VibrAlign | Fixturlaser Alignment System

Horizontal Shaft Alignment

Applications
Alignment of horizontally mounted machines, including drives for fluid pumps, fans, gearboxes, transportation of goods, blenders, etc. Most of the machines are critical components in the production process and every single installation requires precision alignment for optimal performance.

How It Works
After performing pre-alignment functions checking for soft foot, measuring shaft and base straightness, and setting thermal growth values, the user can begin the actual alignment process.

The user enters just three measurements.

Then the shafts are rotated to take the three readings required to measure alignment and determine the moveable machine’s position. The system offers the user two alternate methods of measurement: Clock method and Tripoint method.

The Tripoint method requires just 60 degrees of rotation, thereby providing a quick and easy way to register readings.

The results of either method are instantly displayed on the screen.

The results screen shows the current position of the motor and clearly displays the necessary horizontal and vertical adjustments.

Advantages
An unplanned production stop due to machine breakdown will result in production loss and high costs. Nearly 50% of all breakdowns in rotating machines are caused by misalignment. Investments in alignment have a very short payback time and they can often be quantified in uptime minutes.

The Fixturlaser Alignment System utilizes patented software that performs the calculations required to measure alignment and determine required corrections. This makes it easy to perform alignments in just one or two attempted moves. It’s so effective we call it “Sure Shot” Alignment.

Required Skills
VibrAlign has years of experience successfully training alignment techniques. If you’re not getting your alignments done in just one or two moves, call us today to discuss a training program.

How to Purchase
Contact VibrAlign or one of our reps today to arrange a demonstration.

Application Notes & Case Studies

Dynamic Growth (OL2R)

Applications
Machine alignment has to be accomplished when the machine is shut off. Naturally, the machine is not in a working condition state. However, when performing alignment, you have to consider the running conditions, such as thermal growth. Manufacturer specifications often consider vertical growth, due to rising temperature in the machine housing. Unfortunately, that is not enough to ensure an accurately aligned machine in running mode.

The solution is Fixturlaser’s Dynamic Growth measurement software, also known as “OL2R”, which stands for

Offline To Running.

The Dynamic Growth software can be used with one of two alternative optional fixture sets to measure the offline to running states of rotating equipment. The fixtures are used with the laser transmitter-detectors that come with the base Fixturlaser Alignment System (either 10mm or 20mm detectors).

Hot Check
Magnetic brackets provide a way to quickly mount the laser transmitter-detectors after shutting down a machine that has reached full running state. While the measurement of the machine’s dynamic growth will not be as accurate as using the OL2R brackets, it will provide a more complete picture than just relying on OEM thermal growth adjustments.

Sure Check
The Fixturlaser OL2R fixtures are mounted on motor and pump rather than on the rotating shafts. Performing two measurements, one in offline mode and one in running mode, will give you the correction values for a precision alignment. The machine will be perfectly aligned considering all forces and movements from offline to running condition.
Once either a HOT CHECK or a SURE CHECK has been performed, the powerful Fixturlaser Alignment System software allows the user to specify that the dynamic growth measurements can be applied as automatic offsets in the performance of a shaft alignment.

Advantages

Provides correct compensation values for dynamic growth
Considers all affecting forces, such as thermal growth, pipe strain, surrounding cooling effects, load forces
Dynamic growth measurement values stored in memory. The user can choose to automatically apply the measurements as adjustment values while performing a shaft alignment.

Required Skills
VibrAlign offers training in the accurate measurement of dynamic growth, via either the HOT CHECK or SURE CHECK methods.

How To Purchase
The Fixturlaser Alignment System offers many software and hardware options. Your system will be configured to your application in consultation with a VibrAlign representative. The system, therefore, is not available through our online store.

Application Notes & Case Studies

Vertical Shaft

Applications
The Fixturlaser Alignment system can be used to measure and align vertically mounted and flange mounted machines. Results are presented with positions for each bolt.

How It Works
Vertical machines are normally mounted with bolts on a flange instead of feet, which make the calculation of the correction values different from horizontal machines. The bolts may differ in numbers and are situated on a circle around the flange.

The result screen shows the current position of the motor. The measured motor in this example has 8 bolts where the lowest positioned bolt is set to zero. This provides easy adjustments and clearly displays necessary shimming for the other bolts. The user can select and set any bolt at zero, making it possible to perform “what if’ checks to find the optimal solution.

Advantages

Software gives the user total control over selecting the reference bolt. This allows “what-if” testing to find the optimal solution.
Live values walk the user through the alignment procedure.

Required Skills
VibrAlign offers training in all types of shaft alignment, using all types and makes of alignment tools.

