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We at LUDECA proudly share the excitement with our partners at Easy-Laser® for winning the Red Dot Design Award 2018 with their XT11 display unit.

The distinctive Red Dot is established internationally as one of the most sought-after quality marks for good design. Here are some of the things they considered in their evaluation:
• Degree of innovation
• Functionality
• Formal quality
• Ergonomics
• Durability

And yes, this is their second design award with the excellent development and capabilities of the XT11 display unit. They won the iF Design Award in 2017. XT11 has some smart functions, like the screen-lock button which prevents unintentional clicks on the touch screen when you move around the machine you measure. As an option, you can fit your XT11 with a thermal imaging camera, opening up even more possibilities to optimize your machinery for smooth operation.

Easy-Laser XT11 runs the XT Alignment app, which can also be run on iOS and Android phones and tablets. This is a unique feature in the alignment industry – the user can combine display units and different types of measuring units to suit their needs and budget – but will only have to learn one alignment program!

Congratulations to our partners at Easy-Laser for winning this great award for this excellent product!

Contact us if you would like to see the Easy-Laser XT11 display unit in action or watch the XT11 video.

An arc-second is a measurement unit for angle. It is often used in describing level and plumb.
1 arc second = 1/3600 degree = 0.000278 degree =0.0000048 inches/inch =0.0048 mils/inch = 0.0048 mm/m
1 degree = 17.347 mils/inch
1 mil/inch = 1 thou/inch = 1 mm/m (The metric-imperial relationship is purely a coincidence!)

A high accuracy machinist bubble level, a commonly used tool to check the level of baseplates and foundations, is typically 0.24 mils/foot (often mentioned as a “quarter of a thou per foot” in the field) = 0.02 mils/inch = 4.15 arc seconds.

“Mil” and “thou” are the same. They are imperial measurements both are synonyms for 0.001 inches.  This unit is normally referred to as a “thou” (which is short for a thousandth), or (particularly in the United States) a mil. Mil has its origins in the metric prefix “milli”, which is Latin for “one-thousandths”.  The plural of a mil is mils and the plural of thou is thou.

In rotating equipment installations, there are many tools employed by the concrete pouring team, the baseplate fabricator, the rotating equipment installer, the pipefitter, the alignment team, etc., to get the job done as effectively and efficiently as possible. “Square, plumb, level, and true” is what allows those teams to work together.  “True” means something is exact or accurate.  In rotating machinery, true can encompass how accurately equipment is aligned, in flatness, straightness, or rotational centerline (coupling) alignment.

Cutting corners in square, plumb, level and true is non-negotiable.  If one team does not hold to this principle, it can cause significant problems for the rest of the teams in the form of delays involved in having to work around and remedy the alignment problem. We’ve heard the stories of machinery installations that have bolt-bound issues, pipes that don’t fit, and baseplates that are warped, many resulting in a need for extreme soft-foot corrections.

These are all symptoms of some part of the installation not holding to square, plumb, level, and true. When all teams abide by this principle of square, plumb, level, and true, the installation will be more efficient, have fewer delays and ensure that no costly rework will be needed to undo incorrect installation.

Condition Monitoring Expert Tip #9 by Mobius Institute

No, sadly, that may not be correct. If the spectrum (and phase readings) indicate misalignment, then the machine will be misaligned. But if there is no indication of misalignment, the machine may still be misaligned. I know that may not make sense, but unfortunately, it is true.

A number of experiments have been performed where real machines were misaligned and the vibration pattern did not change. The vibration pattern depended upon the type of coupling and other conditions, but the bottom line is that the only way you can be sure that the machine is precision aligned is to precision align the machine with a laser alignment tool.

We appreciate Mobius Institute for allowing us to share this tip with you!

Belt alignment is extremely important, and we recommend you do it with a good laser alignment system such as the Easy-Laser XT190 or the DotLine Laser system.

But, once the pulley alignment is done, equally important is to set the belts to the proper tension. Typically, the correct tension is one that allows the belt to be deflected on its tight side by a specified amount of force to an amount of 1/64th inch per inch of span length. The span length is the distance between the nearest points of contact of the belts on their sheaves. If this distance is not known, you can use the center distance between the pulleys; that’ll be close enough.

