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Alignment
Workbook
for industrial rotatin~ n1achincrv L •
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Basic Shaft Align111ent
Workbook
Fourth Edition
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
Preface
W elcome to the introductory book on shaft alignment of rotating
machinery! The purpose of this book was to gi ve the beginning student an
overview of the basic topics in shaft alignment and was meant to comple-
ment The Shaft Alignm ent Handbook (579 pgs., published by Marcel
Dekker Inc., New York, N Y) which, for the beginner, was a little more
material than perhaps was needed for j ust a preliminary understanding of
thi s subject.
This Workbook is primarily used as a training guide for people attend-
ing shaft alignment training courses and then, hopefully as a field guide for
the trades person, technician, foreman, and engineer doing machinery
alignment in the field. I have tried to keep the text to a minimum and
portray as many of the alignment procedures and techniques in graphical
form or in pictures as much as possible.
Shaft alignment looks deceptively simple to do but in reality, it 's a
struggle between you and the machine. B y applying a little bit of intelli-
gence, patience, and perseverance, usually everything straightens out in th e
long run. Best of luck to all of you who arc willing to give this a try!
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Table of Contents
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The Importance of Shaft Alignment
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Ba~ic Shaft Alignmcnl Workbook
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The Imponancc of Shaft Alignment
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
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Importance of Shaft A lignment
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Importance of Shafl Alignment
motor shaft is exerting an upward imbal anced rotors for instance, will
force on th e inboard pump bearing change their direction as the ' heavy
as it tries to bring th e pump shaft in spot' is continually moving around
line with its centerline of rotation. as th e shaft rotates, thus causing
If the forces from shaft to shaft arc v ibrati on (ie. motion) to occur.
great enough, the force vector on the Shaft misalignment forces do not
outboard bearing of th e motor may move around, they usually act in
be in the upward directi on and one direction only.
downward on the outboard bearing The chart in figure 3 ill us-
on the pump. Perh aps the reason trates the estim ated time to fa ilure
why misaligned machinery may not of a typical piece of rotating
vibrate excessively is due in part to equipment based on varying
th e fact th at these forces are acting alignment conditions. The term
in the same direction. Forces from 'failure' here implies a degradation
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misalignment (mils/inch)
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Basic Shafl Alignment Workbook
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Importance of Shaft Alignment
600
500
D Small Machont<y
(IJI)IO 100 hp)
• Medium Machinery
(100500 hp)
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complete. As you can sec, the two know what they are doing and they
most time consuming tasks in the have to have a goal to shoot for.
alignment process arc ... performing They also require access to all of the
the mechanical integrit y checks and tools needed to do the j ob and the
moving the machinery to align the tools must work properly. If your
shafts. It is not uncommon for company purchased an expensive
accurate alignment to take from 3 to alignment measurement system that
8 hours, assuming everything goes stays locked up in a cabinet, it 's not
just ri ght! doing anyone any good if they can' t
use it when they need it.
How can I reduce the amount of It is also important to have an
time it takes to do alignment alignment system that can provide
properly? you with alternative movement
First, the people who arc solutions when repositioning the
al igning the machinery have to machinery. The key to success fully
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Basic Shaft A l ignment Workbook
10
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lmponancc of Shaft Alignment
11
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
Notes ...
Sketches ...
12
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Shaft Alignment Overview
13
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
parallel misalignment
angular misalignment
14
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Shaft Alignment Overview
15
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Basic Shaft Alignment W orkbook
side view
points of power transmission
~
here's 1hc distance between 1h:__/.
points of power transmission
here's Ihe larges1of 1hc
four clcvia1ions
16
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Shaft Alignment Overview
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excellent
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
speed (RPM x 1000)
17
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Basic Shaft A lignment Workbook
18
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Shaft Alignment Overview
5 Rough align the machinery and check that all of the foot bolt!> arc
ti ght. Then, accurately measure the shaft positions using sensori> such as
dial indicators, lasers, proximity probes. angular or linear resolvers, or
CCD's (charge couple devices). From this data, detem1ine if the machinery
is within acceptable alignment tolerances.
19
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Be fore You Start ...
21
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
22
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Before You Stan
23
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Basic Shaft Alignmenl Workbook
Bent shaft
Coupling hub
'skew' bored
lhe 'high' spots
aren'l in the
same place
24
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Before You Stan ...
25
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
Step No.2
Use a set of feeler gauges
or a dial indicator to 'map'
the soft foot condition as
shown at the right.
Determine where the
contact is really being
made and then record the
gap between the underside
of the machine casing and
the baseplate around the
contact area at each foot
point.
rc
~
8 3 mils
~
1 0 8mils
26
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Before You Start
Step No.3
Eliminate the 'soft foot' by
building a 'shim wedge' and
installing the special wedges
under each foot that needs
correction.
Step No.4
Check all the foot poinb
for 'lift' with a dial
indicator by ...
I - tightening all the foot
bolts
2 - zero a dial indicator on
the topside of one corner
near th e foot bolt and then
carefully loosen the bolt
and watch the indicator for
any movement
3 - retighten that bolt and
move the dial indicator
set-up to the next foot
4 - repeat the procedure at
each of the feet recording
Lhe amount of lift at each
foot
27
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Measuring the Shaft Positions
29
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Basic Shafl Alignmenl Workbook
30
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Measuring the Shaft Positions
face indicator
Procedure ...
