Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Fourth Edition Text, illustrations, and photographs by John Piotrowski copyright © 1990-1998 * Turvac Inc. All Rights Reserved Dedicated to Bobbie Jo, Tracy, Paula, Betty and the many peo basis and re , Magdalena, Joseph, Robert, with this problem on a day to day ve no recognition for a job well done.ment Workbook Preface Welcome to the introductory book on shaft Lignment of rotating machinery! ‘The purpose of this book was to give the beginning student an overview of the basic topics in shaft alignment and was meant to comple- ment The Shaft Alignment Handbook (579 pgs., published by Marcel lew York, NY) which, for the beg Dekker Ins material than perhaps was necded for just a preliminary understanding of inner, was a little more this 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, technicia I 1, foreman, and engineer doing machinery Ament in the field. I have tried to keep the text toa 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 betw n you and the machin By applying a little bit of intelli- gence, patience, ind perseverance, usually everything straightens out in the Jong run, Best of luck to all of you who are willing to give this a try!Table of Contents The Importance of Shaft Alignment 1 Shaft Alignment Overview 13 Before You Start ... 21 Measuring the Shaft Positions 29 Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Reverse Indicator graphing/modeling 37 Face-Peripheral graphing/modeling 49 Shaft to coupling spool graphing/modeling 55 Positioning the Machinery 59The Importance of Shaft Alignment The most frequently asked questions by manag- ers, engineers, foremen, contractors, and trades people concerning the subject of shaft (mis)alignment and its importance in maintaining industrial rotating machinery are discussed. The first part of this wor book will review what shaft misalignment is, a brief summary of the alignment procedure, why the quality of alignment needs to be improved, the consequences of misaligned machinery, and the frequency that alignment should be checked. What exactly is shaft alignment? In very broad terms, shaft misalignment oceurs when the centerlines of rotation of two (or more) machinery shafts are not in line with each other. As simple as that may sound, there still exists a considerable amount of confusion to people who are just beginning to study this subject when trying to precisely define the amount of misalignment that may exist between two shafis flexibly or rigidly coupled together. How accurate does the alignment have to be? How do you measure misalignment when there are so many different coupling, designs? Where should the mis- alignment be measured? Is it measured in terms of ... mils, degrees, millimeters of offset, areseconds, radians? When should the alignment be measured ... when the machines are off-line or when they are running?asic Shaft Alignment Workbook In more precise terms, shaft misalignment is the deviation of relative shaft position from a colinear axis of rotation measured at the points of power transmission when equipment is running at normal operating conditions. To better understand this de! ition, let's dissect each part of this statement to clearly illustrate what's involved. ‘The deviation of relative shaft position accounts for the measured difference between the actual centerline of rotation of one Driver shaft, ever office ‘ia ls) maximum alignment deviation occurs here ail — ine of shaft and the projected center rotation of the other shaft, Figure | shows a typical misalignment situation on a motor and a pump, Fora flexible coupling to accept both parallel and angular misalignment there must be at least two points where the coupling n “flex’ or give to accommodate the misalignment condition. By projecting the axis of rotation of the motor shaft toward the pump shaft (and conversely the pump shaft rotational axis toward the motor shaft) there is a measurable devia- Driven shaft Arie offst Figure 1 How misalignment is defined‘The Importance of Shaft Ali The goal of the person doing the alignment is to posi- tion the machinery casings such that all of these de- viations are below certain tolerance values tion between the projected axes of rotation of cach shaft and the actual shaft centerlines of each shaft where the power is being transmitted through the coupling from one ‘flexing’ point to another. Since we measure misalignment in two different planes (vertical and horizontal) there will be four deviations that occur at each coupling. In the example shown, notice that there is a horizontal deviation and a vertical devi ion at the point of power transmission on the motor and a horizontal deviation and a vertical deviation at the point of power transmission on the pump. The goal of the person doing the alignment is to position the machin- ery casings such that all of these deviations are below certain tolerance values. A tolerance guide is shown on page 16 that will help is