Laser Alignment Training Prüftechnik OPTALIGN smart EX

Laser Alignment Training

Prüftechnik OPTALIGN® smart EX

1

Why Alignment?

◼ Power is transmitted through the use of belts and

pulleys, chains and sprockets, and couplings.

◼ Each has to be aligned correctly to ensure that the

power is transmitted efficiently

◼ Couplings spin at same speed as the motor – likely

1000’s of RPM.

◼ Just like the tires on your car, the slightest misalignment

will result in unnecessary vibration, wear, and heat.

None of these are good.

2TAE-160 Laser (Shaft) Alignment & Measurement

Why Alignment?

◼ Vibration has become more recognized as detremental

and industry is making many moves toward correction

❑ Better understanding of microfractures and fatigue

◼ Basic steps to reducing vibration include:

❑ Purchasing quality equipment

❑ Setting up good preventive maintenance procedures

❑ Maintaining proper equipment alignment techniques and

tolerances


Why Alignment?

◼ Nearly 50% of all machine breakdowns are caused

by misalignment.


Shaft Fundamentals

◼ Every shaft, either bent or straight, rotates about an axis

that forms a straight line.

◼ This straight line is called the Axis of Rotation


Axis of Rotation

Shaft Fundamentals

◼ Shafts in this same straight line are considered co-linear,

or in the same straight line.

◼ This is the Co-linear Axis of Rotation


Misalignment and Power Consumption

◼ When shafts are misaligned, forces are generated.

❑ These forces do not lend to the rotational transfer of

motion from motor to pump

❑ Instead, these forces vector outward from the axis or

rotation



◼ These unwanted forces, the result of misalignment,

are evidenced by:

❑ Vibration

❑ Noise

❑ Bearing & Shaft Damage

❑ Looseness


Signs of Shaft Misalignment

◼ Misalignment is the deviation of relative shaft position

from the collinear axis of rotation when equipment is

running at normal operating conditions.

◼ What does this mean?

◼ It means the pump and motor (during normal operation)

should look like this….



◼ The pump and motor should NOT look like this….


Misalignment



◼ How is misalignment recognized?

❑ Loose foundation bolts

❑ Loose or broken coupling bolts

❑ Excessive grease on the inside of coupling guard

❑ Similar pieces of equipment are vibrating less or seem

to have longer operating life

◼ Always seems to be a “problem child” with identical

pieces of equipment

❑ Shafts are breaking/cracking close to the inboard

bearings or hubs


Thermal Growth

◼ Effects of base conditions and thermal variations

❑ If the foundation where the machine is mounted is

warped you may have a soft foot condition

❑ 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.


Thermal Growth

◼ Temperature differences

from cold startup to working

temperature influence the

position of one machine

relative to another.

◼ Machines do not usually

heat or cool at the exact

same temperature top to

bottom.


Thermal Growth

◼ Machines that operate at a considerably hotter or colder

condition than the ambient room temperature should be

thermally compensated.

❑ They will “grow” or “shrink” as they heat up, or cool off

❑ manufacturer’s specs are a good place to start

◼ The exact temperature of the driver and driven machines

◼ Ventilation quality or cooling effects

◼ Piping strain influences

◼ Piping thermal changes



◼ Misalignment has a direct impact on the power

consumption of a machine.

◼ Documented cases have shown savings ranging

from 2% to 17%.

◼ Why does misalignment result in power loss?


Misalignment Effects on Bearings and Seals

◼ Misalignment also creates problems at the

equipment bearings and seals.

◼ The operating life span of a bearing is directly

affected by the forces they are exposed to

◼ Even small misalignments can generate excessive

forces to the bearings and seals.

❑ Seals open up - allowing lubrication leakage and

contamination to enter.

❑ The bearings lifetime is shortened.


Misalignment and Machine Temperature


Misalignment and Coupling Life

◼ Misalignment of a coupling by .004” can shorten its life

by 50%.


