Predictive maintenance is designed to evaluate the condition of machine parts currently in use in order to determine when they should be repaired or replaced. In contrast with preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance offers a cost savings by helping avoid unnecessary time-based replacement of parts. An important part of predictive maintenance is analyzing shaft alignment.
Any machine with rotating parts has one or more shafts. A shaft is a cylindrical rotating rod that transmits power from one part of a machine to another. Where the shaft is coupled to another machine part, the two shafts must be properly aligned within a narrow margin of tolerance. If two shafts are out of alignment, vibration will occur and the shafts will be under stress, which can cause the parts to wear and cause the machine to break down. Needless to say, when a machine is down, its owner’s production is down as well.
Two types of misalignment are parallel and angular. In the case of parallel misalignment, the center lines of the two shafts are parallel but offset, either in the same horizontal or vertical plane. In the case of angular misalignment, the two shafts are at a very slight angle to each other. The angle can occur while the two shafts are in the same vertical or the same horizontal plane. Some cases of misalignment involve both parallel and angular misalignment at the same time.
Misalignment can be diagnosed with vibration analysis or Laser Alignment in Dallas. Vibration analysis detects slight changes in a machine’s vibration profile. However, vibration analysis requires highly skilled technicians to interpret the analysis correctly. In laser alignment, the shaft alignment is measured against a beam of light. The laser equipment includes both a sensor and measurement tools that indicate precisely what adjustments need to be made.
Some advantages of Laser Alignment in Dallas include its relatively low cost and its ability to predict when parts will wear out so that they can be repaired or replaced just in time. In addition, manufacturers can benefit from labor and time saved by avoiding expensive breakdowns. For more information about laser alignment, contact us.