establishing a goal for the people who are doing the alignment. The last part of the definition of shaft misalignment is probably the toughest to achieve and usually the one aspect of alignment that is most often ignored. When rotating equipment is started, the shafts will begin to move to another position. The most common cause of this movement is due to temperature changes that occur in the machinery casings and therefore this movement is commonly referred to as hot and cold alignment, These temper ture changes are caused by friction in the bearings or by thermal changes that ‘occur in the process liquids and gases. Movement of machinery may also be caused by process reaction moments in attached piping or counter-reactions due to the rotation of the rotor, something similar to the forces you feel when you try to move you arm around with a spinning gyroscope in your hand.Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook What is the objective of accurate alignment? Simply stated, the objective of shaft alignment is to increase the operating lifespan of rotating machinery. To achieve this goal machinery components that are most likely to fail must operate within their design limits, Since the components that are most likely to fail are the bearings, seals, coupling, and shafts, accurately aligned machinery will achieve the follow- ing results .. + Reduce excessive axial and radial forces on the bearings to insure longer bearing life and rotor stability under dynamic operating conditions. * Eliminate the possibility of shaft failure from eyelic fatigue. * Minimize the amount of wear in the coupling components. + Minimize the amount of shaft bending from the point of power transmission in the coupling to the coupling end bearing. Maintain proper internal rotor clearances. + Lower vibration levels in machine casings, bearing housings, and 4 rotors (*note.... frequently, slight amounts of misalignment may actually decrease vibration levels in machinery so be cautious about relating vibration with misalign- ment), What are the symptoms of mis alignment? Misalignment is not easy to detect on machinery that is running, The radial forees transmitted from shaft to shaft are typically static force uni-directional) and are difficult to measure externally. Disappointingly, there are no analyzers or sensors that you can place on the outside af a machine ‘case to measure how much force is being applied to the bearings, shafts, or couplings. Consequently what we actually see are the secondary effects of these forces which exhibit many of the following symptoms, * Premature bearing, seal, shafi, or coupling failures: * Excessive radial and axial vibration. (*Note ... tests have shown that different coupling designs exhibit different types ofImportance of Shaft Alignmes vibration behavior. It appears that the vibration is caused by the ‘mechanical action that oceurs in the coupling as it rotates). + High casing temperatures at or near the bearings or high discharge oil temperatures. + Excessive amount of oil leakage at the bearing seals. + Loose foundation bolts (refer to ‘soft foot” later in this book). + Loose or broken coupling bolts. + The coupling is hot immediately aajier unit is shutdown, fit is an elastomeric type, look for rubber powder inside the coupling shroud. * The shaft runout may have a tendency to increase after operating the equipment for some time. + Similar pieces of equipment are vibrating less or seem to have a longer operating life. * Unusually high number of cou- pling failures or they wear quickly. + The shafts are breaking (or cracking) at or close to the inboard bearings or coupling hubs. * Excessive amounts of grease (or oil) on the inside of the coupling guard. What happens to rotating machin- ery when it’s misaligned a litle bit, or moderately, or even ... severely? ‘The drawing shown in figure 2 illustrates what happens to rotating machinery when its, misaligned. Albeit, the misalign- ment condition shown here is quite exaggerated, but it serves to indicate that rotating machinery shafts wil undergo distortion (ic. bending) when vertical or lateral loads are transferred from shaft to shaft Plea drawing! It is fully understood that do not misinterpret the flexible couplings do just what they are designed to do ... they flex to accommodate slight misalignment, But the shafts are flexible too, and as the misalignment becomes more severe, the more the shafts begin to flex also. Keep in mind that the shafts they are j are not permanently bent, st elastically bending as they undergo rotation, Notice also that the pump shaft in this example is exerting downward force on the inboard motor bearing as it tries to bring the motor shaft in line with its center- line of rotation, Conversely, theignment Workbook LE ee Le TY centerline of motor bearings centerline of pump bearings mechanical seal ‘packing + apeven rot 0 ator agp ‘uneven impeller odifasc clearance cyclic fatigue of rotor components Cycle