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OPTALIGN smart Quick,

Accurate and Reliable
Alignment

Summer 2007

OPTALIGN smarts innovative modular

concept allows you to design your own
shaft alignment system, acquiring the
exact features you need, and simply add
more capabilities as job demands grow or
when your budget allows it.

In this issue

Watch
VIDEO
online

Watch
VIDEO
online

Its intuitive alphanumeric keyboard with

navigation, menu keys and help text
produce an easily understood screen
picture of measurement results and thus
makes OPTALIGN smart a user-friendly
and high performing alignment system.
The patented automatic CONTINUOUS
SWEEP measurement mode evaluates
hundreds of readings during shaft rotation. This compares to shooting a movie
vs. taking flash pictures at certain intervals. The end result is less shimming and
horizontal adjustments because of much
more accurately measured misalignment.
Ask us about our Upgrade and Trade-in
Programs.
www.ludeca.com/optalignsmart.htm

VIBXPERT A New Choice

for Vibration Analysis
Enjoy the benefits of free updates, low
ownership cost and unlimited tech support from the proven leaders of
maintenance technology.

Breakthrough technologies such as

102,400 lines of spectrum resolution, 2
Gigabyte compact flash storage, order
spectrum, phase, cepstrum, cross-channel
phase, orbits, run-up, negative averaging,
coast-down, signal post processing and
more make the VIBXPERT and
OMNITREND software powerful tools
whether in the hands of an expert or a less
experienced user.

OPTALIGN smart
Quick, Accurate and
Reliable Alignment

VIBXPERT A New
Choice for Vibration
Analysis

New LUDECA Home

Page features demo
video for our awardwinning Rotalign
ULTRA

Narrow brackets

The Key to Successful Alignment

Maintenance Tips

M3 Brackets
Measure Machine
Movement (Thermal
Growth)

Electrically isolated
accelerometers

Vibration Analysis
for Condition
Monitoring

www.ludeca.com/vibxpert.htm

New LUDECA Home Page

features demo video for our
award-winning Rotalign
ULTRA
See the new features and benefits of the
ROTALIGN ULTRA shaft alignment
system with Continuous Sweep measurement mode, wireless Bluetooth
communication and a Soft Foot Wizard
that not only measures your soft foot
condition but also analyzes it and suggests
a solution.
The video demonstrates the unique underand over-constrained alignment centerline
capabilities of the ULTRA, and the add-on
modules for Bore Alignment, Flatness &
Levelness and Straightness.
www.ludeca.com, click on Demo Videos

Alignment q

The Key to Successful

Alignment
Available
Online
Upgrades/Downloads
Download the latest
Firmware and
Software for your tool.
Maintenance Tips
you can use today!
Trade-in Programs
Training
Learn more about our
training classes, on-site
or at our training
facilities in Miami, FL.
Product Demos/ Videos

When craftsmen are given the task of

laser alignment, quite a few assumptions
are made. One very common assumption
is that now that a laser system is being
used, anyone can do alignment. Another
is that since a laser is being used, everything is alignable. Put a laser system on
an unalignable machine and you will still
have an unalignable machine, only with
an expensive laser alignment system
attached to it. A laser alignment system
does NOT guarantee that a machine is
alignable!!! (Actually, all machines are
ultimately alignable, if only you throw
enough time and resources at themperhaps an entirely new base or foundation is needed, and/or redoing the entire
piping. The questions is, is it worth it in
some cases? The point is, that just because you put a laser on a machine, that
does not make it instantly alignable,
vanishing all other problems.)
However, a laser alignment system,
combined with a skilled and trained
craftsman and a good alignment procedure, will greatly expedite alignments and
help determine if a piece of equipment is
alignable at all. The following is a tried
and true procedure that will greatly
expedite alignments.

