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In Laser Alignment, Size Matters!

When performing precision shaft alignment, regardless of the measuring tools being used, size matters.  Many coupled machines have obstructions around the couplings, such as transmitters, oil or cooling lines, conduit clamps, and many other components which can make precision laser shaft alignment challenging. Fixturlaser’s new generation Bluetooth sensors (pictured on the left above) are the…

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IS VIBRATION INTERFERING WITH YOUR PRECISION SHAFT ALIGNMENT?

During a recent Fixturlaser XA Pro training class, at a Texas petrochemical plant, we were performing an alignment on a 25 HP, 3600 RPM electric motor & water pump.  At first the class was having a little trouble bringing the alignment into the 3600 tolerance due to two separate issues. The first was severe vibration…

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Base/Bolt Bound Math

Base-bound and bolt-bound problems do not need to be the end of your machine alignment. It just means the original rotational centerline of the stationary machine we want the movable machine to be co-linear with isn’t a practical solution. Most of the high-end laser alignment systems today have some kind of calculator to show alternate…

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Solving Base-Bound and Bolt-Bound Shaft Alignment Problems

If you align machinery for a living then more than likely you have encountered machines that are base-bound or bolt-bound. Base-bound is when the movable machine has to be lowered and there are either too few or no shims under the movable machine feet to accomplish the vertical alignment. Bolt-bound is when the movable machine…

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Machine Train Shaft Alignment-To Move or Not to Move

It is always the question with machine train shaft alignments: what needs to be moved? The best way to approach a multiple machine set shaft alignment project is to know where everything is and where everything needs to be. This particular auxiliary generator set has 10 pieces of rotating equipment to align. An induction motor…

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A Leg to Stand On?

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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Measuring Thermal Growth Targets using the XA Pro w/OL2R

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…

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Checking Your Thermal Targets

Any equipment that goes through large temperature differences between startup and normal operation should have accurate thermal targets calculated to allow for proper shaft alignment. Shaft alignment data can be taken when the machine is at operating temperature and compared to readings taken when the machine is at ambient temperature. The resulting calculations provide alignment…

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