To do this, you use a spring tension gauge, which is a device that measures the amount of force that you apply to something when you push against it or pull on it.

So, say the span length of a given belt drive is 36 inches. You should deflect the belt (in a group of belts, usually the center one, but measure the two outside ones as well) by 36/64″, (or 9/16″) which is 1/64″ of deflection for every inch of span length, and measure how many pounds or newtons of force it takes to do that. This force should not be less (too loose) or more (too tight) than what the manufacturer of the belts recommends for that drive or for that set of belts. Also, you perform this test by pressing down with your gauge upon the belts in the middle of their span length on the “tight side” of the belts. The tight side of the belts is the side that is stretched as the drive turns and the driver pulley applies rotational force to the driven pulley. The return side is the slack side of the belts.

The recommended belt tension deflection forces are usually supplied in a table that takes into account the size, length, and type of belts, the number of belts in the drive, the anticipated application loads and drive ratios of the sheaves. Move the driver until the recommended force specification is met for the desired deflection, being careful not to mess up the sheave alignment while doing so!

Download 5-Step Sheave/Pulley Alignment Procedure

Condition Monitoring Expert Tip #10 by Mobius Institute
No, sadly, that is not right. Unless the person has been properly trained, unless the company has specified precision alignment tolerances, and unless the training is followed and the tolerances are achieved, then you are not performing precision alignment.

We see this as a very common problem. Laser alignment systems can achieve terrific results. And a precision-aligned machine is far more reliable than a machine that has been “roughly” aligned with an alignment system, and far superior to a machine aligned with a straight edge. But if your maintenance technicians do not appreciate why that last shim should be installed, and why the motor must be moved such a small amount to the left or right, then those corrections will not be made – and yes, it does matter.

Research by Tedric A. Harris, in the book “Rolling Element Bearing Analysis” (John Wiley & Sons), showed that just 5 minutes (5/60 of a degree) of angular misalignment can reduce the life of a bearing by half. Yes, precision matters!

As Published by Maintenance Technology Magazine September 2017 issue

If greater reliability and uptime are of any concern to you, then precision maintenance is a key component in achieving it. This means having clear and simple, yet meaningful, procedures in place for the different tasks involved. Two such tasks are precision alignment and balancing. LUDECA’s  5-Step Procedures will help guide your facility and maintenance staff to achieving precision maintenance.

Get your own copy of these 5-Step Procedures:

Download 5-Step Shaft Alignment Procedure

Download 5-Step Balancing Procedure
Why is precision maintenance so important?  The reasons are clear:

1. Safety
   The alignment and balancing procedures lay out the basic steps required to align and balance machines safely, reducing the risk of injury and increasing the likelihood of a quality outcome. Checklists simplify the workflow and serve to remind employees of the processes required to consistently and safely perform the precision maintenance task.
2. Reliability
   Well-aligned and balanced machines run more reliably, with a greatly reduced probability of failure. This allows for better maintenance planning, greatly reduced repair and maintenance expenses, increased uptime, and more profits.
3. Efficiency
   A good alignment procedure ensures that machines are aligned to the proper tolerances for the running condition of the machines, taking into account such things as thermal growth and anticipated positional changes. This ensures that the greatest efficiency is achieved in your running machinery, prolonging their health and reducing power consumption. Studies have shown that well-aligned machines result in a 3% to 10% reduction in power consumption. Noise and heat generation are reduced, producing a safer work environment.
4. Production Quality
   Good alignment and balancing result in better product quality since vibration is minimized, resulting in more uniform and higher product quality. Unexpected breakdowns in production machinery may lead to costly waste from scrappage and high restart costs for the production line.
5. Training & Procedural Consistency
   Once implemented, a procedure ensures all employees involved in the activity face clear and consistent expectations and processes, leading to a better understanding between all staff in the facility. Training expenses can be reduced since often only refresher training is required to update understanding of the technology utilized as updates are rolled out. Records should be kept that document employee training.

The next step in precision maintenance and reliability is the Implementation of formal specifications that detail every step in a task from safety to activity process to documentation, to ensure that anyone involved can follow the procedures and guidelines without confusion, and reach the desired outcome for all machinery types in the plant. Such specifications typically take from two to three months to develop and a further two to three months to roll out and fully implement. LUDECA has written a number of these specifications for customers worldwide. Let us help you as well.