The narrow bracket is

only 5/16" thick and
offers an ideal solution
to tight squeezes
between coupling and
machine housing. Two
sizes are available for
shaft diameters up to
3-11/16" and 6-1/4".
Order LUD 2.109LSET
or LUD 2.109SET

Pre-alignment checks are critical in

ensuring successful alignment. All surfaces should be clean and burr-free with
metal to metal contact between the feet
and shims, and the shims and base. Shim
packs should be consolidated to three or
four shims per foot. Jackscrews should be
installed. A concentricity and runout
check should also be done on the coupling
and shaft. It is also a good practice to
check the base for flatness.
The next step is to accomplish a rough
alignment. Use whatever method that you
prefer to get the machines reasonably
close, or eyeball clean. A straightedge
will work on some couplings in shortcoupled machines. On machines with
spacer couplings, the laser and a tape
measure can be used very effectively. The
purpose of this step is to remove gross
misalignment and ensure that the laser
and detector are in line enough to take
2

readings. (Note that the best laser systems

offer range extension so even rough
alignment can easily be done with the
laser.)
After your rough alignment has been
accomplished, a rough soft foot check is in
order. Eliminate any obvious rocking and
fill any obvious gaps. This should be done
with all hold-down bolts loose.
Now it is time to use your laser alignment
system. Make sure that all required
dimensions are entered accurately and
that initial alignment measurements are
repeatable. Assuming you still have a
rough alignment, a final soft foot check is
in order. Follow your laser systems
recommendations for this.

The ROTALIGN ULTRA even features

a comprehensive soft foot wizard that
guides you through the entire process, diagnoses the condition and
suggests a solution.
After any corrections are made, retighten
all hold-down bolts, then recheck each foot
individually with all the others tight. We
recommend a tolerance of 2.0 mils or less.
Now for the final alignment: The first
correction that should be made is getting
the vertical plane in tolerance. When
making shim corrections, monitor the
horizontal plane to make sure your machine does not move laterally too much.
Once you are satisfied the vertical alignment is in tolerance, proceed to final
horizontal corrections. Leave the holddown bolts snug (not tight). They do not
need to be all the way loose to make
effective horizontal moves. This is where
good jackscrews become invaluable, Try to
avoid hitting machines with hammers.
When machine is within tolerance alignment is complete. Save the alignment file
for documentation and future reference.

Many years of involvement with machinery alignment reveal that this is the best
and fastest procedure for precision alignment. Each step is necessary and
important in accomplishing the next step.
Take your time and be diligent and you
will succeed in your alignment.

Maintenance Tips
Alignment: Moving a Machine
When moving machines for alignment,
always use jackscrews. If you dont have
them, beating on the machine frame with
a steel-face hammer is a lousy idea. First,
you run the risk of damaging the bearings,
seals and other delicate components in
your machines. Secondly, you have little
control over the magnitude of your moves.
Thirdly, its unprofessional. If you dont
have time to weld or screw on jackscrew
assemblies, consider using a couple of
carpenters pipe clamps, tensed against
each-other. This makes for a handy
portable jackscrew arrangement that is
safe, inexpensive and offers you plenty of
control. If this is not possible either, and
you must hit the machine with a hammer,
then at least do so with a plastic-face,
shot-loaded deadblow hammer.

Balancing: Number the blades on a

Fan starting at the Keyway
One thing that always helps when balancing fans is to number the blades against
rotation starting with the blade that is
closest to the keyway. Do this right away,
the first time the fan cover or door is
opened. This is helpful when attaching or
removing weights as the blade number
can help ensure the proper add/remove
location of the weight. Example: If you
have a fan with 12 blades, the keyway
reference allows you to set up the same
configuration every time. Use the keyway
as 0 (zero degrees) then blade #1 (the one
most closely aligned with the keyway) is 0
degrees, blade #2 is 30 degrees and so on.
This process helps prevent weights from
being placed in the wrong position, creating extra balancing runs or the
destruction of the equipment if the vibration were to increase too much.