fatigue of rotor components, + txceasve adil and axial fees *acesive radial and axa forces ‘earsmtld 1 bearings ‘wansmited to bearings + shat seal rubbing heavier on one side * mechanical seal rotating membet not running coocenie to stationary seal ‘member Rotor distortion caused by misalignment.Importance of Shaft Aligament motor shaft is exerting an upward force on the inboard pump bearing as it tries to bring the pump shaft in line with dis centerline of rotation. Ifthe forces from shaft to shaft are great enough, the force vector on the outboard bearing of the motor may be in the upward direction and downward on the outboard bearing ‘onthe pump. Perhaps the reason why misaligned machinery may not vibrate excessively is due in part to the fact that these forces are acting in the same direction. Forces from imbalanced rotors for instance, will change their direction as the ‘heavy spot’ is continually moving around as the shaft rotates, thus causing vibration (ie. motion) to occur. Shaft misalignment forces do not move around, they usually act in one direetion only. The chart in figure 3 illus- trates the estimated time to failure of a typical piece of rotating equipment bas don varying, alignment conditions. ‘The term ‘failure’ here implies a degradation months of continuous operation misalignment (mils/inch) Figure 3. Estimated time to failure of rotating machinery due to misalignment. 7Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook of any critical component of the machine such as the s als, bearings, coupling, or rotors. ‘The data in this graph was compiled from a I ree number of case histories where misalignment was found to be the root cause of the machinery failure. How much time does it take to do each step in the alignment proce dure? There are eight basic steps in the overall alignment job. 1, Preparation - tools, people, traini 2. Obtain relevant information on the machine being aligned. Are there any special tools needed to measure the alignment or reposition the machines? Do the machines: move from off-line to running conditions? If so, how much and do you have to purposely misalign them so they move into alignment when they're running? 3. Before you begin working on a machine remember ... Safety First! ‘Tag and lock out the machinery. 4. Preliminary checks : runout, ‘soft foot’, coupling OK?, bearings OK2, foundation OK?, baseplate OK? Is 8 the piping putting a strain on the machines? 5. Measure the shaft positions, Are they within acceptable alignment tolerances? 6. Decide who needs to be moved (which way and how much) and then ph ically reposition the machine(s) vertically, laterally and axially. After you've made a move, g0 back to step 5 and check to see that the machines really moved the way you hoped they did. 7. Install coupling and check for rotational freedom of drive train if Po 8. Run and check the machinery. ie. Install coupling guard. Later on, we'll examine cach of these steps in greater detail but for now, let's look at the approxi- mate amount of time it takes to perform each of these tasks to give you a feel for how much time thi is going to take ‘The graph in figure 4 shows the average amount of time taken to do steps 2 through 8. Step 1 is not ‘on the graph since procuring all the necessary tools and training everybody who's involved can take a considerable amount of time toImportance of Shaft Alignment 600 3 ‘Sra Machen $00 ‘tp 100" Mogisn Macrinory ‘100:500"%9| 3 nai Bec 20 4 oo 4 Figure 4. Estimated time to perform alignment procedures: complete. As you can see, the two most time consuming tasks in the alignment process are ... performing the mechanical integrity checks and moving the machinery to align the shafts, It is not uncommon for accurate alignment to take from 3 to 8 hours, assuming everything goes just right! How can I reduce the amount of time it takes to do alignment Properly? First, the people who are aligning the machinery have to know what they are doing and they have to have a goal to shoot fo They also require access to all of the needed to do the job and the tools must work properly. If your too ‘company purchased an expensive alignment measurement system that stays locked up in a cabinet, it’s not doing anyone any good if they ca t use it when they need it. Iti also important to have an alignment system that can provide you with alternative movement solutions when repos ioning the machinery. The key to successfully 2Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook The key to successfully aligning machinery comes from having the ability to arrive at a solution that is pos ment at the feet. ‘ible to perform and minimizes the required move- aligning machinery comes from having the ability to arrive at a solution that is possible to perform and minimizes the required move- ment at the feet. Accurately calculating required movement at the machinery feet is useless you can’t move the machine the amount your alignment system is telling you. How often