LUDECA is proud to announce the new Easy-Laser® XT660 laser shaft alignment system for the United States market. The XT660 is the next evolution in the award-winning Generation XT platform. It builds on the ground-breaking cross-platform technology that was launched last year with the XT440 SHAFT system. You can use your own iOS/Android phone or tablet as a display unit, or purchase the watertight, shockproof rugged XT11 display unit. Or why not do both? The choice is yours! The Easy-Laser® XT Alignment App is free to download, both now and in the future, making it easy to update your tool to the latest features at any time.

The XT660 now offers dot laser measurement technology. You can perform measurements on larger machines and over longer distances. Advanced measurement capabilities, such as continuous sweep and multi-point are now available. The rugged measuring units with integrated Bluetooth® wireless have very long operating times; up to 24 hours!

Easy-Laser® XT660 paves the way for new features with the Generation XT platform. You can export custom PDF alignment reports to a USB flash drive or via Wi-Fi directly to email for documentation of the alignment work. These new features also apply to the XT440 SHAFT alignment system.

LUDECA is also proud to announce the new Easy-Laser® XT190 BTA digital laser tool for belt drive alignment. It can be used “stand-alone” with its built-in display, as an add-on to the XT660 SHAFT system or you can download the free Easy-Laser® XT Alignment App for your phone or tablet. Digital readings allow greater precision and make it easier to meet the alignment tolerances. You can follow the adjustment of the machine in real-time with an interactive 3D view displayed in the App, making it easy to track live horizontal and vertical positional adjustments on the machine.

Guest post by Bob Dunn at I&E Central, Inc.

I was working with a customer to align sheaves using their Easy-Laser E180 sheave alignment tool. This is a new blower that had been installed by a contractor. Obviously, the contractor did not check alignment before drilling the mounting holes. The horizontal angular error was about 1.25 degrees and required a move of about 1/4″ more than was available given the placement of the bolt holes. Thanks to the digital measurement of the E180, they knew exactly what correction was needed at the feet to align this machine.
Unfortunately, the solution will be to drill out the holes in the base, then complete the sheave alignment. What should have been a 30-minute job now becomes a much larger project – time and money wasted. My guess is that the contractor checked alignment with a string (or maybe not), which did not get him close enough. Using the right sheave alignment tool makes a difference.

Thanks to Bob Dunn for sharing this case study with us!

Guest post by Brandon Weil, CMRP at Eruditio LLC

Belts, chains, and sprockets, chances are you have at least one if not all of these in your facility and chances are you’re relying heavily on experience and judgment instead of quantitative inspection criteria. All too often the importance of proper inspection techniques and defined replacement criteria for these critical parts are overlooked. Don’t believe me? Just pull up some of your PM inspection procedures, discuss the topic at a toolbox meeting, or observe someone performing the inspection, you might be surprised at the range of answers and opinions. If there isn’t a specific measurement or min/max criteria, then you’re leaving the inspection up to chance. Another thing to consider is if these parts aren’t being installed properly in the first place you will undoubtedly see premature failures and reduced operational life. Precision maintenance installation tools such as laser alignment for shafts, pulleys, and chains make a world of difference in preventing the introduction of infant mortality-related failures like premature bearing failures, belt and pulley wear, etc.

The good news is that you can start improving the quality of your preventative maintenance inspections almost immediately; all you need are a few basic low-cost tools [Click Here] and you will find a document with inspection criteria for these three parts to get you started. Improving your PM inspection procedure, putting the right tools in the right hands, and setting quantitative standards for your inspection is a very low-cost high-return activity that can start paying dividends today.

Download Belt & Chain Storage Best Practices

I have had the opportunity to see, first hand, the improvement in the quality of alignments our Tradesmen have been able to achieve and I attribute it to the availability of the wall charts received from LUDECA as the main reason. There isn’t much that the charts don’t cover but, it’s the references to thermal growth and the causes of lack of repeatability and response to corrections made that are the most helpful at least for us. As the Vibration Analyst onsite it’s been a win-win!!! Thanks from all of us at Cameco – Cigar Lake Operation —Ben Harrison, Reliability Technologist

Request your copy of the LUDECA Shaft Alignment Fundamentals wall chart

Reposted from Easy-Laser®

We had a little chat with Eskil Norberg at the company Maskincentrum, who has many years of experience in measuring and aligning machine tools for the manufacturing industry in Sweden.

