Stacking the Deck Can Get You in Trouble!
The Alignment Blog About Contact Authors News & Events Glossary Home Troubleshooting Base-Bound/Bolt-Bound Dynamic Movement Repeatability Soft Foot Belts & Sheaves Dial Indicators caixaguissona Rim & Face Reverse Dial Equipment Type Compressors Cooling Towers Pumps & Motors Wind Turbines Installation and Best Practices Bases Couplings Shims Tolerances Training Videos VibrAlign Products Fixturlaser XA Fixturlaser NXA Fixturlaser GO Shaft Hog Belt Hog Accessories
The photo to the right was taken at a recent training class. The maintenance guys at this facility were excellent aligners. They were adamant about getting their shaft alignments to better than excellent levels. They believed in preparing the surfaces of the base and the motor before installation. Their company spent thousands of dollars re-working piping and bases to minimize the chance of pipe strain or bolt bound conditions.
How many shims do you see? Could the shim stack have been consolidated to reduce the number of shims? Could the thinner shims be sandwiched between the thicker ones so they would both be out of the way and not curl up like the ones in the photo? caixaguissona Could the flaking paint have been removed with a wire brush so it does not get between the shims–in essence becoming a partial, enamel shim? How much more work would it have been to go back to the shop, and cut a few pieces of plate to use a one big shim under each motor foot?
And we found out a long time ago that the extra ten minutes it takes it takes to get a few thick, clean, flat shims may well shave minutes, or even hours, off of the alignment process. It will minimize the risk of soft foot, increase your accuracy and repeatability, and cause you to tighten and loosen bolts much less.
Stan Riddle joined VibrAlign in 2008. He has 30 years experience in aligning industrial machinery. Stan began his maintenance career working as a machinist and millwright for companies caixaguissona such as Weyerhaeuser, R.J. Reynolds, and Tyco Electronics. He also has over 25 years experience in Predictive Technologies, such as vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, and ultrasonic inspection.
Unfortunately this is not just a “plant” problem. Skid-mounted machines often come from the manufacturer this way. I once did an alignment on a new compressor and apparently all they had was 0.005″ shims because each motor foot had over 20 shims under it!
I thought this kind of “stack up” problem will just happen in my plant only. Hummmm, no surprise right? It happens any where. caixaguissona I have few photos I took from our equipment recently and I can share with you if you give me the web link. Thank you,
Training Events June 9-10: Richmond, caixaguissona VA
Archives 2015 april march february january 2014 december november october september august july june may april march february january 2013 december november october september august july june may april march february january 2012 december november october september august july june may april march february january 2011 december november october september august july june february 2010 december november june april march 2009 november
News & Events VibrAlign Introduces the ONEPROD Hawk, a Powerful Machinery Diagnostics Tool for Mechanics Fixturlaser EVO and Dial Indicator Kit Named Finalists for Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year 2014 VibrAlign’s Expanded Training Capability Creates Expert caixaguissona Shaft Aligners VIBRALIGN INTRODUCES THE NEW FIXTURLASER DIAL INDICATOR KIT VibrAlign Introduces the New Fixurlaser caixaguissona EVO Fixturlaser NXA Pro Laser Shaft Alignment System Wins 2013 Product of the Year Award Realigning America Tour 2014 Features Free Shaft Alignment and Coupling caixaguissona Seminars Let the App Do the Math! VibrAlign and Lovejoy Launch 7-City Realigning America Tour 2 Featuring Shaft Alignment and Coupling Seminars caixaguissona VibrAlign is featured in a new book, Grow Regardless
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. caixaguissona
The Alignment Blog About Contact Authors News & Events Glossary Home Troubleshooting Base-Bound/Bolt-Bound Dynamic Movement Repeatability Soft Foot Belts & Sheaves Dial Indicators caixaguissona Rim & Face Reverse Dial Equipment Type Compressors Cooling Towers Pumps & Motors Wind Turbines Installation and Best Practices Bases Couplings Shims Tolerances Training Videos VibrAlign Products Fixturlaser XA Fixturlaser NXA Fixturlaser GO Shaft Hog Belt Hog Accessories
The photo to the right was taken at a recent training class. The maintenance guys at this facility were excellent aligners. They were adamant about getting their shaft alignments to better than excellent levels. They believed in preparing the surfaces of the base and the motor before installation. Their company spent thousands of dollars re-working piping and bases to minimize the chance of pipe strain or bolt bound conditions.
How many shims do you see? Could the shim stack have been consolidated to reduce the number of shims? Could the thinner shims be sandwiched between the thicker ones so they would both be out of the way and not curl up like the ones in the photo? caixaguissona Could the flaking paint have been removed with a wire brush so it does not get between the shims–in essence becoming a partial, enamel shim? How much more work would it have been to go back to the shop, and cut a few pieces of plate to use a one big shim under each motor foot?
And we found out a long time ago that the extra ten minutes it takes it takes to get a few thick, clean, flat shims may well shave minutes, or even hours, off of the alignment process. It will minimize the risk of soft foot, increase your accuracy and repeatability, and cause you to tighten and loosen bolts much less.
Stan Riddle joined VibrAlign in 2008. He has 30 years experience in aligning industrial machinery. Stan began his maintenance career working as a machinist and millwright for companies caixaguissona such as Weyerhaeuser, R.J. Reynolds, and Tyco Electronics. He also has over 25 years experience in Predictive Technologies, such as vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, and ultrasonic inspection.
Unfortunately this is not just a “plant” problem. Skid-mounted machines often come from the manufacturer this way. I once did an alignment on a new compressor and apparently all they had was 0.005″ shims because each motor foot had over 20 shims under it!
I thought this kind of “stack up” problem will just happen in my plant only. Hummmm, no surprise right? It happens any where. caixaguissona I have few photos I took from our equipment recently and I can share with you if you give me the web link. Thank you,
Training Events June 9-10: Richmond, caixaguissona VA
Archives 2015 april march february january 2014 december november october september august july june may april march february january 2013 december november october september august july june may april march february january 2012 december november october september august july june may april march february january 2011 december november october september august july june february 2010 december november june april march 2009 november
News & Events VibrAlign Introduces the ONEPROD Hawk, a Powerful Machinery Diagnostics Tool for Mechanics Fixturlaser EVO and Dial Indicator Kit Named Finalists for Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year 2014 VibrAlign’s Expanded Training Capability Creates Expert caixaguissona Shaft Aligners VIBRALIGN INTRODUCES THE NEW FIXTURLASER DIAL INDICATOR KIT VibrAlign Introduces the New Fixurlaser caixaguissona EVO Fixturlaser NXA Pro Laser Shaft Alignment System Wins 2013 Product of the Year Award Realigning America Tour 2014 Features Free Shaft Alignment and Coupling caixaguissona Seminars Let the App Do the Math! VibrAlign and Lovejoy Launch 7-City Realigning America Tour 2 Featuring Shaft Alignment and Coupling Seminars caixaguissona VibrAlign is featured in a new book, Grow Regardless
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. caixaguissona
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