Application Notes & Case Studies

Vertical Shaft Alignment Manual (PDF)

Cardan Shaft

Applications
Alignment of shafts for offset mounted machines with up to 900 millimeters of offset. Requires the use of Fixturlaser’s Cardan Shaft Fixtures.

How It Works
Cardan shafts are an excellent way of power transmission, when it is impossible to position two machines in line. There is the general misunderstanding, however, that offset mounted cardan driven machines do not require alignment. As shown in the diagram, a misaligned cardan rotates with an uneven angular speed over a full turn. This generates vibrations with harmful forces throughout the drive chain. The risks with misaligned cardan shafts are similar to other misaligned machines plus the risks for damages caused by a broken cardan shaft.

The Fixturlaser Alignment System combined with the Cardan Shaft Fixtures make alignment of offset mounted machines possible. The payback time for a system like this is very short considering the costs for replacing a broken cardan shaft.

Advantages

Reduced wear on gearboxes, bearings and cardan joints.
Full documentation of measurement result.
Minimized risk for cardan shaft breakdowns.

Required Skills
VibrAlign offers training in all types of shaft alignment, using all types and makes of alignment tools.

Application Notes & Case Studies
Cardan Shaft Alignment Manual (PDF)

Machine Train

Applications
Shaft alignment for machine trains with 3, 4 or 5 units (2, 3, or 4 couplings).

How It Works
Machine train alignment is probably the most difficult and demanding task of all alignment engineering skills. Often a machine train is part of a critical production line, and can suffer the most costly losses when it goes down.

With the Fixturlaser Alignment system, it becomes amazingly easy to align machine trains. The most cumbersome part in aligning machine trains is to find out which machine to use as the reference (the stationary machine). The display screen guides you in finding the best solution in order to accomplish a perfect alignment.

Advantages

Same alignment procedure as for a standard motor and pump horizontal shaft alignment application
Software performs difficult calculations allowing user to select any machine as reference and compare results
Full documentation of measurement results
Results both printable and exportable

Required Skills
VibrAlign offers training in all types of shaft alignment, using all types and makes of alignment tools.

Application Notes & Case Studies
Case Study—A motor-pump-turbine alignment
Machine Train Alignment Manual (PDF)

Shaft Alignment Utilities

Shaft Alignment - Alignment Utilities
The Alignment Utilities screen provides access to a number of Application Set-Up and Pre-Alignment functions. The options presented will vary depending upon the type of shaft alignment you are performing.

Best Displayed Resolution
Allows the user to set the resolution of the measurement display. Values are in mils or millimeters depending upon whether you selected imperial or metric measurement units in System Set-Up. See the Main Utilities page for more information.

Sampling Time
Sampling time can be set for 1 to 99-seconds.

Screen Filter
The user can adjust the update frequency of the screen values by setting the Screen Filter from “0” (filter off) to “10” (maximum filter). The filter does not effect measurement accuracy.

Measurement Method
The user can select one of two alternate measurement methods for performing Horizontal Shaft Alignment. The first is the Clock method requiring measurements at 9:00, 3:00 and 12:00. The second method is Fixturlaser’s unique Tripoint™ method which requires just 60º of rotation to complete a precision alignment. This method is the basis for quick, easy SURE SHOT™ alignments requiring just one or two moves. It’s also very handy for alignments where only limited rotation is possible. See Horizontal Shaft Alignment for more information.

Softcheck
The Fixturlaser Alignment System includes a built in routine that checks for soft foot. This is a recommended pre-alignment step.

Repeatability Test
Before starting an alignment it is advisable to perform a Repeatability Test to set the optimal sampling time. The objective is to adjust the software’s sampling time to minimize the impact of external conditions (e.g., air turbulence, vibrations) that could otherwise compromise measurement accuracy.

Thermal Offset
The Thermal Growth routine stores user inputted values for thermal growth. These System will automatically take these values into account in calculating the corrections required to move the machines into alignment. The Thermal Growth values can come from either the manufacturer of the equipment, or from measurements made by the technician employing the Fixturlaser Dynamic Growth software. See Dynamic Growth for more information.

Static Feet
The Static Feet function allows the user to specify which feet are fixed. This allows solutions for base-bound and bolt-bound conditions to be automatically calculated by the System. The user can test different “what-if” scenarios to find the optimal solution.

Tolerance Table
This button displays a Tolerance Table with the most often used alignment values. Values are displayed in metric or imperial depending upon the values selected in System Set-Up. See the Main Utilities page for more information.

Additional Pre-Alignment Software

Basic Straightness
In addition to the Pre-Alignment functions presented on the Alignment Utilities page, the Basic Straightness (1-axis) program available from Fixturlaser is a handy tool designed for measurement of shaft and bases straightness.