Last week, a customer asked me how to do a laser alignment on a fluid coupling. This question comes up occasionally, so I thought it would be a good subject to address here on thealignmentblog.com. First, it would be helpful to define “fluid coupling.” Fluid couplings transmit power from a driving shaft to a driven…
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Stainless steel shims have for the most part replaced cutting shims from rolled stock. They speed up the alignment process dramatically. They usually assure a more accurate alignment since they come in many different thicknesses. They are clean, flat, and their thickness is marked on each shim. Since they are stainless steel, they are not…
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Sometimes we get some funny looks during our shaft alignment training classes when we toss out our new word. Verti-what? Why do it that way? Some folks are still in the habit of checking and rechecking their alignment results to make sure one piece of the puzzle is in place before moving on. I guess…
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Previous alignment blog postings have discussed the negative effects of soft foot on rotating machinery reliability and the importance of checking and correcting soft foot before proceeding with a shaft alignment. The question is: “does soft foot need to be checked during an alignment?” Possibly. During a recent GO Pro training class an alignment check…
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QUESTION: When mounting the lasers, if it isn’t possible to mount to the shafts, can they be mounted to a flanged sleeve gear type coupling? (The outer “floating hub”, not the inner one pressed on the shaft.) I have seen this done and do not think it is accurate due to the radial clearance between…
Read MorePardon the hiatus last week, folks. We did a little maintenance on the blog–be sure to check out the new tabs up top designed to help you navigate better. Let’s jump back into it–foot tolerances vs coupling center tolerances. It’s a hotly debated topic in some circles. I’m no great debater but let’s take a…
Read MoreAlthough the benefits of precision shaft alignment are well known to companies that do have a good shaft alignment program, it remains a fact that many machines are still not precision aligned. This can be attributed to difficulty in figuring out the return on investment. It is difficult because good alignment practices lead to cost…
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Not too long ago I was called to one of our sister shops to perform a laser shaft alignment on a 3600 RPM skid-mounted end-suction ANSI pump. Easy, right? Honestly, I made a few mistakes right off the bat: Thinking this would be easy (and starting right before quitting time). Taking for granted that all…
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A manufacturing operation in western North Carolina recently purchased a Fixturlaser GO and shaft alignment training. This company is going through a multimillion dollar expansion. We decided, as part of the training, to check some alignments of recently ‘installed and precision aligned’ machinery. Tags like these were placed on the machines that were supposedly precision…
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A VibrAlign trainer recently conducted a shaft alignment training class on the Fixturlaser XA Pro. This 1 ½ day class includes one day of classroom training, followed by a half day of field training, usually on the customer’s own in-plant machinery, using their new shaft alignment tool. While conducting the classroom portion of the training, one of…
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How does someone get really good at something? Practice! Whether in sports or your profession, people who are really good at something practice good habits over and over. Shaft alignment is no different. Learning quality measurement practices and repeating them with each shaft alignment job will increase your effectiveness with your laser alignment tool. Mechanical…
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Previous blogs have defined thermal growth of rotating equipment and discussed several different methods to calculate the cold (ambient) alignment targets to compensate for thermal growth. The OL2R program (Off Line to Running) of the Fixturlaser XA Pro allows the aligner to easily measure thermal growth (dynamic movement) and determine the correct cold alignment targets for…
Read MoreWe are sometimes asked, “Does your laser alignment equipment measure axial alignment?” While it sometimes raises some eyebrows, the answer most frequently given is, “There’s no such thing.” What is sometimes referred to by maintenance personnel as “axial alignment” is really axial spacing, or coupling gap. Shaft alignment refers to orienting two shafts, connected by a…
Read MoreWhen you opt to use your own shaft alignment tolerances instead of using the industry standards, how do you decide what to use? The subject of shaft alignment tolerances has been touched on before but a couple interesting discussions have taken place recently during training classes. The Fixturlaser XAs and GOs allow you the option to…
Read MoreVibrAlign’s blog has been up for a few months now, and we hope the information we have all shared has been informative. But, with all of the information available on the internet, why a blog dedicated to shaft alignment? At VibrAlign, we’re out to Realign America. We’ve stood by and watched as: Manufacturing jobs have gone…
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