Alignment Methods

20

Alignment Methods

◼ The five methods available to align machinery include

straightedge, rim-and-face, reverse dial, electronic

reverse dial, and laser rim-and-face methods.


Alignment Methods

◼ A shaft alignment tolerances chart indicates suggested

tolerances by speed in thousands per inch.


Shaft Alignment Methods

◼ Shaft alignment can be performed with different tools.

❑ GOOD: The easiest way is to use a ruler or a straight

edge over the two coupling halves and align by eyesight

◼ Depending on the operator, the results will vary in

accuracy.

◼ The straight-edge method can be used to quickly correct

severe misalignment.

◼ Needs to be followed up with another more-accurate

method.


Straightedge Alignment

◼ The straightedge alignment

method uses a steel rule,

feeler gauge, or taper gauge

to align couplings.


Straightedge Alignment

◼ Straightedge alignment is

generally used for rough

alignment prior to using a more

precise alignment method.



◼ Shaft alignment can be performed with different tools.

❑ BETTER: A better result can be achieved utilizing mechanical

dial indicators

◼ A skilled and experienced person can obtain good and reliable

measurements, but it takes time and patience


Dial Indicator Method

◼ Each misalignment

angle, in its own

plane (vertical or

horizontal), is the

same whether it is

measured off of the

coupling face or the

misalignment at the

feet of the machine.



❑ BEST: A far easier and highly accurate way is to use Laser-

Based alignment systems

◼ They do not require special skills and deliver accurate and

reliable results.


Laser Alignment

◼ Laser accuracy is based

upon being able to send a

pinpoint light beam, reflect

it, and send it to another

location without deflection.

◼ The most accurate and

probably the easiest to

accomplish

◼ The expense is offset by

the accuracy of the

measurements taken and

the ease of the procedure


A Few Notes on Laser Alignment…

◼ Yes, laser is easier and accurate, but there are still a few

things to realize…

❑ Like anything worth doing, it takes practice.

❑ You will still get frustrated…especially when the computer

display indicates things are aligned…..then indicates

‘misaligned’ as you begin torqueing down on the foundation

fasteners.

❑ Mastering the details and becoming proficient simply takes

time and practice.

❑ A little improvement is better than no improvement.


Moveable Machine vs Stationery Machine

◼ Usually the motor is chosen as the machine to be moved

(MTBM) – sometimes called the machine to be shimmed

(MTBS) because it is easier to move than the other

machine (stationary machine), which may be larger or

connected to piping.


Checking for Soft Foot

32

Checking for Soft Foot

◼ Soft foot: one or more of the feet on the machine that is

being aligned is bent or was poorly manufactured

❑ Must be eliminated before performing coupling alignment

❑ Types of soft foot:

◼ Parallel, angular, springing, induced

33

Soft foot can be offset, angular, springing,

induced (or any combination)

TAE-160 Laser (Shaft) Alignment & Measurement

Soft Foot

◼ Soft foot may be parallel, angular, springing, or induced.


Soft Foot

◼ Uncorrected soft foot twists

and distorts a machine

enough to cause destructive

forces on rotor and shaft

bearings.


Soft Foot

◼ Soft foot may be measured at the shaft or each foot of a

machine.


Soft Foot

◼ Good shim quality ensures a

proper and firm machine-to-

base contact.


Base Anchoring

◼ A jack screw is a screw attached

to a block that is bolted or welded

to a machine base plate to allow

for ease in machine movement.


OPTALIGN Procedure

39

OPTALIGN Procedure

1) Inventory necessary equipment


ReflectorTransducer

Holder Holder

Computer

OPTALIGN Procedure

2) Mount brackets as shown


Motor

Pump1

OPTALIGN Procedure

2) Mount brackets as shown


Pump

Motor

2

OPTALIGN Procedure

3) Mount Laser Transducer and Reflector on Brackets

a) Transducer (larger part) mounts on the stationary

equipment – usually the pump

b) Reflector (smaller) mounts on the equipment that will be

moved – usually the motor.


