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Sof Shoe® Shims

Soft foot is undoubtedly the number one challenge faced on an everyday basis in precision shaft alignment.  The concept is simple enough; make sure the machine feet rest flat on the base. Unfortunately, it is not always so simple to solve. Before sitting down to write this, I noted there are 17 articles posted on…

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What Size Shims Should I Use?

One of my co-workers recently fielded a call from a customer, asking, “What is the proper way to size shims under motor feet?”  In other words, if the foot is 6 by 4 inches square, how big should the shim be? Excellent question!  And one I wasn’t sure how to answer.  I have always tried…

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Shims 201 – The Importance of Measuring Shim Thickness

Stainless steel shims are now the standard for use in shimming machinery when preforming a precision laser or dial indicator shaft alignment.  They are clean, corrosion resistant, flat, and most importantly, pre-cut.  Their use speeds up the alignment process significantly.  However, it is very important to measure the thickness of a shim before using it.…

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SHIMS 102 – The pitfalls of carbon steel shims.

Stan’s “Shims 101” blog last year provided some great guidelines and reasons for using pre-cut Stainless Steel Shims.  We repeatedly see rotating equipment that is supplied with carbon steel shims under the feet and/or shims of the incorrect size. When aligning machinery with carbon steel shims get rid of them! Measure the old shim thickness…

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Cutting Shims to Correct Soft Foot During A Shaft Alignment

Here’s a thought-provoking question for you my fellow shaft aligners: is cutting shims to correct soft foot overkill? That concern was addressed last week during a shaft alignment training class where we aligned a nice little water pump. The motor had one of the stamped out bases that are always fun to work with. We…

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Shims 101

Stainless steel shims have for the most part replaced cutting shims from rolled stock. They speed up the alignment process dramatically. They usually assure a more accurate alignment since they come in many different thicknesses. They are clean, flat, and their thickness is marked on each shim. Since they are stainless steel, they are not…

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Stacking the Deck Can Get You in Trouble!

The photo to the right was taken at a recent training class. The maintenance guys at this facility were excellent aligners. They were adamant about getting their shaft alignments to “better than excellent” levels. They believed in preparing the surfaces of the base and the motor before installation. Their company spent thousands of dollars re-working…

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How Many Shims?

In a recent email to VibrAlign, Mike wrote: “In using your shims what is the most shims you can place under each foot? I have always been taught to use no more than 5 shims under each foot. Is this true?“ Mike, good question! VibrAlign’s official stance is no more than 4, if possible. However,…

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