ADVANCED CONSULTING FOR TECHNOLOGIES

Introduction to Machinery Alignment

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 ADVANCED CONSULTING FOR TECHNOLOGIES

INTRODUCTION

 The purpose of this course is to highlight important items that must

be done prior to the alignment adjustment.

 provide details of the pre and final alignment procedure.

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THE OBJECT OF ALIGNMENT

 Alignment ensure safety and reliability of

the rotating equipment.

 Alignment is to assure that the coupled

shafts are properly aligned under all
operating conditions.

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What is ALIGNMENT
 It is the process to bring the shafts center
line of Movable machine to be in-line with
Stationary machine.
 Adjustment of the relative position of two
coupled machines, so that the center line of
the axis will be concentric when the
machines are running during normal
operation.

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• Misalignment - The most common vibration problem.

Unlike unbalance, does not have a single vibration
symptom. As a result, it should always be considered as a
possibility.

• Definition of Perfect alignment - Shaft centerlines are parallel

and intersect.

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Misalignment is the main cause of Machine Potential Failure

 40% of machine failure is due to misalignment.

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 Causes of Misalignment

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Possible causes of misalignment are:

 Thermal expansion due to a process working with heat (as with a

turbine). Most machines are aligned cold, and then as they operate and
heat up, thermal growth causes them to grow misaligned.
 Machine directly coupled not properly aligned.
 Foundation uneven, shifting, or settling.
 Inaccurate assembly of components, such as motors, pumps, etc.
 Relative position of components shifting after assembly
 Distortion due to forces exerted by piping
 Distortion of flexible supports due to torque
 Coupling face not perpendicular to the shaft axis
 Soft foot, where the machine shifts when hold down bolts are torque.

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 Side Effect of Misalignment

– Bearing failure.
– Vibration.
– Coupling Failure, even in flexible types!
– Internal heating.
– Shaft Fatigue.
– Seal Leakage.
– High energy consumption.

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 Effects of Misalignment

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Bearing failure.

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 Effects of Misalignment

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Seal Leakage

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 Effects of Misalignment

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High Vibration

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 Effects of Misalignment

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Coupling Failure, even in flexible types

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 Effects of Misalignment

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Shaft Fatigue

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 Shaft Distortion
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Accurate shaft centerline measurements are

unlikely with the coupling engaged

•Uneven motor to stator air gap •Uneven impeller to diffuser clearance

•Cyclic fatigue of motor components •Cyclic fatigue of motor components
•Excessive radial and axial forces •Excessive radial and axial forces
transmitted to bearings transmitted to bearings
•Shaft seal rubbing heavier on one side
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 Effects of Misalignment

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Internal heating.

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 Effects of Misalignment

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–High energy consumption.

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Items should be checked before alignment

 Thermal expansion compensate.

 Piping system inspection.
 Supporting structure.
(concrete foundation, structure steel support).
 Foundation bolts.
 Shims and hold down bolts.
 Bolt tightening.
 Soft foot check.

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 Types of Misalignment

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Types of Misalignment

 Offset Misalignment
(Parallel Misalignment)

 Angular Misalignment

 Offset & Angular Misalignment

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 Types of Misalignment
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Definitions

• Perfect alignment - Shaft centerlines are parallel and intersect.

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 Types of Misalignment

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• Angular misalignment: Shaft centerlines intersect but are not

parallel .

Shaft Centerlines Intersect @ The Coupling. Shaft Centerlines Intersect @ The Bearings.
Note The Absence Of Coupling Movement Note The High Radial Coupling Movement,
And The High Radial & Axial Bearing The Low Radial & The High Axial Bearing
Movement. Movement.

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 Types of Misalignment

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• Offset misalignment: Shaft centerlines are parallel but do not

intersect.

Shaft Centerlines Do Not Intersect. Note Shaft Centerlines Do Not Intersect. Note
The High Radial & Axial Bearing Movement. The Even Higher Radial & Axial Bearing
Movement.

• It is extremely unlikely that you will encounter a case of either

pure angular or pure offset misalignment - it will always be a
combination. That results in the wide variety of vibration
symptoms.

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The ANGULARITY of the system

Positive (+) Angularity

Stationary Machine
(+) Slope

Negative (-) Angularity

Stationary Machine
(-) Slope

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Positive (+) Offset

C.L. of Movable
machine is higher than
the C.L. of the
Stationary Machine
Stationary shaft when measured
at the C.L. of the
Machine Coupling.

Coupling C.L.

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Negative (-) Offset

C.L of Movable
machine is lower than
Stationary the C.L. of the
Stationary Machine
shaft when measured
Machine at the C.L. of the
Coupling.

Coupling C.L.

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SELECTING AN ALIGNMENT SEQUENCE

 During the early stages of the alignment procedure, it is necessary to

determine which machine is to be moved to improve alignment.

RULES OF SELECTING AN ALIGNMENT SEQUENCE

 Move motors instead of other equipment.

 Move driven equipment Instead of steam turbines.
 Move equipment with no process piping if possible.
 Move equipment that operates at ambient temperature rather than
equipment that operates at elevated or reduced temperatures.

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A. Mechanical
1. Precision Ruler
2. Feeler Gauges

B. Dial Indicators
1. Face & Rim
2. Reverse Indicator

C. LASER (Optical)

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Precision Ruler

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Dial Indicator Methods

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SELECTING AN ALIGNMENT METHOD

Reverse indicator Method

Advantages of this method include:

 The coupling spacer need not be removed.
 Data is more accurate if coupling spacers are long.
 Data is more accurate if coupling hubs diameters are small.
 Readings are essentially unaffected by axial shaft movements.

Disadvantages of this method include:

 Limited access to shafts may make brackets difficult to fit.
 The method is generally not suitable for couplings with very short
spacers
 For most people, interpretation of the data is not intuitive.

