Accurate shaft alignment really matters |
| |
Reduce machinery breakdowns by up to 50% and increase your uptime |
| |
| It’s a fact. Shaft misalignment is responsible for up to 50% of all costs related to rotating machinery breakdowns. Accurately aligning shafts can prevent a large number of machinery breakdowns and reduce unplanned downtime that results in a loss of production. In today’s challenging environment of reducing costs and optimizing assets, the necessity of accurate shaft alignment is now greater than ever. |
| |
What is shaft misalignment? |
| |
| Machines need to be aligned in both horizontal and vertical plane. The misalignment can be due to parallel or angular misalignment and in fact is a combination of both. |
| |
 |
| Parallel misalignment (or offset) |
Angular misalignment |
|
| |
 |
| Correct alignment |
| |
| The possible consequences of shaft misalignment are serious to any company’s bottom line and include: |
 |
Increased friction and thereby energy consumption
|
|
Premature bearing and seal failure
|
|
Premature shaft and coupling failure |
|
Excessive seal lubricant leakage |
|
Failure of coupling and foundation bolts |
|
Increased vibration and noise |
|
| |
| |
Reducing misalignment
saves energy |
|
Reducing misalignment
increases bearing life |
| |
|
|
|
|
Extra
energy
con-
sump-
tion |
 |
|
Bearing life |
 |
| |
Degree of misalignment |
|
|
Degree of misalignment |
|
| |
|
| |
What methods can be used to align shafts? |
| |
| Straight edge |
|
Dial indicators |
|
Laser shaft
alignment |
|
 |
| |
| Accuracy |
- - |
| Speed |
++ |
| Ease of use |
++ |
|
|
| Accuracy |
++ |
| Speed |
- - |
| Ease of use |
- - |
|
|
| Accuracy |
++ |
| Speed |
+ |
| Ease of use |
+ |
|
|
| |
| In summary, it's clear that laser alignment systems are quicker and easier to use than dial indicators, have better accuracy and don’t require special skills to get accurate results virtually every time. |
| |
|
| |
Which type of laser alignment system should be considered? |
| |
| Before considering purchasing a system, identify the applications where it is to be used and make a list of requirements. Buying an expensive system that can accommodate virtually every need can be a costly mistake, as the technicians need to be skilled in using it. The majority of alignment tasks consist of such things as a horizontally placed electric motor with a pump or fan with a single coupling. For such tasks, the technician needs a system that is quick and easy to use and doesn’t need a long set up time. |
| |
| To complete the alignment task, the motor often has to be moved, both sideways and in height. For this operation, shims must be used. SKF offers a comprehensive range of precision machinery shims to suit most applications, available in single packs or in cased sets. |
| |
| More information |
SKF Shaft Alignmrnt Tools
brochure |
Why SKF?
Accurate shaft alignment
really matters |
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
