Shaft Alignment

Nizwa College of Technology

Shaft Alignment Shaft alignment is the process to align two or more shafts with each other to within a tolerated margin.

Parallel or Lateral misalignment

Shaft in Alignment

Combined Angular and

Lateral misalignment Angular misalignment

Types

•Parallel or Lateral misalignment•Angular misalignment•Combined Angular and Lateral misalignment

Disadvantages of Misaligned shafts

• When shafts are misaligned, forces are generated. • These forces are resulted in Vibration, noise, bearing

damage, shaft damage, coupling damage and Looseness.

• In extreme cases the bending stresses applied to the shaft will cause the shaft to fracture and break.

Shaft Aligning Techniques

• Shaft alignment by conventional method

• Shaft alignment by Dial Test Indicator (DTI)

• Shaft alignment by Using LASER Equipment• Shaft alignment by using computer.

Shaft Aligning procedurePreliminary Checks

Visually check coupling, pipe hangers, base bolts, coupling

spacing etc.

Check for coupling & shaft run out.

Sag Check• Clamp the brackets on a sturdy piece of pipe • Zero both indicators on top, and then rotate to the bottom. • The difference between the top and bottom reading is the sag • Each time alignment reading is taken then the sag must be accounted for subtracting

Pump Motor

• Aligning the shaft's centerlines from side to side

• The indicators are zeroed on the left and read at the right

• Make sure that you always view the DTI from pump side

• There is no sag compensation on the horizontal move

• Record the indicator reading and move the motor to the required distance for horizontal alignment.

Shaft alignment by Dial Test Indicator (DTI)

Horizontal Alignment (Parallel)

Shaft alignment by Dial Test Indicator (DTI)

Vertical Alignment (Angular)

Pump Motor

•The indicators are zeroed on the top and read at the bottom

•Record the indicator reading and consider the sag compensation by subtracting it from the recorded reading

•Move the motor to the required distance for vertical alignment by adding shims in place

•Tighten all bolts and take and check the readings

•If the readings are within tolerance than the equipment is aligned

Principle of Alignment (DTI)

Horizontal (Parallel)

Vertical

(Angular)

Arrangement of DTI in Alignment

Shaft alignment by Using LASER Equipment

Parallel or Lateral misalignment Angular misalignment

Lay out of Laser Alignment

Shaft alignment by Using LASER Equipment

Measuring head 1 Measuring head 2

Display unit

General lay out of LASER Alignment Technique

General Lay out Laser beam on the measuring head

Alignment procedure (LASER)

Vertical Alignment

Alignment procedure (LASER)Horizontal Alignment

Aligning Motor to Pump

Alignment procedure

LASER Aligning Display Unit

Reading Shows Angular & Parallel Deviation

Aligning of Equipments

Aligning Engine to Alternator Aligning Motor to gear box