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The Face & Rim Method

Advantages of this method include:

 The method is intuitive, simple, well known, and easily
understood_
 It normally works well when coupling spacers are short and hub
diameters are large.

Disadvantages of this method include:

 Accuracy is lost if hub diameters are small.
 Face readings are affected by axial movement (float) in either
or bath shafts_
 Typically, the coupling spacer must be removed. Data may be
affected by inaccurate coupling geometry.

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 The FACE & RIM Method

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Face Readings: obtained as the shafts are rotated and the centerline of
the dial indicator stem is set parallel to the shaft centerline.

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 The FACE & RIM Method

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Rim Readings obtained as the shafts are rotated and the centerline of the
dial indicator stem is set to 90 degree angle to the shaft centerline.

Readings before shafts are rotated 0 0

Readings after shafts have been

rotated 180

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 The FACE & RIM Method

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FACE & RIM set

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 The Reverse Method

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The Reverse Indicator Reading

This method requires the taking of two (2) Rim readings; one
set at the Movable machine and one set at STATIONRY
MACHINE.

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 The Reverse Method

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Reverse set

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 Disadvantage of mechanical Alignment
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Sagging indicator brackets

Sticking / Jumping dial Hands

Lower resolution=rounding losses

Reading errors: +\- sign error

Parallax error &mirror image

Play in mechanical linkages

Tilted dial indicator=offset error

Axial shaft play = gap error

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 Alignment Preparation Cont.
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Sag Measurement

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Machine Mobility

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 Laser Alignment system
ADVANCED CONSULTING FOR TECHNOLOGIES

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 ADVANCED CONSULTING FOR TECHNOLOGIES

Laser Alignment system

9 o’clock position

12 o’clock
3 o’clock position position 40
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Comparison of Alignment Methods

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ADVANCED CONSULTING FOR TECHNOLOGIES
Types of Soft foot

Bent Bent
Up Down

Parallel Baseplate

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 Soft-foot Check
ADVANCED CONSULTING FOR TECHNOLOGIES

Checking by Dial indicator

Machine
Foot 0
5
10
10
Shims
5
feeler gauge set 5
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 Soft foot
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 Internal bearing
misalignment creates
substantial pre-loading on
the bearing.

 Pre-loading on the bearings is one

of the leading causes of premature
bearing failure

 A classic example of soft foot - like the

bar table with one short leg - occurs 1 2
when the machine naturally rests on
three legs and the fourth leg is short.
If not properly corrected before
beginning the actual alignment, it may
be difficult, even impossible, to achieve 3 4

acceptable results.
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 Soft-foot Check
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Checking by Laser heads

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Intentional misalignment for cold machine

Thermal Expansion

Proper alignment at operating temperature

ΔL = L(α)(ΔT)

Where
ΔL = thermal expansion
L = height centerline to base of machine
α = coefficient of thermal expansion of material
ΔT =change in temperature from ambient 46
 Thermal Expansion
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Intentional misalignment for cold machine

Example:
Height from foundation to shaft: 1.0 m
Temperature when aligned +20 C
Operating temperature +50 C

Thermal expansion =1.0x(50-20)x0.01 Proper alignment at operating temperature

= 1.0x 30 x 0.01
= 0.3 mm

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 Alignment Tolerance
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In practice, it is almost impossible to obtain a zero offset and zero

angularity, and thus machines have to be left with a certain
residual misalignment. This residual misalignment has little or no
detrimental effect on the operation of machines

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HOW TO DETECT
MISALIGNMENT

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 Symptoms of Misalignment
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1. Premature failures of bearing, seal, shaft, or

coupling.
2. Excessive radial and axial vibration.
3. High casing temperatures at or near the
bearings or high discharge oil temperatures.
4. Excessive amount of oil leakage at the
bearing seals.
5. Loose foundation bolts.
6. Loose or broken coupling bolts.
7. The shafts are breaking (or cracking) at or
close to the inboard bearings or coupling
hubs.
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Angular Misalignment Symptoms:

Typical FFT Generated By Angular Misalignment

Definition: Shaft Centerlines Intersect But Are Not Parallel

• High axial vibration @ 1x rpm, possible harmonics at 2x & 3x.

• 2x rpm axial component may be as high or even higher than 1x
component.
• Radial vibration, probably lower amplitude than the axial, at 1x, 2x
and 3x.
• Radial vibration will depend on where the shaft centerlines
intersect the assembly centerline.
• Axial phase across coupling shifts significantly (=180°).
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 Detecting Misalignment
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 Angular misalignment
causes axial vibration
at the running speed
frequency (1x).
 Angular Misalignment,
a phase shift of 180º
will exist across the
coupling or machine,
Axially.

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Offset Misalignment Symptoms:

-Typical FFT Generated By Offset Misalignment

Definition: Shaft Centerlines Are Parallel But Do Not Intersect

• High radial vibration @ 1x rpm, harmonics at 2x & 3x.

• 2x rpm axial component may be as high or even higher than 1x
component.
• Axial vibration, probably lower amplitude than the axial, at 1x, 2x
and 3x.
• Radial phase across coupling shifts significantly (= 180°).
• Axial phase across coupling shifts significantly (= 180°).
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 Detecting Misalignment
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Parallel misalignment
produces radial
vibration at twice the
running speed
frequency (2x).
A phase shift of 180º
will exist across the
coupling or machine in
radial direction.
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 Detecting Misalignment
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 Temperature

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 Detecting Misalignment
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 Infrared Thermo grapy

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procedure for Reverse indicator

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Calculation for Reverse indicator

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procedure for Reverse indicator

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Calculation for Face & Rim indicator

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Validity rule

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TOLERANCES FOR SHAFT ALIGNMENT

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