We recently received a customer request about shim safety. An employee at the customer site had experienced a “near miss” safety issue due to walking too closely to a machine, and getting their clothes caught against a shim. Since I have a scar on my right thumb caused by a 3 mil shim, I thought a discussion on shim safety might be in order!
Shims do three things:
Change the elevation of
By Brad Case on January 25, 2017 Vibralign
When training clients to use Fixturlasers Verti-Zontal Alignment Process we show taking the 3rd measurement at a horizontal position, typically at 3 o’clock. This is simply for expediency and is NOT a requirement as Fixturlaser Shaft Alignment Systems can take measurements at any position due to the inclinometers in M & S sensors.
If possible we
Published by vibralign.com
Belt Alignment
Belt alignment, or more accurately sheave alignment, is the process of achieving proper radial and axial alignment of the centerlines of sheave grooves, onto which belts run. Historically, belt or sheave alignment has not been considered a major concern in maintenance, due to belt costs being relatively small. How
Throughout our 2015 Realigning America Tour, our distributor, VibrAlign spoke with maintenance industry professionals in 18 cities, there was one common problem that we were asked about at every single stop: soft foot. One of the arch nemeses of precision alignment, soft foot can occur before or after the alignment process; right when you think you’ve brought your machine within tolerance, yo
By Tom Shelton, Vibralign
Every tool in your toolbox has a specific function and certain parameters of use to achieve a desired outcome. When you pull out a claw hammer, your intent is to drive or pull a nail. Pull out a ball peen hammer, it is still a hammer, however the use and outcome is different. You may be flattening a piece of metal or straightening a bracket that got damaged. They
Most Fixturlaser alignment tools have detectors in the sensors that can measure a change of position up to 30mm (over 1 inch). In most instances, this is more than enough to measure even severe misalignment. However on long spans, if the misalignment is severe, the machines may need to be roughed in before precision alignment can take place.
Step 1 – Mount the alignment tool, and start the hori
Verti-Zontal Move is a shaft alignment process to allow the aligner to make both vertical and horizontal alignment corrections with a single measurement, or spin of the shafts. It’s touted as making shaft alignments faster and more accurate.
But here’s what it means to me – it makes shaft alignment EASIER!
If I can roll the shafts only two times – once to measure and correct, and one more
Fixturlaser has launched a new Bore fixture: Bore Fixture Non Mag ø290-620mm. There are two different 3-leg fixtures in the package. One covers bore sizes from ø290 mm to ø400 mm, and the other one covers sizes from ø400 mm to ø620 mm.
Simply stated, a machine train is when three or more machine components are coupled together, acting as one. Machine train alignment can sometimes be a complicated task. Some laser alignment tools can measure machine trains of up to several machines, simplifying the move options. Whether you have a machine train program or not, by using some common sense guidelines, a machine train can be al
This is a common misconception in some industries surrounding flexible couplings. Some maintenance and production individuals believe that flexible couplings are designed to allow for a few degrees of misalignment. This is not quite the case. While flexible couplings do tolerate some amount of misalignment, this is not their intended purpose. The greater the misalignment, the shorter the l
VertiZontal
Fixturlaser has developed an adaptive user interface, i.e. a user interface that actually tells you what to do based on your measurement results. With the VertiZontal Moves feature, we have brought to you one of the most innovative and time saving features in the shaft alignment world. The adaptive user interface shows how much a misaligned machine requires to be adjusted
We work with clients in many types of harsh climates, from cold with rain, sleet, snow & ice to hot humid and hot & dry and everything in between. Whatever the climate, the need for equipment maintenance intensifies with the severity of the climate. Harsh climate conditions will create situations where precision shaft alignment of pumps and outdoor equipment may be difficult or near
I have been in industrial maintenance longer than I have not. A portion of that time was spent in Maintenance Management. One lesson I learned was, that in order for a team leader (or company as a whole) to be successful, the entire team needs to be successful.
I tend to simplify things, maybe to a fault at times, nonetheless here are “The Three T’s” which I feel are essential for a mainte
Sometimes simple procedures can become huge pain points, especially when the necessary knowledge is not known or available. This has proven to be true with the geometric flatness “buck in” procedure involving a sweep laser transmitter and receiver (detector).
First, let me begin by defining “buck in”, this phrase is utilized to describe the process of adjusting a laser transmitter’s angular
A gap between one foot of a machine and the foundation generally is referred to as “soft foot.”
Alignment applications plus geometric measurement make this the ultimate measurement instrument.
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.
By Brian Shanovich 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.
The FIXTURLASER Laser Kit is a wireless laser shaft alignment system, featuring two laser transmitter-detector units that pair via Bluetooth to the user’s iOS or Android device running the Laser Kit app. The app is designed to be installed on an iOS or Android mobile device, which replaces the traditional display unit.
The Fixturlaser EVO, introduced to the global market in April of 2014 by Acoem AB, (former Elos Fixturlaser AB), has been named a Gold Product of the Year by Plant Engineering Magazine. This is the second year in a row that a Fixturlaser alignment system has been named a Product of the Year in the Maintenance Tools & Equipment category.
