Alan Garbers with Johnson Controls International contacted me regarding an alignment problem, and asked for my advice. Here is a condensed version of his email. A client rents portable chillers, and related equipment. They built a 125HP portable pump skid with a Bell & Gossett pump on a VFD. I was there to commission the…
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While on the road conducting precision shaft alignment training I run across a wide range of skill level. It is not uncommon to have a lot of questions. I like it when there are questions, that is usually an indication that the trainees are engaged. It is also not uncommon that a question starts with,…
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Past maintenance & production issues found in the industrial or manufacturing environment are still prevalent even in today’s equipment reliability focus. The major contributors to equipment failure remain the same, misalignment, unbalance and assembly errors. Another is lubrication, Mr. Stan Riddle addressed this in one his blogs “Machinery Vibration Problems part 3 – Lubrication”. Let’s…
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As technical trainers, we travel all over the country visiting factories, mills, power plants and refineries. Just to mention a few. We see and work on equipment of every type and size. From small 10 HP electric motors and pumps moving cooling water, to house sized engines turning generators that power our cities. Out of…
Read MoreVibrAlign awarded three scholarships this quarter to industrial technology students from Texas State Technical College, Chattanooga State Community College and Southwestern Illinois College. Below are excerpts from the winning essays. “The Army is where I learned that machine maintenance is key to everyday life. One of my favorite sayings has always been “If you don’t…
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The world of machinery maintenance continues to grow with reliability and technology at the forefront of the majority of today’s maintenance programs. The mechanics toolbox must change to support these changes. Computer based manuals and programs were the first step into “the future” of machine maintenance. Now smart phones and tablets have more memory available…
Read MoreDuring a precision laser shaft alignment, we measure the setup dimensions and input these into the Fixturlaser Laser System Display Unit. The requisite dimensions are Stationary Sensor to Movable Sensor, coupling center to M Sensor, M Sensor to movable inboard foot, and foot to foot on the moveable machine. One dimension that shaft aligners occasionally…
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There are many things that can affect the precision shaft alignment process, which needs to be checked and eliminated during the Pre-Alignment Steps, such as pipe strain, disintegrating bases, bearing or coupling wear, etc…. One of the main issues concerning shaft alignment of rotating equipment is the challenge of soft foot and its detrimental effect…
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Anyone involved in precision shaft alignment knows that unintentional movement is the biggest contributor to non-repeatable alignment results. Movement can come from several sources: Soft foot, loose bolts, flexible bases, excessive bearing clearances, improperly mounted or loose sensor mounting hardware, etc. One of the more elusive and least considered sources of movement is cupped washers…
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OL2R is the acronym for OffLine 2 Running. OL2R is an optional program and special precision bracket set that is available for the Fixturlaser NXA Pro & Ultimate (also XA Pro & Ultimate). This option allows the shaft aligner to accurately measure vertical AND horizontal changes of machines from a static (OffLine) position to a…
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VibrAlign, Inc., American distributor of Fixturlaser Alignment tools, is proud to announce the expansion of their offerings as a shaft alignment training provider. VibrAlign now employs six full-time, professional trainers. Stan Riddle, David Zdrojewski, Tom Shelton, Brad Case, James Pekarek, and Mac MacCormack will be leading training classes at VibrAlign’s Richmond office, their Houston, TX…
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For precision shaft alignment, nothing beats a good laser alignment tool. But the best of tools can have errors, or not even work at all, if the Sensors (detectors) can’t “see” the laser beams! We received a customer support call, and the aligner stated that his laser alignment tool wasn’t repeating. This is a rare…
Read MorePrecision shaft alignment of rotating equipment is an essential part of any solid preventative maintenance program. To accommodate aligning any type of machinery you must be able to move one of the elements of the machine to achieve a precision shaft alignment. There are many limiting influences that could cause you to not be able…
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The night before the OJT portion of a recent Fixturlaser GO Pro Training class, at a Combined Cycle Power Plant, the shim packs of the disc type coupling between a 3300 HP electric motor and fluid drive began to fail. The machine was shut down before any damage could occur and was waiting for our…
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A coupling alignment tolerance and a shaft alignment tolerance are different things – VERY different things! A Coupling Alignment Tolerance is often (but not always) the maximum amount of misalignment the coupling will operate at before premature failure. A Shaft Alignment Tolerance is the maximum amount of misalignment the shafts can tolerate before they begin…
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