I recently participated in an alignment check done on a fracking rig. The misalignment between the diesel engine and the gearbox causes excessive vibration and damage to the u-joint. The goal for this particular alignment was parallelism between the gearbox and the engine.

The Challenges:

• The offset between the gearbox and engine was a little over 1 inch.
• Checking alignment between the engine and the transmission with and without the u-joint in place.
• Alignment is difficult because it has to be done on the rig which basically a tractor trailer, which means conditions can vary as the job is being performed.

The Solution:

• Using the Easy Laser XT770 alignment system with the regular chain bracket set we measure with the u-joint in place. See Figure 1.

• Using the Easy Laser XT770 alignment system with the cardan bracket set, we measure without the u-joint in place, which allows mounting the components even in very tight spaces. See Figure 2.

Using the Multipoint measurement mode allows measuring accurately even with the flexible frame of the tractor trailer. This measure mode allows us to increase the number of points collected at each arbitrary measurement position.

Benefits:

Accurate data can be easily collected even under challenging conditions in less time, allowing for better decision-making and corrective solutions to be implemented more efficiently.