How Many Times Do I Need to Align This Machine?

A customer called me recently with concerns about a pump alignment job he completed about six months earlier. He had checked the alignment again and found that the alignment values changed. He was concerned that he had done something wrong. I explained to him that he was performing the alignment correctly, however, the machine could…

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Laser Alignment and the Effects of High Humidity

A recent question from a customer prompted me to write on this topic.  The question was essentially “Can we use the laser alignment tool in steamy conditions?” I have heard similar questions over the years for example: Can the laser alignment tool withstand use in wet conditions? How resistant is the laser alignment tool to…

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Fix the Easy Things First!

One of the hallmarks of a good maintenance technician is the ability to troubleshoot – not just using vibration tools, or volt meters, or laptops with Ethernet plug-ins, but the ability to troubleshoot machinery in their minds.  In other words, the ability to visualize what the problem might be. “Fix the easy things first” is…

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Precision Shaft Alignment of Machines With Small Diameter Shafts

A VibrAlign customer recently called, stating they were having repeatability problems with aligning a small motor to gearbox to pump.  After some phone conversation, I asked if they could send me photos of the machine, and the discrepancy in the measurements.  After seeing them, I knew what the problem was.   Machines with small diameter…

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Is there such a thing as “Too Good” of a Precision Shaft Alignment?

This question comes up frequently in our Shaft Alignment Best Practices training classes. The result screens below both show two different aligned machines meeting 3600 tolerances.   The question is; is one better than the other? There has been a lot of discussion about this very topic. The theories are abundant and points of view…

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Repeatability vs. Desired Outcome in Shaft Alignment, Part 2

In my last post, we looked some reasons for non repeatable, or when “two plus two doesn’t equal four”. This time, let’s think about when we don’t get an expected or desired outcome when we shim and move. Think of it as when “two minus two doesn’t equal zero.” You may perform an alignment measurement,…

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Repeatability vs. Desired Outcome in Precision Shaft Alignment, Part 1

When mechanics align rotating machinery, they expect two outcomes. One, they expect their alignment values to be repeatable. Two, they expect shimming and moving machinery to produce a desired outcome-namely, to be in tolerance. In this paper, we’ll discuss repeatability, which is, performing the same measurement twice, and getting the same results. If alignment results…

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Pry Bars, Sledge Hammers and Come Alongs – Oh MY!

Precision alignment of rotating equipment is a task which requires precision. Those of us who perform this task are asked to position big, heavy machines to tolerances often less than the thickness of a human hair. The measuring tools used to perform shaft alignment are quite capable of successfully showing us how to position these…

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Is Precision Shaft Alignment Really Worth the Time?

Check out Stan Riddle’s article that appears in the July issue of EPnews that is published by our friends at Empowering Pumps.   http://empoweringpumps.com/is-precision-shaft-alignment-really-worth-the-time/?utm_campaign=Empowering+Pumps&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20410553&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8wDAT0u6imImafDL0h66xtUJrPlUp3asbpte8HTcflZB1DHqU1-TWloPcXHoBv71NTWae9KWqOQ0kprU2t58atzGdYaA&_hsmi=20410553

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Help Your Laser Shaft Alignment System See!

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…

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“Electrical Pipe Strain?”

Precision 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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Uncoupled Shaft Alignment – It Doesn’t Need To Be Difficult.

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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Coupling Alignment Tolerances vs. Shaft Alignment Tolerances

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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Use your Head Not Your Hammer!

Many of our classroom discussion topics relate to problems in the field when attempting a precision shaft alignment of rotating equipment. One such topic is how to move a piece of equipment horizontally that does not have jack bolts already mounted on the base. The obvious answer is to mount a set of jack bolts…

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Machine Train Shaft Alignment Tricks

Simply stated, a machine train is when three or more machine components are coupled together, acting as one.  Machine train alignment can sometimes be a complicated task. Some laser alignment tools can measure machine trains of up to several machines, simplifying the move options.  Whether you have a machine train program or not, by using…

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