Vibralign Blog

"shaft alignment"| Couplings

By VibrAlign Author on November 9, 2018

Couplings connect a driving shaft to a driven shaft. There are essentially two families of couplings: Rigid couplings Flexible couplings There are, of course, differentiations within these two types. Rigid couplings connect shafts so that the two shafts are essentially one continuous unit. Be advised that runout can be an issue when this kind of […]

"shaft alignment"| "thermal growth"| apps| Laser-Dials| technology

By VibrAlign Author on September 12, 2018

  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 […]

"shaft alignment"| runout| unbalance

By VibrAlign Author on September 5, 2018

Unbalance and runout are two terms that we hear frequently in the predictive maintenance community. Both unbalance and runout can be serious issues and need to be addressed to prevent inefficient functioning and damage to machines. Unbalance occurs due to corrosion, erosion of the fan wheel, or if a correction weight is removed. Runout occurs […]

"shaft alignment"| backlash| looseness| soft foot

By VibrAlign Author on September 4, 2018

Achieving a perfect alignment can seem daunting at times, but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right tools and if you know to look out for three common reasons for shaft alignment frustrations. Once you know these three factors, you can take the necessary steps to avoid them and/or correct them. The […]

"shaft alignment"| Alignment tolerances| Pre-Alignment| Precision Shaft Alignment| soft foot| troubleshooting

By Mac MacCormack on May 15, 2018

One of the many things I love about my job is the numerous challenges we face during the field alignment portion of our Precision Shaft Alignment Training. Prior to the training, there were some repeatability issues when attempting to perform a precision alignment on this piece of equipment. One of the main causes of non-repeatability […]

"jacking bolts"| "shaft alignment tools"| "shaft alignment"| Alignment tolerances| Laser Alignment tools| Laser Shaft Alignment| soft foot| troubleshooting

By Stan Riddle on May 11, 2018

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 […]

"coupling tolerance"| "foot tolerance"| "shaft alignment"| Alignment tolerances| machinery diagnostics| Precision Shaft Alignment

By Mac MacCormack on February 8, 2018

While on the road conducting precision shaft alignment training I run across a wide range of skill level. It is not uncommon to have a lot of questions. I like it when there are questions, that is usually an indication that the trainees are engaged. It is also not uncommon that a question starts with, […]

"shaft alignment"| Balancing| bearing failures| misalignment| ONEPROD Hawk

By Mac MacCormack on August 24, 2016

Past maintenance & production issues found in the industrial or manufacturing environment are still prevalent even in today’s equipment reliability focus. The major contributors to equipment failure remain the same, misalignment, unbalance and assembly errors. Another is lubrication, Mr. Stan Riddle addressed this in one his blogs “Machinery Vibration Problems part 3 – Lubrication”. Let’s […]

"shaft alignment"| Laser Alignment tools| Precision Shaft Alignment| realigning America| troubleshooting

By James Pekarek on April 6, 2016

As technical trainers, we travel all over the country visiting factories, mills, power plants and refineries.  Just to mention a few.  We see and work on equipment of every type and size. From small 10 HP electric motors and pumps moving cooling water, to house sized engines turning generators that power our cities. Out of […]

"shaft alignment"| realigning America scholarship

By Jim on November 18, 2015

VibrAlign awarded three scholarships this quarter to industrial technology students from Texas State Technical College, Chattanooga State Community College and Southwestern Illinois College. Below are excerpts from the winning essays. “The Army is where I learned that machine maintenance is key to everyday life. One of my favorite sayings has always been “If you don’t […]

"shaft alignment"| aligning machinery| spindle alignment

By Stan Riddle on September 10, 2015

Precision shaft alignment of general industrial equipment, such as pumps and compressors, requires precision. But alignment of machine tool spindles and components requires an even greater level of accuracy. Precision alignment of machine tool spindles can improve product quality & finish, reduce scrap, re-work, broken tooling, and improve cutting tool life. There are numerous configurations […]

"shaft alignment targets"| "shaft alignment"| "thermal growth"| maintenance mechanics| maintenance reliability| Verti-Zontal

By Tom Shelton on June 17, 2015

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 […]

"shaft alignment"| alignment| Laser Shaft Alignment| Precision Shaft Alignment

By James Pekarek on May 26, 2015

During a precision laser shaft alignment, we measure the setup dimensions and input these into the Fixturlaser Laser System Display Unit. The requisite dimensions are Stationary Sensor to Movable Sensor, coupling center to M Sensor, M Sensor to movable inboard foot, and foot to foot on the moveable machine. One dimension that shaft aligners occasionally […]

"shaft alignment"| Laser Alignment tools| Pre-Alignment| soft foot

By Tom Shelton on May 7, 2015

There are many things that can affect the precision shaft alignment process, which needs to be checked and eliminated during the Pre-Alignment Steps, such as pipe strain, disintegrating bases, bearing or coupling wear, etc…. One of the main issues concerning shaft alignment of rotating equipment is the challenge of soft foot and its detrimental effect […]

"shaft alignment"| Alignment tolerances| Pre-Alignment| Precision Shaft Alignment| soft foot

By James Pekarek on January 22, 2015

Anyone involved in precision shaft alignment knows that unintentional movement is the biggest contributor to non-repeatable alignment results. Movement can come from several sources: Soft foot, loose bolts, flexible bases, excessive bearing clearances, improperly mounted or loose sensor mounting hardware, etc. One of the more elusive and least considered sources of movement is cupped washers […]