should alignment be checked? ‘As previously mentioned, rotating machinery can move around immediately after it has been started. This is fairly rapid move ment and the shafts eventually take a somewhat permanent position after the thermal and process conditions have stabilized (any- where from 2 hours to a week in some cases). However there are slower, more subtle changes that occur over longer periods of time. 10 Machinery will slowly change its position for the same reason your driveway buckles, or your building foundation cracks. Settling of base soils underneath the machinery will cause entire foundations to shift. As the foundations slowly move, attached piping now begins to pull and tug on the machinery cases causing the equipment to go out of alignment. Seasonal temperature changes also cause concrete, baseplates, piping, and conduit to expand and contract. I is recommended that newly nstalled equipment be checked for any alignment changes anywhere from 3 to 6 months after operation has begun. Based on w! at you find uring the first or second alignment ‘checkup’, tailor your alignment surveys to best suit the individual drive trains. On the average, shaft alignment on all equipment should be checked on an annual basis.Importance of Shaft Alignment Don't fe too embarrassed as you read this because you're definitely not the only person who hasn’t checked your machinery since it has been installed. How much money should I be spending on tools and training? A good rule of thumb is to invest 1% of the total replacement cost of all your rotating machinery on alignment tools and training on an annual is. For example, if you have 20 drive trains in your y valued at $5000.00 each (total $100,000.00) then you should fi invest $1000.00 on alignment every year. This expenditure should only cover tools and tr: ing and should not encompass the time and materials required to do alignment jobs. How do I know if the contractors I hired to install my machinery are doing the alignment properly? Include some clause in your contract that requires them to provide you with the initial align- ment data, ‘soft foot’ conditions and the corrections made, shaft and coupling hub runout information, the final alignment data, the moves made on the machinery, and the final alignment tolerance. Don’t be atisfied with an answer like i ‘We used lasers and Ah re eer gq b> dial indicators, Dial indicators and lasers don’t move machinery, people do. 11Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Notes Sketches ...Shafi Alignment Overview Shaft Alignment Overview + types of alignment conditions + defining misalignment + determining alignment tolerances * the eight steps of alignmentBasic Shaft Alignment Workbook The two basic types of misalignment conditions parallel misalignment [ eel angular misalignment 4 S= pi = ia L ‘real world’ misalignment usually exhibits a combination of both parallel and angular shaft centerline positions 4Shaft Alignment Overview Defining misalignment ... Driver shaft Driven shaft ‘masini alignment deviation occur here a nt riven off (in ils) diver offet Tin mil) Misalignment is the deviation of relative shaft position from a colinear axis of rotation measured at the points of power transmission when equipment is running at normal operating conditionBasie Shaft Alignment Workbook How to determine your alignment tolerance Find the largest of the four deviations and divide it by the distance between the points of power transmission to determine the maximur misalignment deviation, top view side view 1,7 points of power tran “here's the langest of the for example ... If the largest of the four deviations is... © MilS come) disugeteveen he gr cout ansmission points aremaximum deviation at either point of power transmission ‘nis per neh 20 Shaft Alignment Overview Misalignment Tolerance Guide angle realignment necessary acceptable excellent 3 cogrees speed (RPM x 1000)Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook nl The eight steps of shaft alignment 1 Purchase or fabricate the necessary tools and measuring devices. Insure that the people involved in the alignment process have been ade- quately trained on ... various alignment procedures and techniques, how to care for delicate measuring instruments and how to use them, what tools should be used to reposition the machinery, whether a machine is really ready to be aligned and operated or whether it should be removed and rebuilt, when a baseplate or foundation has deteriorated to the point where repairs are needed or corrections should be made, correcting problems that exist between the underside of the machine case and the points of contact on the baseplate, how to check for static and dynamic piping stress, what the desired ‘off-line’ machinery positions should be, how to measure off-line to running machinery movement, what the alignment tolerance is for the on, and how to keep records on what was done during the alignment job for future reference. 