Reposted from EASY-LASER® blog

EMBA Machinery is a Swedish manufacturer of converting machines for the corrugated board industry. They acquired a measurement system from Easy-Laser® in 2015. Their machines can be found within the packaging industry all over the world. Thanks to their reliable function, short set-up time and high manufacturing speed, EMBA’s machines are renowned for high productivity and product quality.

WHAT DO EMBA’S MACHINES DO?
Stefan Stålhandske, Production technician at EMBA Machinery, answers:

To put it simply, they supply a sheet of corrugated board with flex-o-graphic printing, before creating slots, punching, gluing, and folding the sheet to produce a flat box. The final packaging has to be of the very best quality, as it is often the first thing you see when you purchase goods. The quality demands mean that the packaging also has to be strong, i.e. the corrugated board has to retain its strength through the conversion process. It must protect the packaged product during transport and handling, and it has to be stackable. It must be able to be produced quickly, and changing over the machines to a different format must also take place rapidly. Some of EMBA’s machine models produce up to 440 sheets per minute. Try to picture that!

THERE ARE STRINGENT DEMANDS REGARDING PRODUCT QUALITY, MACHINE AVAILABILITY, AND MANUFACTURING SPEED. HOW DOES THIS INFLUENCE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MACHINES’ QUALITY?
The machines are made up of many mechanical parts, both fixed and moving parts in the form of linear guides and rotating components. Many parts are dependent on one another. EMBA places stringent demands on itself and its suppliers. A separate measurement department checks machined components. Installation procedures are based on combined experience as well as generally applied requirements and tolerances. Many machine parts were previously manufactured in our own production premises in Örebro, which entailed a very high level of control of manufactured components and traceability to the machines in which they were produced. We now have a number of suppliers who have to manufacture to the same high level of accuracy, which has meant that we have been forced to develop new procedures and find new control tools.

WHY WAS THE DECISION TAKEN TO ACQUIRE LASER INSTRUMENTS?
The equipment was principally procured in order to quality-assure and guarantee that all machine units are installed correctly with regard to the alignment of the stands hole center to hole center, as well as with regard to their squareness and parallelism. Previous measurement methods such as cross-measurement and measurement using specially manufactured tools must be replaced to achieve a better method of handling and documenting measurement results. We also considered that the equipment can provide us with the possibility in the future of measuring the entire machine line. Many of the machine components are large and heavy and require a mobile measurement system.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE EASY-LASER®?
EMBA’s development department got to know the product at an earlier meeting at an industrial fair. The way we were received by Easy-Laser®, along with the versatility the instruments have to offer, made it an easy decision, I would say.

YOU MENTIONED VERSATILITY – WHAT MEASUREMENTS DO YOU CARRY OUT?
Flatness measurements on large, heavy components, as well as straightness measurements on long beams with linear guides. During installation, we align machine ends with the aid of hole centering/shaft alignment. We also measure straightness and squareness at this time, as well as parallelism between various linear movements. These measurements are performed with an E720 shaft/geo system supplemented with brackets. To measure parallelism between rolls, we have opted to supplement the system with the E975 Roll alignment kit. The instruments have also been used to perform measurements in machine tools and in order to check that diabase surface plates are level. So yes, versatility really is the right word.

HOW HAS KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO USE THE INSTRUMENTS BEEN SECURED?
The software is user-friendly, but many of the users have never operated this type of equipment before. As a result, two training sessions have been conducted with Easy-Laser®, lasting a total of 4 days. The training has been conducted at EMBA’s premises, in machines under construction. The training, which intersperses theory with practical exercises, was divided up such that the participants began with basic geometrical measurements and hole centering in the first session. During the second session, the focus was on E975 and measurement of roll parallelism, as well as functionality checking of detectors and leveling of laser transmitters.