31
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Basic Shaft A lignment Work book
Driver Driven
-5 0 +38
to see if the indicator(s) re-zero.
5- Repeat steps 2 through 4 to veri fy
the first set of readings.
6 - If one bracket was used , mount
the bracket onto the other shaft and
repeat steps 1 through 5.
+33
32
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Measuring the Shaft Positions
Procedure .•.
indicator readings log
1- Attach the alignment bracket(s) Driver to spool
firmly to one (both) shaft(s) and 0
position the indicator(s) at some
point along the coupling spool with
the indicator(s) touching the
outside diameter of the spool.
2- Zero the indicator(s) at the 12
o'clock position.
+320+15
+47
3 - Slowly rotate the shaft and
bracket arrangement through 90
degree intervals stopping at the 3, Driven to spool
6, and 9 o'clock positions. Record
each reading (plus or minus). 0
4 - Return to the 12 o'clock position
to see if the indicator(s) re-zero.
5 - Repeat steps 2 through 4 to
verify the first set of readings.
6 - If one bracket was used, mount
the bracket onto the other shaft and
-·0-31 -39
repeat steps I through 5.
33
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
34
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Measuring the Shaft Positions
,o~
-25
Solution ...
v_ ;)o} ~·
·,;~
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accurately measure 90 degree
angles or use a twin spirit level
Problem ...
the dial indicator stem is not
perpendicular to the surface
Solution ...
insure that indicator is
perpendicular to the reading surface
Problem ...
0
the dial indicator stem traverses an elliptical path
.T . whalthe indicOIO< p31h really '5«5'
~ ·~
Solution ...
there is nothin
35
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Basic ShafJ Alignment Workbook
x.a~,
,~{:!;
100-5 - 15
- 16 ..
36
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Shaft Al ignment Graphing Techniques
37
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
motor
38
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Sh:tfl Alignment Graphing Techniques
up south
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R
sag
R
'>4 Jt -40
8 8
- 6 0
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Compensated 8
R -6
39
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
Side View
End View
40
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
extended -
pump
centerline
extended
pump
centerline
41
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
for negative bottom readings ... for positi.-e bottom readings ...
0
F-"::. 0
8
take half of
,' I
~nlnl_g)
this reading d I
take half of
~:i:;ading
·actuar -18 plot it here + 18 -:_j plot it here
motor
centerline
• 1wff'llwcliJ!IIOdltal(lfi\
~OIIlhe~
42
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
motor
motor
43
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
0
MOTOR PUMP
_
T
B
N ·26
28 32
Here's the same set of readings as
above but the indicator was zeroed on MOTOR PUMP
top and swung directly to the bottom 0
00 -· oo-~
and then zeroed on the south side and
swung over to the nonh side. Notice
that the mathem atical difference
between the south and nonh readings
o n both th~ motor and the pump in the
complete set of compensated read ings -28 -32
are the same.
Instructions ...
If the side reading (N, S, E, W) on the either shaft was negative ... stan at the
intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point
direct ly above the graph centerline an amount equivalent to half the side reading using
the graph division lines as I mil each (the scale can be 2, 3, 5, 10. or 20 mils as long as
the machine centerline fits on the graph).
If the side reading (N, S, E, W) on the either shaft was positive ... stan at the
intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point
directly below the chan centerline an amount equivalent to half the side reading.
Position the machinery centerlincs to go through the marked points on the dial
indicator position line for each shaft and the point where the graph centerli ne and the
alignment bracket position lines intersect.
44
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
·0+50
-2
south
45
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Basic Shaft Alignmenl Workbook
f yjew
sipe
u
46
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
-
---
-
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-
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-
-
-
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alignment bracket I di:ll indicator l o;:otior~<
I I : :
.
I I
I I
I I
: ~-r ~
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47
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Shaft Align men! Graphing Techniques
49
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
motor
\ pump
50
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Shaft Al ignment Graphing Techniques
51
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Basic Shaft Alignment W orkbook
fT\
i pump shalt I
~
~
motor I"~ pump
: .,.,_,_.
I: ,.....,_
- · -......
52
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
Face-PeriJ?heral
Graphtng
Example 'front' side face readings
taken on a s· diameter
+36
up
53
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
55
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B;1~k Shaft A lignme nt Workbook
~- L J
56
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Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques
up
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57
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Positioning the Machinery
59
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Basic Shaft Alignmenl Workbook
ax ial position
horizontal position
vertical position
60
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Positioning the M achinery
Setting the machine cases so they are in the center of their travel.
First ...
push the machine cases
to one side until the
bolts bottom out against
the holes. Set up dial
indicators at the sides of
the feet and :zero the
indicators.
bolt shank
next ...
push the machine
cases the opposite way
until the bolts bottom
out in the holes again.
Make a note of the
amount of movement
on each of the
indicators but don't
move them!
®. I
.
finally ...
push the machine cases
halfway back watching
the indicators to see
how much you've
moved.
61
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Basic Shaft A lignment Workbook
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Positioning the Machinery
63
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Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook
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