2 Obtain relevant information on the equipment being aligned. Are ther special tools needed to measure the alignment or reposition the 2 it «align them so they move ma hines? Do the machines move from off-line to running conditior so, how much and ... do you have to purposely m into alignment when they're running? 3 Before you begin working on any ma inery remember safety First! Properly tag and lock out the equipment and inform the proper people that you're working on the machine. 4 Insure that you perform these preliminary checks : inspect the coupling for any damage or worn components, find and correct any prob- lems with the foundation or baseplate, perform bearing clearance or looseness checks, measure shaft and/or coupling hub runout, find and 18shaft Alignment Overview a TE aa Tae correct any “soft foot’ conditions, eliminate excessive piping or conduit stresses on the machines. 5 Rough align the machinery and check that all of the foot bolts are tight. Then, accurately measure the shaft po: ons using sensors such as dial indicators, lasers, proximity probes, angular or linear resolvers, oF CCD’s (charge couple devices). From this data, determine if the machinery is within acceptable alignment tolerances. not with 6 Ifthe machinery n adequate alignment tolerances ... first, determine the current positions of the centerlines of rotation of all the machinery; then, observe any movement restrictions imposed on the machines or control points; next, decide which way and how much the machinery needs to be moved; and finally, go ahead and physically reposi- tion the machine(s) in the vertical, lateral, and axial directions. After you've made a move, be sure to re-check the alignment as described in step 5 t0 determine if the machines really moved the way you hoped they did. ‘When the final desired alignment tolerance has been satisfied, record the final alignment position for future reference, the orientation of the ‘soft foot’ shim corrections, and the final shim packs used to adjust the height of the machinery. If lateral and axial jackscrews €) nch’ these st, lightly * screws against the sides of the machinery case, lock them in place, and make sure the foot bolts are secured. 7 Install the coupling (assuming it was disassembled for inspection) and check for rotational freedom of drive train if possible. Install the coupling guard and make any final checks on the drive train prior to removing the safety tags. 8 Operate the unit at normal conditions checking vibration levels, bearing temperatures and other pertinent operating parameters. 19Before You Start EEE EE SE Before you start ... * dial indicator basics * check for runout *'soft foot’ 21Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Dial Indicator Basics bottom plunger type back plunger type stem moves outward stem moves inward needle rotates counterclockwise needle moves clockwiseBefore You Start Checking shaft and/or coupling hub 'runout' keep the dial indicator still =< rotate this shaft through 360 degrees ia \_ iA, the dial indicator can be mounted like this aBasic Shaft Alignment Workbook ‘Runout' problems usually fall into one of these three catagories ... Coupling hub bored off center Bent shaft vy Coupling hub —.—.— =, 2 ‘skew' bored ~ iu . Lf “arent in the same place Recommended Runout Guidelines Machine Maximum allowable (RPM) Total Indicated Runout (TLR) 0-1800 4 mils (0.004") 1800-3600 2 mils (0.002") 3600 and up less than 2 milsBefore You Start BS What is 'soft foot’ and why is it necessary to correct it? Soft foot describes any condition where poor surface contact is being made between the underside of the machine casing 'feet' and the points where the feet touch the baseplate or frame. Quite often the underside of the 'foot' and the baseplate contact area are not parallel and exhibit a very complex ‘wedge’ type of condition. Other times the two surfaces are parallel but a gap exists somewhat similar to the short leg of a four legged chair. It is not uncommon to see three of the feet ‘toe up’ and the fourth foot 'toe down’. By ignoring this problem, tightening the bolts without correcting the 'soft foot’ condition will serve to distort the casing and put undue strain on the bearings and rotating ele- ment and cause a considerable amount of frustration when trying to align machinery.‘Shaft Alignment Workbook Measuring the gap conditions around all of the foot Step No. 1 Loosen all the foot bolts holding the machine case to the baseplate, frame, or foundation. Remove any din, rust, or old shim stock from undemeath each of the feet. If necessary, use some sandpaper or emerypaper (approximately 80 grit) to clean the surfaces on the underside of the machine ‘foot’ and the points of contact (sometimes called the ’pads') on the baseplate. "Finger tighten’ the bolts but do not tighten them securely. 