Like industrial machines, everyday structures also experience thermal expansion due to temperature changes. Bridges, for example, have expansion joints to accommodate the expansion and contraction of materials as they heat up in the sun and cool down at night. Houses and buildings are designed with flexible materials and gaps to prevent cracks and structural damage…
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Maintenance is a necessary function for any facility in industry today. Many corporations view this as an expensive cost of doing business. However, if done correctly, it can be a profit center for your business. Condition-based maintenance has been around for quite some time due to its success in reaching this goal. Preventive, predictive, and…
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What is often called “axial alignment” of couplings is really not shaft alignment at all. Proper shaft alignment consists of offset (parallel) alignment and angular alignment, which is really the coupling gap difference (top to bottom and side to side). These measurements are vertical and horizontal. Axial spacing allows for sufficient space between the coupling…
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Vertically-oriented pumps are used primarily in municipal water, HVAC, and power plant operations, although it is not uncommon to see small vertical pumps in many industrial applications. Many vertical pumps utilize a flexible coupling to transfer power from the motor to the pump, so proper shaft alignment is an important part of overall machine reliability. …
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Shaft alignment is a critical process in the maintenance of rotating machinery. It ensures that the centerlines of the shafts are collinear when in operation, which reduces wear and energy consumption to increase equipment lifespan. However, achieving precise shaft alignment has its challenges. This blog post explores some of the common hurdles faced during machinery…
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When companies seek a laser alignment tool, they often struggle to determine which option is best for their specific requirements. Some may opt for a “cheap” solution and choose the least expensive model, while others aim for “the best” without fully understanding what “the best” entails for their situation. “The best laser alignment tool” is…
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Collecting vibration data is a crucial step in a reliability program. However, it is just one step in the process. Consistently collecting accurate data under varying operating conditions is essential for effective analysis and maintenance. Operating conditions such as speed, load, and production processes must be meticulously documented and followed to maintain consistent data amplitudes…
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Acoem is a renowned Laser Shaft Alignment Systems manufacturer, offering the AT-Series range of tools tailored to different applications and requirements. The lineup includes the AT-100, AT-200, AT-300, AT-400, and EXO, each designed to address specific alignment challenges across various machinery types. This article aims to highlight the benefits of the AT-Series of tools and…
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Centrifugal pumps are common in industry. They are used to move various liquids from one place to another. This work is performed using a rotating pump wheel, or “impeller”, with a number of “vanes” on it. The wheel acts against the pump housing internals, which are either a volute or diffuser style, and produce the…
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I don’t know about you, but in my nearly 45 years in industrial maintenance, there have been times when I felt stumped when trying to solve a problem. Sometimes you can just walk away and the solution comes to you while performing another task. Other times, a colleague or coworker may come along and have…
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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…
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Documenting and saving alignment data is critical to being able to achieve repeatable shaft alignments. It also helps you maintain an effective predictive maintenance plan that will ensure your plant runs smoothly. When a machine is experiencing a problem, it will save a lot of time if you can look back on recorded data from…
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Knowing how to perform a precision shaft alignment is important when it comes to maintenance skills. Whether you are using dial indicators or a laser alignment tool (if you are in the market for either, we have several options), being able to achieve an accurate, repeatable alignment is key. A few reminders: The pre-alignment…
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The emergence of portable computers, the internet, and the ubiquity of portable smart devices has given rise to a new type of industry–the data center. A data center is simply a building used to house computer servers. While these servers may be used for many different types of data storage, their requirements for in-house…
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Couplings connect a driving shaft to a driven shaft. There are essentially two families of couplings: Rigid couplings Flexible couplings There are, of course, differentiations within these two types. Rigid couplings connect shafts so that the two shafts are essentially one continuous unit. Be advised that runout can be an issue when this kind of…
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