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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Acoem alignment systems allow the user to input thermal growth (offline to running) targets prior to performing a precision shaft alignment. Using targets allows the alignment to be completed to tolerance and the thermal growth will be compensated for. The real key to success, of course, is determining good targets. These are best obtained via…
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The goal of a precision alignment is to align the machine within tolerance when at operating condition. Many, but not all, machines are aligned without the need to compensate for offline to running (OL2R) movement most often associated with thermal growth. A previous blog post (see link below) discussed how to read an alignment report…
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Technology has made so many of our jobs easier, and this certainly includes the maintenance industry. One aspect of technology you should be taking advantage of if you are a maintenance foreman, team member, or technician is the many smartphone apps that exist to make your job easier and your plant more efficient. Below…
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Even though laser shaft alignment systems have been in use for over 3 decades some industries have alignment tolerances and cold alignment targets in dial indicator terms or language. Take for instance the gas compression and processing industry. Many OEM’s, packagers, end users, and service companies use laser alignment systems, however their cold alignment targets…
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The Fixturlaser NXA Pro has been selected as the laser shaft alignment tool to be used in the Industrial Mechanic Millwright competition at this year’s WorldSkills event, being held in Abu Dhabi on October 15-18. WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the world championship of skills, will have participants from 77 countries who will be competing in 51…
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A client was aligning a motor-compressor set and wanted to use the OEM specifications for thermal growth (OL2R) compensation. The manual gave the target values as rim and face dial indicator numbers for either the motor hub or compressor hub. In this case the motor hub specifications were used. He was using the Fixturlaser NXA…
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We work with clients in many types of harsh climates, from cold with rain, sleet, snow & ice to hot humid and hot & dry and everything in between. Whatever the climate, the need for equipment maintenance intensifies with the severity of the climate. Harsh climate conditions will create situations where precision shaft alignment of…
Read MoreMachines vibrate for lots of different reasons-some good, others not so good. Over the next few months, we are going to write about some of the most common machinery vibration causes, and possible solutions. COUPLING MISALIGNMENT One of the most common problems in coupled rotating equipment is misalignment. Simply stated, misalignment is when the driving…
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While training mechanics all around the US, I have noticed that many of the questions asked in class are the same regardless of the industry. Fixturlaser tools are very intuitive and easy to use, so this puts the mystery on the alignment process. So here are some answers to some common alignment process related questions…
Read MoreA previous blog of mine discussed the benefit of taking a set of hot alignment readings to verify if the offset targets used for a cold alignment, to compensate for thermal growth (dynamic movement), were correct. http://acoem.us/blog/2015/04/15/benefit-hot-alignment-check/ So what if the actual hot alignment readings you get show a large difference from the anticipated hot…
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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…
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Dynamic Movement, often thought of as thermal growth, is a hot topic among alignment professionals (I’ll be here all week!). Plant Services Magazine in conjunction with VibrAlign recently hosted a webinar on this subject (details below). One of the more popular ways to compensate for thermal growth is through the use of a thermal growth…
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A dowel pin, in its simplest form, is a hardened steel shaft, usually very short, and can be straight or tapered. It is often used in machinery for: Precise locating of machinery components, such as the top half of a pump, gearbox components, line shaft bearings, etc. Dowels are usually located in diagonal corners of…
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There have been numerous posts on the Acoem blog dealing with Thermal Growth and Dynamic Movement of rotating machinery. https://acoem.us/blog/?_new_facet=dynamic+movement Thermal Growth continues to be a subject that is discussed and taught in our training classes, though on a daily basis is not always correctly compensated for in industry. Many maintenance personnel performing precision shaft…
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