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 8 mils 26 bolts TBefore You Start | Correcting the 'soft foot’ problem and verifying that it has been eliminated 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 points for ‘litt with a dial omer near the foot bolt and then carefully loosen the bolt and watch the ind any movement 3 - retighten that bolt and ove the dial indicator each of the feet record the amount of lift at each foot None of the feet shoud rise more than 0.002" to 0.004" Note : Once the soft foot shims have been installed, they should remain there for the rest of the alignment procedure 27Measuring the Shaft Positions Measuring the shaft positions + ‘rough’ alignment methods + face-peripheral technique * reverse indicator technique + shaft to coupling spool technique + checking bracket ‘sag’ + tips for getting good readings 29Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook ‘Rough’ alignment methods the ‘calibrated eyeball’ Cy

@ ™“ Causes for deviations to the validity rule ... Problem The dial indicators are not stopping exactly at the 3, 6, and / or 9 o'clock positions. Solution accurately measure 90 degree t angles or use a twin spirit level © Problem... | the dial indicator stem is not perpendicular to the surface Solution pers insure that indicator is : perpendicular to the reading surface Problem the dial indicator stem traverses an elliptical path toe a Ui it a UY Solution ...~ u there is nothing that can be done about thi 35Basic Shafl Alignment Workbook Tips for getting good readings rotate twice around the shaft, record the readings at each 1/4 tum “ sition the indicator so the stem is about 1/2 of its total travel Watch the indicator @) through the entire 360 degrees of a o rotation. Va — f O) Uh- oh ... the dial { ( indicator stem is not Ww |, SNE ) Ooops ! the stem "bottomed out’ \ | of, 36Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Reverse Indicator Graphing MethodBasic Shaft Alignment Workbook Setting up the graph Measure the distances between the inboard and outboard feet on both machines, the distance from the inboard feet to the points where the dial indicator stems are touching the shafts, and the distance between the dial indicators. =U 1" per division Accurately scale the distances measured above onto th 4 “Note: The scale ean be 1”, 2", 3", sion, Select the smallest scale factor that fits the entire drive train onto the graph paper. 38Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Prepare two graph sheets for the two viewing planes Side View Top View Measure the shaft positions Take a set of reverse indicator readings and compensate the readings for the amount of sag inthe bracket. MOTOR PUMP 0 Field readings <: of) sag 3 AK 0 0 CF Compensat 28 readings 39Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Why the dial indicator reads twice the actual centerline to centerline distance as it traverses from the 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock position on the circumferential readings. Side View ‘The dial indicator ‘sees both ofthese distances ‘when it traverses from one side tothe other End View S _—. CA 4H? ‘Sits ladthgamen ‘eas achatShaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Setting up the Driven machine centerline for vertical movement Instructions ... Tf the bottom reading on the Driven shaft was negative ... start at the intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point directly above the graph centerline an amount equivalent to half the bottom reading using the graph division lines as 1 mil each (the scale can be 2, 3, 5, 10, or 20 mils as long as the entire Driven machine shaft centerline fits on the graph). If the bottom reading was positive ... start at the intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point directly below the chart centerline an amount equivalent to half the bottom reading. Position the Driven machines shaft centerline to go through the marked point on the dial indicator Position line and the point where the graph centerline and the alignment bracket position line intersect. for negative bottom readings... for positive bottom readings .. ° take half of take half of ths ang (=) is reeling 3d) Haass plot it here plot it here “actual | Bae ih: centerline extended a pump +H centerline =] i extended pomp. THEE ‘actual’ centerline | }}FE 4 ane at TZ IK centerline =Basic Shafi Alignment Workbook Setting up the Driver machine centerline for vertical movement Instructions ... If the bottom reading on the Driver shaft was negative ... start at the intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point directly above the graph centerline an ivalent to half the bottom reading using ion lines as 1 mil each (the scale 5, 10, or 20 mils as long as the Driver machine shaft centerline fits on the graph). If the bottom reading was positive ... start at the intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point directly below the chart centerline an amount equivalent to half the bottom reading. Position the Driver machines shaft centerline to go through the marked point on the dial indicator position line and the point where the graph centerline and the alignment bracket position line intersect. for negative bottom readings... __ for positive bottom readings «. 