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We previously went over our glossary of alignment terms with, “What is Alignment? Check out our Glossary of Alignment Terminology from A-H!” In this blog, we continue the alignment alphabet from I-R. 

In the world of alignment, there is a multitude of technical terms. We provide definitions for some of these terms that you might hear from an engineer or technician as well as read in reports and might need further clarification. We welcome you to check out our glossary of terms I-R relating to alignment, and hope you find it valuable!

INDUCED SOFT FOOT – A type of soft foot that is caused by external forces (coupling strain, pipe strain, etc.) acting on a machine independent of the foot-to-baseplate connection.

JACKSCREW OR JACK BOLT – A bolt or screw attached to the base or foundation is used to move or position the MTBM (Machine To Be Moved) horizontally.

JACKSHAFT – A long shaft used as a spacer between 2 machines. (Generally used to describe connecting shafts more than a few feet in length.)

OFFSET – Distance between rotational centerlines at any given normal plane. For short coupling (short flex) is usually displayed at the coupling center.

PARALLEL AIR GAP – A type of soft foot characterized by parallel air space between the underside of the foot and the baseplate contact area.

REPEATABILITY – The consistency (or variation) of readings and results between consecutive sets of measurements.

RESOLUTION – The smallest change or amount that a measurement system can detect.

Stay tuned for the final installment of alignment glossary terms!

What is Machinery Installation And Why is it Important?