Laser Shaft Alignment
Definition of misalignment
Misalignment is the deviation of relative shaft position from collinear axis of rotation when
equipment is running at normal operating conditions.
How is misalignment recognized?
There are several symptoms indicating misalignment.
- Premature bearing, seal, shaft and coupling failure
- Excessive radial and axial vibrations
- High casing temperature at or near the bearings or high discharge oil temperature
- Excessive amount of oil leakage at the bearing seals
- The coupling is hot while it is running and immediately after unit shutdown. Look for rubber powder inside the coupling shroud
- Loose foundation bolts
- Loose or broken coupling bolts
- Excessive amount of grease on the inside of coupling guard
- Similar pieces of equipment are vibrating less or seem to have longer operating life
- The shafts are breaking (or cracking) at or close to the inboard bearings or coupling hubs
Effects of base conditions and thermal variations
Even if you align your machines properly there is a risk that they break due to misalignment. If the foundation where the machine is mounted is warped you may have a soft foot condition, i.e. one of the machine feet has a poor contact with the floor. It is of major importance that this is corrected before performing the alignment. If the alignment is performed when the machines are cold, and no compensation for thermal growth is considered, the machines will probably be running severely misaligned at running temperature.
The Fixturlaser shaft alignment tool allows for high precision shaft to shaft alignment which is superior to traditional methods of alignment such as straight-edge or dial-indication
- Accurate to 0.001mm (1 mils)
- Horizontal and Vertical Machines
- All Shaft Sizes
- Printing and Built in Memory
- Thermal Growth Compensation
- Real Time Measurements