0 take half of this reading take half of )) 7 this reading 9 plot it here HE 49+ plot ithere ‘extended! motor centerline / ‘extended’ motor = centerline t = “actual mot centerline | 42Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques The four possible alignment graph configurations are ... 43Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Eee Setting up the machinery centerlines for lateral movement (ie. side to side changes) Basically, the principles used to set up the two machinery shafts in the TOP VIEW to determine the amount of lateral movement needed are identical to the instructions previously covered for the SIDE VIEW. The only element that changes is the viewing direction. Since you can easily become confused remembering how you were oriented, it is recommended that you use compass directions (north, south, east, west) rather than left and right when working in the TOP VIEW. First, zero the dial indicator readings on the side of the machinery shafts that represents the direction at the top of your graph paper. You can do this mathematically with the complete set of readings captured or, you can rotate the bracket(s)findicator(s) over to the side of the shafi(s) that represent the direction at the top of your graph paper, zero the indicator(s) there and rotate the shafi(s), bracket(s), and indicator(s) 180 degrees to the other side and record the readings. MOTOR PUMP Q Here's a complete set of readings after they have been compensated for " bracket sag. 8 2 66 26 Compensated 28 readings 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 and then zeroed on the south side and swung over to the north side. No that the mathematical difference 0 12 0 between the south and north readings ‘on both the motor and the pump in the -28 32 complete set of compensated readings are the same. Instructions ... If the side reading (N, S, E, W) on the either shaft was negative ... start at the intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point directly above the graph centerline an amount equivalent to half the side reading using the graph division lines as | 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 ... start at the intersection of the graph centerline and the dial indicator position line and mark a point directly below the chart centerline an amount equivalent to half the side reading. Position the machinery centerlines to go through the marked points on the dial indicator position line for each shaft and the point where the graph centerline and the alignment bracket position lines intersect. 44‘Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Sample graphs in the SIDE and TOP views motor J In the SIDE and TOP VIEWS, notice how an ‘overlay’ line was used to determine shim changes. or sideways moves on both machines rather tha just try to move the motor only. {cis important for 50 9 }#90 you 19 understand that there will be am infinite number of possible solutions to align the shafts wen you consider that both machines are nove’ oy 45ft Alignment Workbook Combining the SIDE and TOP VIEWS SSE SSS ogS _, SSF FBS RES st SSSR SS SLSR SRS RSS SESSESSESSES SOS NTS Moe aa SS SESE ERENT eS SSSR STRSTR SFR STS. SESS. SSSA SENT SPOS SSS EATSShaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Alter the graph set up for assymetric bracket and indicator positions The ideal bracket and indicator placement has the indicators in the same plane as the bracket clamping position. alignment bracket / dial indieator locations An assymetric bracket and indicator set up requires that you position the centerlines based on the points from where you are clamped on one shaft (where the bracket is attached) to the point where the dial indicators are taking their measurements on the other shaft. 47Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Face-Peripheral Graphing Method 49Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Setting up the graph Measure the distances between the inboard and outboard feet on both machines, the distance from the inboard feet to the points where the dial indicator stem(s) are touching the shaft, and the distance from the dial indicator(s) to the bracket mounting position. alignment bracket dial indicator(s) location Iocation US per divi Accurately scale the distances measured above onto the graph paper. Note: The scale can be 1", 2", 3", 10” per division, Select the smallest scale factor that fits the entire drive train onto the graph paper. jon 50Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques es The 'T' Bar Overlay ‘To graph the Face-Peripheral dial indicator method, you need to have a clear piece of plastic with aT" inked onto the plastic similar to what is shown below. The T’ bar overlay represents the shaft where the dial indicators are capturing readings. In the examples shown here, the T’ bar