Precision Shaft Alignment Preparation Ideas

Preparation is the key to efficiency. Having an appropriate selection of tools and necessary supplies on hand will make a precision shaft alignment fast, accurate and easy. One way to do this is to have a dedicated alignment cart or job/work box. Some facilities are not conducive to the little casters on some carts, so…

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You Can’t Perform Precision Alignment on Un-precise “Stuff”!

Alan Garbers with Johnson Controls International contacted me regarding an alignment problem, and asked for my advice.  Here is a condensed version of his email. A client rents portable chillers, and related equipment. They built a 125HP portable pump skid with a Bell & Gossett pump on a VFD. I was there to commission the…

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Positive/Negative

When we align equipment, we are aligning the rotational centerlines of the shafts. We have a stationary machine and a moveable machine. In most cases the stationary machine’s center of rotation is the target and reference for all measurements and corrections of the movable machine. When reading laser or dial indicator values, the terms of…

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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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Dial Indicator Alignments Have Never Been Easier!

Here’s the formula for better dial indicator alignments: Fixurlaser Dials App + Fixturlaser Dial Indicator Kit + Instructional Video Earlier this year we introduced the Free Fixturlaser Dials App. The app was designed to walk the user through the reverse rim alignment process using dial indicators. We are also now offering a new Dial Indicator…

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Let the App Do the Math!

VibrAlign, Inc. is committed to helping businesses use their resources more efficiently and effectively through the precise alignment of the shafts of rotating equipment. As leading innovators in alignment processes, VibrAlign has teamed with Fixturlaser to revolutionize dial indicator shaft alignment with the launch of a new app called Fixturlaser Dials. The Fixturlaser Dials App…

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Troubleshooting Guide for Basic Alignment

When using a Fixturlaser Alignment System and you are not able to get it aligned in three tries here are a few things to look for. Ensure that you start with a clean base and have checked for soft foot. Do not use more than 4 shims under the machine feet. Check for run out…

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“MIC” Your Shims!

Has this ever happened to you? You’re aligning a machine and your laser alignment system or dial indicator calculations tell you to add shims under the motor feet. You do what is expected, re-measure and you still have to add shims! Wonder why?  I’ve heard it before, my laser doesn’t work or you calculated wrong.…

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The Tools of the Precision Shaft Alignment Trade

Efficiency is a critical element in today’s maintenance environment. In every aspect of maintenance, the right tools are necessary to complete a job quickly and efficiently. When performing precision shaft alignments in the field, there are tools that are typical to almost every job. Aside from the tools that are included in the case with…

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Aligning Machines with 3 or 6 Feet

Some machines are not manufactured with a typical 4 footed configuration.  Precision shaft alignments can still be easily accomplished on these “non-typical” machine configurations, if you remember a couple of simple rules. When aligning a machine with three feet, like this example (left), remember that you are positioning machinery in two planes: The inboard, or…

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In Shaft Alignment, Low Can Sometimes Mean High!

A customer in the northeast US was concerned that his laser wasn’t working properly.  He called into our office stating “the motor shaft is a ¼ inch low at the coupling, but the laser shows I need to remove a lot of shims from the motor feet – both front and rear”.  His thought was…

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Aligning Uncoupled Machines

Normally, it is faster and more accurate to perform shaft alignment while the machines are coupled together.  This offers several benefits such as:  Keeping the relative angular positions of the shafts the same allows the technician to align the true shaft rotational centerlines. Coupling Gap is less likely to change while adjusting the moveable machine,…

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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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Stan Switches Shaft Alignment Teams

I actually used our competition’s lasers for 25 years. I had never used a VibrAlign tool until I went to work for them. I’ll tell you a little story. I came up here when I was hired and I was brought into this little training room. They had an XA and a demonstrator set up…

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