HOW WERE THE MEASUREMENTS PERFORMED BEFORE AND WHAT ADDED VALUE DOES EASY-LASER PROVIDE?
In some of the measurements, we have replaced devices and dial indicators. The measurements are performed more rapidly using the laser instrument, and if you are unsure of measurement data, it is easy to repeat the measurement. Above all, however, the measurements are more reliable. For example, we have linear guides installed on beams that have to move in parallel with other linear guides installed on other beams. When we measured these before using dial indicators, we were unable to capture local deviations in the same way as now.

Our laser instrument now gives us the opportunity to pinpoint these deviations as well.
In some cases, earlier measurement procedures have been replaced so that we now measure the machine from different positions instead, which are more relevant for the machine’s conditions. Some measurements have not been conducted previously. The fact that we can now perform these measurements provides us with a basis for discussions with our suppliers and contributes to our work of consistently improving our quality.

EMBA NOW USES THE ROLL ALIGNMENT KIT E975 TO MEASURE THAT THE ROLLS ARE PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER. WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY ARE NOT PARALLEL?
Some of the most critical rolls are located in the printers. If the rolls are not correctly aligned, this can result in the print being positioned incorrectly on the package, which is unacceptable. If the feeder table is not aligned with the machine line, this results in a crooked printed image, slanting slots, slanting punching, and a folding result that is outside of the stipulated tolerances, all of which are also entirely unacceptable. As EMBA’s machines are renowned for their good range of formats as well as their high machine speed, the machine alignment from unit level to the overall machine line is an important aspect in achieving a good end result, i.e. a perfect box.

HOW WAS ROLL PARALLELISM CHECKED PREVIOUSLY AND WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF E975?
When building units, we relied on the cross-measurement method as well as level with the aid of a precision level. The cross-measurement method is difficult, as access to reference points can be difficult or non-existent. When installing machines, we rely on specially manufactured spacers between the units in order to achieve parallelism as well as precision levels for leveling. Where possible, we can use tape measures to take measurements covering two separate rolls. With the laser instrument, we have the potential to measure all or parts of the machine, in order subsequently to monitor any adjustment of rolls in “live” mode.

DURING SHIPPING, YOUR MACHINES ARE SPLIT INTO SMALLER UNITS IN CONTAINERS AND ARE REASSEMBLED ON-SITE ON THE CUSTOMER’S PREMISES. THIS MUST PLACE GREAT DEMANDS ON YOUR TECHNICIANS?
Absolutely! Prior to handing over to the customer, we perform tests in accordance with a special test protocol. The tests are performed under production-like conditions, for example with measurements being taken regarding register variations in the positioning of printing, slots, and punches. The position of printing, slots, and punches must be able to be repeated within the tolerances, regardless of machine speed. In the future, new measurement methods with the aid of the newly acquired laser instrument will ensure better control of the machine set-up, which ought to generate a faster and safer start-up of production in the EMBA machine.

Thank you Stefan for giving us the opportunity to hear how you use Easy-Laser®!

Early last year Bob Dunn with I&E Central, Inc. was approached by a customer with a unique measurement challenge. They needed to align two sheaves, 1 meter in diameter, separated by 12 meters (about 40 feet). While there are a number of sheave alignment tools available in the market, they employ line lasers, and their maximum distances are about 10 feet. Beyond that, for this application, there were physical barriers to projecting a beam right along the face or between the pulleys, so this required some application development.

They discussed with an associate and conceived a way to make this measurement using the standard detectors and programs on the Easy-Laser® E710 alignment system. The E710 is a high-end shaft alignment system with point (rather than line) lasers and 2-axis detectors with a working distance of up to 20 meters (66 feet). It also includes some basic geometric programs including straightness.

The customer’s goal was to align the sheaves in both planes, “horizontal” and “vertical”, within 0.1°. Going back to college trigonometry, 0.1° expressed as a slope is 1.745 mils/inch or 1.745 mm/meter. We can easily measure and calculate that.

The two sheaves were vertically oriented on a long superstructure with beams and supports extending about 10” out from the faces of the sheaves.

Here is how they made the measurement:
They mounted one of the laser heads (the “transmitter”) on a magnetic base with a rotating head. This magnetic base was mounted on the superstructure of the machine near the centerline of the stationary sheave, and aimed along the centerline. (See the graphic associated with this document.) The detectors themselves were extended from the magnetic bases with pairs of 12″ rods so that we had a clear measurement line along the structure.

