A dictionary definition of alignment says that it is the positioning and orientation of more than component part, so that those parts perform together accurately. As far as engineering is concerned, alignment refers to the various parts of a machine, such as motor shafts or belt drives, operating in synchronization along a balanced central axis.
In general, vibration from a machine indicates that one or more parts are out of alignment. Once vibration occurs the misalignment will get worse, vibration will increase and if not rectified, the machine will ultimately fail. Misalignment puts additional stress on crucial parts of a machine, such as the bearings. An important additional factor is that misalignment means a machine is less efficient and uses more energy to do the same job that it would otherwise be doing if the parts were aligned. Keeping costs under control forms an essential part of any company's balance sheet. A misaligned machine will incur an increase in costs such as replacement parts, machine downtime, and maintenance costs.
There are also the environmental issues that need consideration. Companies must comply with emission controls and if they don't, they can receive hefty penalties which, in extreme cases, can result in a shutdown until emissions are within the guidelines. If you balance out the potential increase in costs against the expenditure necessary to maintain your machinery in alignment, it's likely the former will end up more expensive to your company than the latter and therefore machine alignment needs to be an important ongoing consideration.
Engineering alignment didn't used to be an exact science, because the tools necessary to ensure complete accuracy weren't available. However, technological advances mean that lasers are at the forefront of alignment techniques. Laser alignment tools offer precision alignment beyond anything previous methods could do. Additionally, for small machinery, most laser alignment tools are compact devices and require very little training. In many cases they are handheld and data is displayed on the device. Even though these devices are small, they are very accurate and can measure vertical and horizontal alignment.
If your machinery is complex and perhaps links together with other types of machinery, then the latest developments in laser alignment provide the ability to align a series of machines so they all work perfectly together. These alignment tools have independent wireless devices that can transfer data simultaneously between each device and the main alignment tool. The information is centrally collated, analyzed and the results are then displayed in graphic format on a screen. This enables you to identify exactly where the misalignments are and correct them accordingly.
Machines can go out of alignment at any time, often with little or no warning. Ensuring your company has the correct alignment facilities in place, ready to deal with or even pre-empt any misalignment issues, will make sure you can keep your machinery operating at optimum levels all of the time. Over a relatively short period of time the reduction in repairs, downtime and maintenance required will be reflected in cost savings.
Visit Vibralign to learn more about laser alignment and alignment training. They can be found online at VibrAlign.com.
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