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Bearing Alignment

The Importance of Avoiding Bearing Failure

One of the principal causes of breakdown in rotating machinery is bearing failure. Most bearings are relatively inexpensive. But they are critical parts whose failure can shut down a production line, and the income it represents, in a heartbeat. With no backup machine on standby, the cost in downtime can run many thousands of dollars an hour.

Bearing failure has two main causes

Misaligned shafts
Roughly a third of bearing failures are due to shaft misalignment. Misalignment over stresses bearings, causing them to wear prematurely. When plant assemblies - pumps, motors, gearboxes and the like - are installed incorrectly or not aligned or both, the added stress invariably falls hardest on the weakest component involved: the bearings.
Incorrect lubrication and presence of outside contaminants
Over a third of bearing failures are due to inadequate or incorrectly specified lubrication. Perhaps 14% more result from contaminates such as dirt or water as well as mixing incompatible lubricant types.

Preventing bearing failures through better alignment

As the North American distributor of Fixturlaser systems, VibrAlign offers easy-to-use, precision bearing alignment systems. These ensure correct alignment of shafts and couplings to help prevent bearing failures due to misalignment.

Fixturlaser GO Shaft Alignment System

This mid-priced laser bearing alignment system safeguards against failures by making day-to-day shaft alignment of pumps, motors, gearboxes, compressors and many other applications easy and quick to perform. All levels of technicians can master the simple-to-use Fixturlaser GO tool thanks to on-screen icons that guide the user through the measurement and alignment process, while eliminating potential mistakes.

Fixturlaser XA Shaft Alignment System For engineers who tackle complex alignment applications, the Fixturlaser XA system has every feature they want to ensure laser bearing alignment. In its standard configuration, it handles horizontal and vertical alignments, as well as softfoot adjustments. Upgrades enable machine train and offset alignments as well as dynamic measuring. A touch screen display with animated color graphics guides the user through every step of the process. Wireless connectivity makes data transfer painless.

Preventing a bearing failure caused by lubrication issues

VibrAlign can refer plant managers to competent oil analysis firms that specialize in their type of industry, can perform analyses on oils from engines, gearboxes, compressors, hydraulic systems and more, and provide a detailed report by sample along with any corrective actions to be taken.

For more on bearing alignment systems and what to do about bearing failure

VibrAlign can provide assistance in solving all your machinery and bearing misalignment problems, including solutions by state-of-the-art laser bearing alignment systems. For further information on preventing bearing failure, or to request a product brochure or onsite alignment service, please contact VibrAlign at 800-394-3279 or by email.

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