A recent Fixturlaser GO Basic Training class performed a field alignment on a 100 HP, 3 Phase, 5600 RPM electric motor coupled to a crude oil pump in a refinery. The class decided it would be permissible to use the [...] Read More
Previous blogs have discussed several different solutions for solving Base Bound & Bolt Bound conditions when preforming precision laser shaft alignment (Base/Bound Math and Solving Base/Bound Alignment Alignment Problems). Sometimes though, the solution for a Bolt Bound issue is fairly [...] Read More
During the OJT portion of a Fixturlaser GO Basic Training class, with the Army Corp of Engineers, the class aligned two electric motors driving large winch gearboxes on a dredging barge. These winches are used to move the barge into [...] Read More
Sometimes precision laser shaft alignment is a quick, neat, orderly maintenance task. And sometimes, it is not! Occasionally, everything that can be wrong IS wrong. While teaching a Fixturlaser Go Pro training class in Illinois, the class went into the [...] Read More
Base-bound and bolt-bound problems do not need to be the end of your machine alignment. It just means the original rotational centerline of the stationary machine we want the movable machine to be co-linear with isn’t a practical solution. Most [...] Read More
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 [...] Read More
If you align machinery for a living then more than likely you have encountered machines that are base-bound or bolt-bound. Base-bound is when the movable machine has to be lowered and there are either too few or no shims under [...] Read More
It is always the question with machine train shaft alignments: what needs to be moved? The best way to approach a multiple machine set shaft alignment project is to know where everything is and where everything needs to be. This [...] Read More
Vertically-mounted motors that are coupled may need alignment, whether they are C-faced or not. In cases where the motors are not C-faced, the shaft alignment is treated as a horizontally-mounted motor, with a couple exceptions. Here’s a quick walk-through on [...] Read More
The guy in the photo is Peter Eccleston. Peter is the Senior Technical Support Specialist for VibrAlign. Peter and the other technicians in the Repair Group perform calibrations and repair services on all of VibrAlign’s shaft alignment tools. They work [...] Read More
Previous alignment blog postings have discussed the negative effects of soft foot on rotating machinery reliability and the importance of checking and correcting soft foot before proceeding with a shaft alignment. The question is: “does soft foot need to be [...] Read More
Not too long ago I was called to one of our sister shops to perform a laser shaft alignment on a 3600 RPM skid-mounted end-suction ANSI pump. Easy, right? Honestly, I made a few mistakes right off the bat: Thinking [...] Read More
A manufacturing operation in western North Carolina recently purchased a Fixturlaser GO and shaft alignment training. This company is going through a multimillion dollar expansion. We decided, as part of the training, to check some alignments of recently ‘installed and [...] Read More
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 [...] Read More
How does someone get really good at something? Practice! Whether in sports or your profession, people who are really good at something practice good habits over and over. Shaft alignment is no different. Learning quality measurement practices and repeating them [...] Read More
Previous blogs have defined thermal growth of rotating equipment and discussed several different methods to calculate the cold (ambient) alignment targets to compensate for thermal growth. The OL2R program (Off Line to Running) of the Fixturlaser XA Pro allows the aligner [...] Read More
In my last two classes, we (well, they) aligned a couple pumps that were a little finicky. OK, they were pains. But they were alignable. The process and troubleshooting steps we practiced in class were applied to real-world, flimsy-based, soft foot-ridden, [...] Read More
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 [...] Read More
When you opt to use your own shaft alignment tolerances instead of using the industry standards, how do you decide what to use? The subject of shaft alignment tolerances has been touched on before but a couple interesting discussions have taken [...] Read More
Aligning cooling towers with spacer shafts can sometimes present a challenge. We recently provided alignment training and assistance to the HVAC Group at the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, VA. This was a Marley cooling tower, with a 60 HP [...] Read More
If you are a regular Alignment Blog reader, you may remember an entry in which Stan Riddle discussed why we should care about precision alignment of flexible couplings. Today, I would like to offer up some evidence that many of you [...] Read More
A couple of weeks ago we calculated cold alignment targets from field data. We ended up with angles and offsets but the class wanted to go through the math involved in calculating the foot values. It was an interesting math [...] Read More
In our quest to realign America, we’re always on the lookout for intriguing applications. Sometimes they pop up in odd places. My buddy Steve Matthews with PdM Solutions spotted this situation while in the field (literally!). This has to be [...] Read More