OPTALIGN Procedure


Pump

Transducer

Reflector

Motor

OPTALIGN Procedure

4) Turn computer on by pressing yellow Enter key.

5) Set machine type and make the pump the stationary

machine

a) The stationary machine is indicated with the use of solid

ground and angled lines underneath the pump or motor.

b) If the display does not show the pump as the stationary

machine do the following:

1) Use the arrow keys until the pump is highlighted

2) Press ‘Enter’

3) Select ‘Make Stationary / No fixation’ and Press ‘Enter’

c) Ensure the display indicates the pump is stationary and the

motor has feet with dimension inputs.


OPTALIGN Procedure

6) Enter A to B Dimensions on computer

a) Bracket – to - Bracket

b) Transducer – to - Coupling Center

c) Coupling diameter

d) Coupling center to the front mounting fasteners of the motor (or

machine to be moved)

e) Front motor mounting fasteners to the rear motor mounting

fasteners

f) Motor RPM


OPTALIGN Procedure

7) Turn on Laser Transducer


Switch

OPTALIGN Procedure

8) Center laser on reflector

cover using adjustment

wheel. Remove red cover.

9) Press M to begin the

measurement

10)The Optalign computer will

ensure the laser is

properly centered.

If the laser is not centered,

use the adjusting wheels,

tracking your progress on

the display.


Switch

Adjustment

Wheels

OPTALIGN Prodcedure

11)Starting at the 12

o’clock position,

rotate the equipment

counterclockwise to 8

o’clock

Be sure to watch the

computer display – it

will track the rotation.


1

OPTALIGN Procedure

11)Starting at the 12

o’clock position,

rotate the equipment


o’clock





2

OPTALIGN Procedure

12) Rotate the equipment


o’clock.




13) When finished, press

or

to display results.


OPTALIGN Procedure

Here is an example of what a

measurement result looks like.

To correct vertical misalignment,

raise the front motor feet 18.7mm

(round to 19mm)

and the rear motor feet 17.9mm

(18mm).

To correct horizontal misalignment,

tap the front motor feet 37.4mm


(37mm) to the left (if standing at the motor rear) and the rear

motor feet 66.6mm (67mm) also to the left.

OPTALIGN Procedure

You can also cycle through screens that will show both the

Vertical and Horizontal misalignments in larger detail.


OPTALIGN Procedure

The OPTALIGN system allows for real-time horizontal and

vertical correction.

From the results screen, press MENU, select ‘Move’ then

press ‘Enter’.

Select Vertical or Horizontal then press ‘Enter’.

Rotate the transducer and reflector to one of the green

areas shown on the display.

Loosen the fasteners and begin the alignment corrections.

You can track your progress on the display.


OPTALIGN Procedure – Correct Vertical Misalignment

14) Install shims as instructed by the computer display to

correct vertical misalignment. Place the thinner shims

on the bottom. Retighten the motor fasteners.


OPTALIGN Procedure

15) Using rubber mallet, correct horizontal misalignment

as instructed by the computer display.


OPTALIGN Procedure

16) Retighten the fasteners and repeat the measurement.

Hopefully you will see improvement.

17) When you are ready to save your information, press

MENU twice. Select SAVE. You will be prompted to

enter a measurement name.


OPTALIGN Procedure

The correction process can be frustrating. You will install

shims, tap the motor sides, and the display will state

everything looks good. Then, as you tighten the motor

fasteners, the equipment will fall out of alignment.

Keep in mind, any improvement in alignment is a good

thing. Like anything worth doing, the basics may come

easy, but mastering takes time, repetition, and practice.


OPTALIGN Procedure Addendum

To change the computer tolerances first press

then select . Select ‘5’ or scroll down to ‘Tolerance

Table’ then press Enter. Using arrows, highlight the ‘Gap’

and ‘Offset’ values and enter the new tolerance values

you wish to use. Select ‘Enter’ or .


Laser Alignment Training Prüftechnik OPTALIGN smart EX

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