounted to a C-face flange, which connects to a vertically oriented pump. But in this case, the C-face motor…
Read MoreCommon Shaft Alignment FAQ
We get asked a multitude of questions in our training classes, which we appreciate. But a few questions pop up almost every time. Here are some of our most common questions and answers. QUESTION: Sometimes on small machines, I don’t have enough room on the shaft to mount the laser. Can I mount it…
Read MoreRecycle, Recycle, Recycle
Often times customers ask the question how can we keep it going? “How can I continue to train my technicians with the principles they learned in your class?” Craftsmen and women often admit we don’t perform precision shaft alignments often enough to keep our skills current. To this I say recycle! One of the…
Read MoreThinking Outside the Alignment Box on Flexible Bases
Here is another example of the complexity of completing a precision shaft alignment on a flexible base. Some industries use pump skids that are moved to different areas of a plant for various reasons. Whether they exist to save money, allow for quick removal or process changes, the flexibility of these types of…
Read MoreFixturlaser Laser Kit Tips
During several recent technical support calls, regarding the Fixturlaser Laser Kit, the clients asked the same questions about the LEDs on the sensors and several warnings that pop-up on the display. Others may have the same questions, so I thought it worthwhile to discuss here. S & M Sensor LEDs: The amber LEDs illuminate when…
Read MoreCouplings
In power transmission, a coupling is a device used to connect a driving machine, such as a motor, engine, or turbine, to a driven machine, such as a fan, pump, compressor, or other machine. There are numerous styles of couplings, each with specific design characteristics, that make them suitable for their respective applications. All…
Read MorePre-Alignment with the RT-300
ACOEM-VibrAlign has shared over 100 separate blog posts and over 1 million YouTube views on Pre-Alignment. Thus, we can all agree it is an important topic and the key to a successful precision shaft alignment job. No matter if you are using a Straight Edge, Dial Indicators, or the latest and greatest Laser Shaft Alignment…
Read MorePay Me Now, or Pay Me Later!
Years ago, an automotive oil filter company’s ad campaign, capitalized on the phrase “pay me now, or pay me later”. The premise was that you could pay less upfront for an inferior oil filter, and then pay again because the oil filter would fail, and your vehicle’s engine would require an overhaul. Or, you could…
Read MoreUsing Your Laser Alignment System to Check the Validity Rule
The validity rule is an important concept in precision shaft alignment. It can be used to confirm that your readings are accurate and is why we don’t have to rotate a full 360 degrees in order to get accurate alignment information. Here is a previous blog post with an embedded video that discusses dial indicator…
Read MoreThis Could Be Difficult!
For the field portion of a recent training class, the decision was made to check the alignment on a plastic extruder. At first glance, checking the alignment of the motor shaft to gearbox input shaft is pretty straightforward. However, the output side of the gearbox had two shafts, so maybe this is not so straightforward.…
Read MoreIt’s the Little Things Revisited
During a recent training class at the facility of a client who had their initial Shaft Alignment Best Practices training class 5 years prior, I found out none of the previous class attendees were still in maintenance. The “new” guys never had anyone show them the proper use of their laser and most had no…
Read MoreWorking at High Altitude
Over the past few years I have had training classes for the maintenance personnel at several ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains. These are some of the most memorable training trips I have had. But apart from the beauty of these areas, there is one downside for some: the high altitude. These resorts are typically…
Read MoreVisual Inspection of Couplings and Machinery Components
Some things just don’t pass the “eye test”. Your eyes are actually great tools for seeing things that are not straight, not plumb, not level (pictures hanging on a wall for example), not right. Many times, just by looking at a coupling you can tell “it’s not aligned”, and you are usually correct. Visual Inspection:…
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