In my post “How Does Calculating Your Own Alignment Targets Work?”, I discussed using a hot check to determine proper alignment targets. Thermal growth is not rocket science. However, it is often misunderstood. I see people causing harm by compensating [...] Read More
A recent training class offered us an opportunity to check both the hot and cold alignment conditions on a blower. It was a great time to calculate our own thermal offset values from field data and compare them to the [...] Read More
It’s a new year and time to reassess our goals. We test our gauges, adjust sensor settings, tweak valves, etc. We check our equipment against a standard to verify it still works optimally. When’s the last time you have done [...] Read More
Any equipment that goes through large temperature differences between startup and normal operation should have accurate thermal targets calculated to allow for proper shaft alignment. Shaft alignment data can be taken when the machine is at operating temperature and compared [...] Read More
We’re going to try something different this week. We see some interesting stuff out there. We want you folks to troubleshoot this one. The OJT portion of a recent alignment training class involved checking the shaft alignment on an engine-driven [...] Read More
Bowl mills are used to pulverize coal prior to being blown into coal fired boilers. They are very large machines with heavy rotating components usually driven by an internal planetary gear set in the bottom of the mill. A typical [...] Read More
“Our large machines use adjustable chocks, instead of shims for correcting the vertical alignment; can we use the VibrAlign Verti-Zontal compound move with our Fixturlaser XA when correcting the misalignment?” Absolutely! Adjustable chocks are typically found on large machines such [...] Read More
Most every week during one of our alignment training classes, we’ll get a question about aligning cooling towers. Most facilities we visit have them and a lot of folks aren’t too sure how to approach the job. We’ll tackle the [...] Read More
Yes? No? Maybe? Yes! You may have heard this in the past…”We can’t align our vertical pumps since there is no adjustment due the ‘machined fit’ between the electric motor and pump housing. Plus it has a rigid coupling!” You [...] Read More
This is probably one of the most common questions we are asked during our alignment training classes. And the best answer might be, “Sometimes, if you must, maybe!” Let me preach on it. Undercutting bolts is a method used to [...] Read More
We at VibrAlign love educating folks on the benefits of shaft alignment. Twice last month, Lev Nelik (aka Dr. Pump) of Pumping Machinery invited Mike Keohane of VibrAlign to speak on the virtues of shaft alignment and how it improves [...] Read More
The OJT portion of a recent training class was the alignment of a 3600 RPM electric motor driving a Bell & Gossett Fire Service Water Pump. As the hold down bolts were tightened (in a cross torque pattern) the horizontal [...] Read More
Jacking bolts provide a smoother, easier way of moving machinery than using pry bars and hammers. Their use will almost always speed up the shaft alignment process, prevent excessive minor moves back and forth, and generally make the task of [...] Read More
The OJT portion of a recent XA alignment training class led us to a two-cell cooling tower that had a run of bad luck–motor bearing failures, internal supports broken, visibly shook when it ran, etc.
An interesting situation arises when the base of the equipment you are aligning is purposely out of level. Which way is up? This picture shows a setup we used during a recent training class to illustrate the technique (no photos [...] Read More
One of our trainers recently taught an XA Pro class at a large chemical company in Western Kentucky. Normally, our training classes consist of one day of classroom training, and ½ day of field alignments done by the students. During [...] Read More
Last week we officially announced the launch of the new Fixturlaser Go Pro. So far we have recieved some good feedback, thanks to IMPO for this piece. In this announcement we talked about a new process in the alignment industry [...] Read More
Well the cat is out of the bag…… we have a new product! Meet the new Go Pro Attached here is the official press release from VibrAlign. Go Pro is a wireless and color screen shaft alignment laser that also [...] Read More
Looking at how the alignment process works we wanted to point out two features of laser alignment tools that will help the aligner during his/her alignment process. The first aspect to a better alignment is a color screen. Some of [...] Read More
Pre-Alignment and why it’s important Hey folks, check out this great powerpoint from our trainer Stand Riddle on Pre-Alignment and why its so important. Feel free to post questions or comments in the comments section and Stan and our other [...] Read More
In 2010 VibrAlign Inc. launched a new laser from Fixturlaser called the upadXA. This laser was considered the brother product of the Fixturlaser XA. The upadXA has all the functionality of the larger hand-held display unit, but with a smaller, 3.5 [...] Read More