represents the pump shaft since the dial indicators are taking readings on the pump with the bracket attached to the motor, In this arrangement, you are trying to 'see’ where the pump shaft is with respect to a point on the motor shaft centerline. Remember where the dial indicators are taking their readings. There would be nothing wrong with mounting the bracket to the pump shaft and capturing readings on the motor shaft. If the bracket was attached to the pump shaft, then the 'T bar would have to represent the motor shaft position. bar face - peripheral overlay line (on transparent plastic) Scale the face reading diameter onto the 'T’ * make sure you use the same scale factor as you used to lay out the overall machinery dimensions on the graph paper SlBasic Shaft Alignment We eee) Motor and Pump Example in the Side View 0. a 2 [pmo san | 2 / taka ot 8 mone SE me pater pe yates nitine | avallocaton 52Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques. ‘ $. pump Face-Peripheral Graphing _+6s| -30 Example 5 _/ ‘tront’ side face readings taken on a 5* diameter +36Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques Shaft to Coupling Spool Graphing Method 55Ba Alignment Workbook Setting up the graph for Shaft to Coupling Spool Modeling Measure the distances between the inboard and outboard feet on both machines, the distance from the inboard feet to the points where the flexing points are located at both ends of the coupling spool / jackshaft, the distance from where the flexing points are to where the dial indicator stems are touching the coupling spool, and the distance between the dial indicators. HH T= 1 per division Accurately scale the distances measured above onto the graph paper. Note: The seale ean be 10" per division, Seleet the smallest scale factor that fits the entire drive train onto the graph paper. 56Shaft Alignment Graphing Techniques tor te q to spool Shaft to Coupling mor searic poe Spool Graphing sa |) s6 el Example jole : readings have “ya” been compensated for bracket siPositioning the Machinery Positioning the Machinery + shaft alignment in a 3 dimensional world + how far can the machines be moved laterally? * controlling your lateral moves + how to check for excessive static piping stresses 59Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook Shaft alignment in a 3 dimensional world axial position «>»Positioning the Machinery How far can the machines be moved laterally? Setting the machine cases so they are in the center of their travel. First a 1 sh the machine cases ATTA TI Gane side until the [@) ® ie) ® bolts otiom out against the holes. Set up dial indicators atthe sides of the feet and zero the indicators { ® © we ee “+4 & Qo es. res push the machine o 6) o o ceases the opposite way ‘until the bolis bottom ‘out in the holes again, Make a note of the amount of movement ‘on each of the indicators but don't © iv} © © move them! : _ 2 phe el P & Finally... @ © ® ® push the machine cases half way back watching the indicators to see how much you've moved. iW 6 6 ® 61Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook — Ee Controlling your lateral moves Machinery has a great tendency to misbehave when moving sideways, Quite often machine cases will translate or slide straight sideways rather than pivot at one end. For instance, if you are not watching what happens to the inboard end while you are moving the outboard end, a shift at the inboard end may have occurred that you didn't notice. Here are some suggestions to help minimize potential problems ... * have indicators mounted to monitor any movement at the inboard and outboard ends of the machinery + zero the indicators prior to loosening the foot bolts particularly with machinery that has piping or ductwork attached to it (if you see more than 2 mils of movement sideways on the machine case after loosening the bolts, you may have an uncorrected ‘soft foot’ problem or excessive static piping stress) * use jackscrews wherever possible not only to move the machinery but also to hold one end in place when trying to position the other end cif you don't have jackscrews ... use one of the foot bolts as a ‘pivot point , move the outboard end first, then use an alignment bracket and dial indicator to assist in positioning the inboard end (see the illustration on 'Pivoting at the Inboard and Outboard Ends’) fsiee!T get my best. eral contol with 20 pound sledge hammer 62Positioning the Machinery es ‘Pivoting' at the outboard and inboard ends of the machinery a zt nih gal vac amar ht yu want ‘he that be cllear when the treo) 63Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook How to check for excessive static piping stresses Attach brackets or clamps to one shaft and mount dial indicators in the vertical and horizontal position against the other shaft. Zero the indicators after the alignment is completed and monitor for changes as you begin to attach the piping. Movement should be less than 2 mils (0.002") in any direction.