They bucked in our transmitter between points 1 and 7 (see graphic). We did not need to set it to zero, we only needed the beam to hit the detector along the length of the measurement. Once bucked in, we used the straightness program and measured at points 1, 3, 5, and 7. Using points 1 and 3 as our reference line, the result indicated that the two sheaves were horizontally parallel within 0.05°, but were offset by about ½”.

Next, they measured the vertical alignment. Without moving the laser transmitter, they swept the rotating head and measured the slope from point 2 to 4, as 6.028 mm/meter. Then they performed the same measurement between points 6 and 8 (the far sheave), measuring 6.022 mm/meter – nearly perfect alignment (0.0003°).

The E710 proved to be a flexible and powerful tool that can do much more than coupling alignment. This new customer is already identifying additional measurements for their new system.

Reposted from EASY-LASER® blog

1. FAST AND ACCURATE
   Laser alignment can be done ten times faster and much more accurately compared with dial gauges or straight edge methods (depending on the user’s skill). A dial setup will not measure down to 0.001 mm – but a laser can!
2. QUICK TO SET UP, EASY TO USE, AND HIGHLY RELIABLE
   A laser alignment system is quick to set up, easy to use, and much more reliable than old technology. The latter often requires extensive experience and sometimes complicated calculations to be used. For example, fixtures for dial gauges always sag a little, which affects the accuracy of the gauge’s displayed value. This does not occur with laser alignment.
3. POSSIBILITY TO GENERATE REPORTS WITH RESULTS
   With a laser alignment system, it is possible to generate PDF reports directly from the instrument. The computer handles targets and tolerances and makes it easy to interpret the results. The possibility of documenting the results gives better control over the machines and greater assurance. Reports can be generated for “before” and “after” alignment.
4. A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF MACHINE FRAME DISTORTION
   For soft foot issues, regardless of what is going on at the feet, you get a true representation of the movement between the rotating axes of the shafts you are aligning. Dial readings only tell you what’s happening at the feet—not a true representation of soft foot!
5. THE SPEED AND PRECISION SAVE YOU MONEY
   The speed of use and the precision in alignment mean that investing in a laser-based shaft alignment system usually pays for itself within 3-6 months.
6. A DISCIPLINED AND REPEATABLE PROCESS
   Laser alignment systems make the process of measurement and correction much more disciplined and repeatable. Straightedges and dial gauges are not sufficiently accurate for today’s modern machines. Using laser alignment always gives the same results regardless of who takes the measurements.
7. EASY TO LEARN AND TO USE
   You don’t have to be a specialist to get the correct result. With a wireless display unit, you can follow the machine movement with live values at the points where you adjust the machine, not just where the dial gauges are mounted.
8. EXPAND ALIGNMENTS AND MEASUREMENTS
   With the best laser alignment systems you can expand the types of alignments and measurements you can do. You will then be able to take care of all important steps of machine setup, for example, base flatness and twist, and also measure straightness.
9. POSSIBILITY TO MEASURE WITH A SMALL SHAFT ROTATION
   With laser alignment, it is possible to measure even with a small shaft rotation, for example only 70 degrees. This solves the problem when piping and machine parts are in the way preventing a greater rotation.
10. REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION
    Laser alignment allows precise measurements that reduce your energy consumption in the long term. Poorly aligned machines require more energy to achieve the same results than well-aligned ones. Reduced energy consumption is not only good for your electricity bill, but of course also for the environment.
11. ERROR-FREE AND HIGH-RESOLUTION TECHNOLOGY
    Old technology may have too low a resolution to measure accurately enough and may be subject to reading errors or sticking dial hands. Laser alignment systems are based on high-resolution non-contact technology and are free from such errors.
12. ELIMINATION OF HARDWARE SAG AND SETUP MISTAKES
    With laser alignment, you eliminate errors associated with old technologies such as bar sag, substandard dial bar, and mistakes when installing up the indicator clamps.

Reposted from EASY-LASER® blog
Are you the type of person who, going by the principle of “We’ve always done it this way, and it’s worked well”, continues to use a ruler or a piece of string to align your sheaves/pulleys? If so, you can definitely save some money, by reading this.

