Phone a Friend

A few years back, there was a game show that used the idea of “Phone a Friend” when a contestant got in a jam. At Acoem USA, we have been a “friend” for maintenance and reliability personnel for a long time! I recently took a call from a maintenance mechanic who was installing a new…

Read More

Influential Piping

There are many outside influences that affect a precision shaft alignment. One that seems to be overlooked is pipe hanger location and condition. The weight of the piping on the pump, when pipe hangers are missing or incorrectly spaced, can cause deformation of the pump housing and the base, essentially putting a strain on all…

Read More

Pipe Strain/Stress

Not only do we write blog articles at VibrAlign, we also read them. Nearly every training session I conduct, pipe strain as a source of alignment frustration, comes up. I recently came across an excellent blog written by Ricky Smith CRL CMRP CMRT that I would like to share. There is some really good information…

Read More

What is the Fixturlaser NXA Runout Probe?

Acoem USA has introduced the Runout Probe, an accessory device for the NXA Pro.  I (as a jaded, grizzled old millwright-but a good “company man”) was outwardly excited.  But inside, I thought, what’s the big deal?  It’s an electronic dial indicator. That’s what I thought – until I took it for a test drive!  I…

Read More

Pipe Strain Was the Issue

Have you ever struggled with a precision shaft alignment, even though you did everything right? (Preformed the pre-alignment steps, controlled backlash, etc., etc.) So, what was different? Maybe it was pipe strain. An alignment check of a new installation of a 40 HP, 3600 RPM motor/pump  revealed the vertical angular misalignment was 3.2 times the…

Read More

Using a Laser Shaft Alignment System to Check for Pipe Strain

Pipe strain is a relatively common problem seen in pump installations. It is a cause of premature bearing and seal failure. Here is a link to an excellent article from Pumps and Systems magazine that discusses the detrimental effects of pump strain. http://www.pump-zone.com/topics/seals/how-do-plant-pipe-strain-problems-affect-my-pumping-systems You can easily measure the effects of pipe strain using dial indicators…

Read More