Blog

Power Plant receives LUDECA Laser Alignment System

February 29, 2012

The Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades’ Power Plant Technology Program recently obtained an OPTALIGN® tool, a high tech laser alignment system, from LUDECA, Inc, a company in Doral, FL, that specializes in predictive maintenance solutions. Don Meredith, of Precise Vibration and Alignment, Inc., spent a morning training power plant technology seniors and juniors in the […]

The Efficient Vibration Analyst

February 28, 2012

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY • February 2012 So many machines. So little time. What’s the best approach? Vibration analysts are often faced with scores—perhaps hundreds—of machines, many of which exhibit vibration frequencies that are very hard (if not impossible) to identify. Some machines can absorb countless hours of an analyst’s time before he/she can confidently identify all […]

Five Crucial Steps to Successfully Installing an Online Remote Monitoring System

February 27, 2012

As with most projects, communication is the vital key to successful completion. When you purchase an online remote monitoring system, such as a VIBNODE® or VIBROWEB®, there are other things to consider besides the purchase of the equipment itself.  Factors to consider include: Deciding who will install the hardware; deciding how communication from the devices […]

How Accurate Are Dial Indicators for Shaft Alignment?

February 23, 2012

Dial indicators are ubiquitous in shaft alignment; they have been used (and misused) extensively for alignment throughout the industry for many years. In the right hands, a very accurate alignment can be performed with dial indicators. However, even under the best of circumstances, it will be a time-consuming task with many traps and pitfalls for […]

The Best Alternative to Using Dial Indicators for Shaft Alignment

February 23, 2012

The best alternative to using dial indicators for shaft alignment is to use a good laser alignment system such as the ROTALIGN® ULTRA or OPTALIGN® SMART. All the inherent problems and disadvantages of dial indicators are immediately eliminated. Here’s why: Training: Far less training and expertise is required of the millwright to use a laser […]

Things to Consider when Detecting Rolling Element Bearing Defects

February 21, 2012

Detecting rolling element bearing defects can be difficult if a few things are not taken into consideration.  First, consider how the bearing fails.  Normally one of the races will begin to fail followed by the roller/ball and then the cage.  Initially, these failures do not show up at the calculated bearing fault frequencies, but at […]

Pipe Strain is Soft Foot!

February 13, 2012

Yes, pipe strain is soft foot! Soft foot means machine frame distortion. If you are missing shims under a foot and tighten the hold-down bolt until you have forced the foot down to the base, you will have distorted the machine frame. If you have severe pipe stress on a pump, and the anchor bolts […]

Are You Bolt-Bound or Base-Bound? Five Possible Solutions

February 8, 2012

Being bolt-bound means you have to move the machine sideways to get it aligned and you can’t: you’ve run out of room. The anchor bolt is up against the side of the hole in the foot. Being base-bound means you need to bring the machine down to get it aligned, but you can’t: the machine […]

Orbits are not just for Proximity Probes

February 7, 2012

RELIABLE PLANT • February 2012 Orbits have historically been used to measure relative shaft movement within a journal-type bearing. The shape of the orbit told the analyst how the shaft was behaving within the bearing as well as the probable cause of the movement. This was accomplished using proximity probes usually mounted through the bearings with […]

The CSI Approach to Root Cause Analysis

February 6, 2012

Many of you watch or at least are familiar with the various Crime Scene Investigation (CSI ) television series where advanced forensic techniques are utilized to catch the criminals or “bad actors”.  When it comes to your “bad actors” from an equipment perspective, where is your CSI unit? What is your forensic approach to equipment […]