It is a common misconception that it doesn’t matter whether you align your pulleys or not. The belt is flexible, and can handle it, right? And if a belt or sheave becomes worn, it is easy to just replace it. But what you might not be considering is that the cost of energy is greater than the cost of buying new spare parts such as bearings, belts and pulleys. Studies have shown that with correct alignment it is possible to improve the efficiency of your belt drive saving you from 5 to 20% of your energy costs. This can quickly add up to significant amounts, particularly if your enterprise has tens or even hundreds of belt-driven machines.

CONSEQUENCES OF GOOD AND POOR BELT ALIGNMENT

Poor alignment or incorrect installation are the most common causes of abnormal wear of sheaves and pulleys. On the other hand, increased productivity, fewer unplanned operational stoppages and reduced energy consumption are the result of well-aligned machines. In the long run, this is also positive for the environment. By aligning your belt-driven machines, you also reduce vibration that harms the machine and adversely affects the working environment.

One consequence of poorly aligned belt drives that is often overlooked is that incorrectly aligned or improperly tensioned belts can result in abnormal temperatures, caused by the belt’s friction against the pulley. Excessively high temperatures will cause the belts to harden, resulting in cracking. A toothed belt can lose teeth, leading to slipping and efficiency loss. Strong heat sources in the vicinity also affect belts negatively. A thermal camera can help to indicate potential abnormal temperatures.

WHERE DO I START?

Many belt manufacturers advocate preventive maintenance in order to avoid unforeseen stoppages. A scheduled operational stoppage is obviously more efficient and less costly than an emergency repair on a failed drive. However, having a maintenance program for your belt drives can also be efficient. There are a number of factors that determine how often you should perform preventive maintenance. Start by classifying your machines in these ways:

• How critical the machines are for your operation.
• The rotational speed of the machine.
• The drive’s impact on the environment.
• The current status of the drive (i.e., condition/quality of the belts and pulleys.)

When you have done this, you will be in a better position to know how to prioritize your maintenance work.

You should also think about the following:

• First and foremost, it is worth thinking about keeping the area around the machine free of dirt and debris, and ensuring that the base is in good condition.
• It is important for the person carrying out the maintenance to have the correct training and equipment to carry out the work satisfactorily. A laser pulley alignment tool is highly recommended.
• Check the machine manufacturer’s specifications regarding how to set up your machine correctly. Write this down so that it is easily accessible the next time maintenance is to be performed. This saves time.
• Check the belt manufacturer’s suggested belt tension values. A spring gauge to measure belt tension is an essential item in the aligner’s toolkit.
• Mixing different belt types or brands is not recommended.
• If the transmission has several belts abreast, all the belts should be replaced together, even if only one is found to be defective.
• Measuring energy consumption before and after alignment is a simple way of verifying that you are now saving money.
• Listen to and look at the machine. If you suspect that anything is abnormal, you should investigate this. You should look out for unusual and abnormal wear or damage.
• Inspections should be performed frequently, perhaps as often as once a month.
• In addition, preventive maintenance should be performed at 6 to 12-month intervals.
• Follow the belt manufacturer’s instructions when replacing belts. Make sure that you also store belts correctly: don’t hang them, coil them flat! (Belts are a perishable product!)

Click here for examples of how much you can save by having your belt drives correctly aligned.

If you are ready to start improving the efficiency of your belts and sheaves, find the tool that best fits your needs.

Reposted from EASY-LASER® blog
Easy-Laser® has been awarded the iF DESIGN AWARD 2017 for its design of a display unit for laser-based measurement equipment.

The display unit, XT11, won the Industry/Skilled Trades category and is part of a completely new concept within laser alignment, which was launched last year.

Rustan Karlsson, Head of Marketing at Easy-Laser®, states: “The award is an acknowledgment of the hard work that we have put into our next generation of products to make them even more user-friendly and attractive, in a way that is right for our users and our brand. Within our industry, it is like winning an Oscar!”
He continues: “The work really started three years ago, when our design office, Shift Design & Strategy, identified what Easy-Laser® stands for and developed a design guide. Together with our own engineers, they defined what has now been acknowledged by the iF DESIGN AWARD. It feels great to have won it, especially with the product launches ahead of us.”

The iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions. The entries are assessed by a jury of 58 professional designers from around the world. This year’s competition was tough, with over 5500 entries from 59 countries.

Learn more and download the brochure of the award-winning Easy-Laser® XT11 display unit featured in the XT440 shaft alignment system.

The Easy-Laser E970 laser roll alignment system is a well-established product proven to be effective in many parallel roll alignment applications such as in printing presses, steel, aluminum, and paper mills. We recently completed a roll alignment at a stainless steel roll slitting facility.

Setting the system up was fast and easy, from establishing a reference roll to creating new benchmarks.  Rolls were measured for both level and skew.

Corrections were done on-site with live monitoring.  The system was able to accurately measure traditionally challenging rolls with unusual surfaces, including rewinder rolls and non-magnetic rolls, such as the guide roll with a rubber surface.

The asset owner requested that the slitters and guides be checked and asked whether that was possible.  The versatility of this system allowed for such an operation.  By profiling the laser to a reference roll, the slitters were checked for alignment and the required adjustments were made.

The job was scoped for two days, yet the entire job with slitter alignment was completed in less than one day.  This provided the time to complete a roll alignment on an entirely separate finishing operation.

The proof of good parallel roll alignment lies in the results, after running the machine: the laser aligned rolls produce consistent material thicknesses to tolerance, thereby saving tens of thousands of dollars of potentially wasted money in scrap product, not to mention if a roll had to be scrapped for this process.  The E970 is an accurate performer whose versatility is straightforward by all measures™

Reposted from EASY-LASER® blog
There are basically two types of pipe strain: static and dynamic pipe strain. Static pipe strain occurs both when the machines are operating and when they’re not running. This is most likely the type you’ve been trying to eliminate. Dynamic pipe strain, on the other hand, is a condition that only takes place when the machines are operating.

PIPE STRAIN AND ALIGNMENT

Strain, which is the deflection and positional change resulting from pipe stress, comes from the suction and discharge piping, and creates stresses on the machine frame or casing that in turn spread to the equipment body. A result of this is often a change in the alignment of the shaft. It also results in distortion of the machine casing which misaligns the bearings within the machine, resulting in very harmful vibration and increased radial loads on the bearings. So, before attempting shaft alignment, you should ensure that suction and discharge piping are not causing strain on your machines.

HOW CAN YOU CONTROL PIPE STRAIN?

Static pipe strain and its effects are fairly simple to control, and you can use any of the Easy-Laser® shaft alignment systems to measure the strain and help eliminate it. Here’s how: simply mount the system in the normal manner as when you perform the shaft alignment. Then:

1. Position the measuring units at twelve o’clock. Use the Values program and set both units to zero.
2. Rotate the shafts to the three o’clock position, and note if the values are not zero. Rotate the shafts back to twelve and confirm the zero setting.
3. Now connect or disconnect the piping. Any changes to the values for the twelve and three o’clock positions is the result of pipe strain and should be corrected, which will require careful pipe fitting. What you are seeing is movement transmitted through the casing to the bearings and shaft.

Dynamic pipe strain is more difficult because it only occurs when the machines and piping are at operating conditions. And a good proportion of this type of pipe strain may be a consequence of the thermal expansion of the piping and the weight of the system fluid. This explains why the dynamic pipe strain is not a fixed state and why it might be difficult to handle.

We understand that this can be quite a challenge, however, we believe you have a lot to gain from minimizing dynamic pipe strain. And there are effective tools for this purpose: Our Easy-Laser measuring program has a great feature that registers measurement values automatically for a specified amount of time and frequency of measurement. This is very useful for looking at the differences between a machine that’s up and running and one that’s down. The data can also be transferred to the EasyLink™ software, where you can see the results more clearly, in the shape of a graph to scale.

IN CONCLUSION

The existence of pipe strain indicates that more than just alignment is needed for optimal machine performance; there are other important factors to take into consideration. This requires flexible measurement systems that will support you and help you reach your goal. You need more than a shaft alignment system; you need a total alignment solution.

We invite you to watch our Pipe Stress Know-How video to learn more about the effects of running equipment with pipe stress.