Shafts transfer rotational force from engines to machinery components. Proper alignment is crucial for efficiency and machine life. There are two types of alignment: angular and staggered. Misalignment causes excessive noise, vibration, and engine failure. Compound alignment techniques are used to adjust shafts in both planes simultaneously.
A shaft is a cylindrical piece of steel that transfers rotational force from an engine to other components within machinery or equipment. For this transfer of force to occur at the maximum level of efficiency, the shaft extending from the motor must be properly aligned with those nearby. Each equipment manufacturer provides very specific shaft alignment tolerances that must be met for the machine to operate properly. Operators and maintenance personnel within a manufacturing plant often adjust the alignment of these shafts as part of their routine maintenance routines. Improper shaft alignment places unnecessary stress on the engine and other components, which can shorten machine life and increase repairs and downtime.
To understand how tree alignment works, it is helpful to identify the two basic types of alignment. In an angular alignment, engineers make sure that the two shafts share the same slope and that one is not sloped differently from the other. In a staggered alignment, technicians determine if the two shafts are in the same plane. When trees have staggered misalignment, they share the same slope and remain parallel, but do not line up end to end. Some machines can even have a combination of both of these problems, leading to serious performance and efficiency issues.
Each of the two types of shaft alignment problems can occur in a horizontal or vertical plane. For example, one shaft may be positioned parallel to another, but slightly above each other, which demonstrates vertical offset misalignment. If the two shafts are parallel to each other and to the ground, but do not line up end to end, this is called horizontal misalignment.
Problems with shaft alignment do not always cause the machine to malfunction. Instead, this misalignment leads to excessive noise and vibration. It can also lead to heat and vibration within the engine, which will eventually lead to failure. Vibration can also cause joints and other links to fail, leaving the machine inoperable until these links can be replaced.
Traditionally, technicians began the shaft alignment process with a focus on vertical alignment, then moved on to the horizontal plane. Today, most maintenance personnel rely on compound alignment techniques, which allow them to adjust shafts in both planes simultaneously. This is accomplished by placing a series of sensors along the trees, then using lasers to determine proper alignment. Couplings and other connectors are loosened and shafts are reseated until the lasers show that the shafts are again within specified alignment tolerances.
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