Your machines not only

rotate, they also move.
Do you know how much?
M3 Brackets Measure Machine
Movement (Thermal Growth)
Its easy! Mount the M3 Brackets on the
bearing housings, take two separate
rotational readings, hot-running and
cold-stopped, using your Laser Shaft
Alignment System and compare the
results. Any difference suggests positional change has taken place!

Vibration Analysis:
Check for Soft Foot
Vibration analysis can be used to determine if a soft foot condition exists on a
machine that is running. If you cannot
shut the machine down to check for soft
foot, using this simple procedure will help
determine if soft foot is your problem.
1. Mount your accelerometer on the
suspected soft foot.
2. Use the live monitoring mode of your
vibration analyzer to monitor the 1
rotation speed vibration.
a) Use enough resolution to distinguish
the desired peak, but not so much that
it requires long collection time between
averages.
3. While monitoring the 1 vibration,
loosen the mounting bolt to about
hand-tight.
4. If the vibration at 1 rotational speed
reduces significantly in amplitude it is
very likely that you have a soft foot
condition.
5. Re-tighten the mounting bolt and
schedule the appropriate corrections.
When corrections are not made to eliminate a soft foot condition, the foot will
deflect when tightened. This will affect the
alignment and the motor air gap, and can
cause significant vibration at rotational
speed. By loosening the foot while running, the force deflecting the foot is
removed.
www.ludeca.com/maintenancetips.htm

Electrically isolated
accelerometer prevents
leakage currents during
measurement.
Application: Provide
vibration and shock pulse
measurement with data
collectors on standard
machines.
Order VIB 6.142R

Condition Monitoring q

Vibration Analysis for

Condition Monitoring
How to
reach us

Where should vibration

readings be taken and how
often?
Readings should be taken in the vertical
and horizontal directions on the inboard
and outboard end of both the pump and
the motor (or driver), as well as axially if
accessible. The frequency of the readings
truly depends on the production criticality
of the equipment. The more critical to
production then the more frequent the
readings should be. If the pump is a main
feed pump and there is no standby or
backup pump, then the frequency should
be often. In this case online or continuous
vibration monitoring is highly recommended. If the pump or machinery is not
critical to production, then the frequency
of vibration measurement could be less
often.

What types of readings

should be taken to determine
pump problems?
For the general condition of pumps,
overall velocity is a great place to start.
These readings can be trended over time
to track any changes in amplitude. As the
amplitude increases this could indicate a
worsening condition. Overall velocity
readings can also be compared to known
tolerances to determine overall condition.
If an issue exists, shown by increased
vibration amplitude, it is time to decipher
why. There are many different analysis
tools and/or readings to interpret the
cause. The majority of the time a spectrum
will allow enough analysis capability to
determine the cause of the excess vibration. A spectrum is a graph of amplitude
vs. frequency. Different signatures of the
equipment may show a pattern that is
associated with a certain fault, like
misalignment, looseness, bearing problems, impeller issues, etc.
Additionally, readings like phase and time
waveforms will help determine machinery

E-mail
info@ludeca.com
Phone
(305)591-8935
Fax
(305)591-1537
Mail
1425 N.W. 88th Avenue
Doral, FL 33172
Web
www.ludeca.com

Screen capture from VibXpert analyzer.

faults. As always, the more tools in your

toolbox, the better. Please see the above
graphic for a sample of a spectrum.

What are the limits for overall

vibration?
There are many theories on acceptable
limits for overall vibration. A common
resource is the ISO Specifications. For
general rotating equipment specification
10816-3 is a starting point. This specification breaks up the equipment into
categories and groups. The first group
taken into account is the machinery type
and rating. The three ratings are:

Pumps greater than 15kW.

Medium sized machinery between 15
kW and 300 kW.
Large machines between 300kW and
50MW.
The pump group is further broken down
into pumps with integrated or external
drives. The final consideration is foundation, either rigid or flexible.
From the machinery specifics and vibration amplitudes the condition will fall
within four zones. These zones are New
Machine Condition, Unlimited Long Term
Operation Allowed, Short Term Operation
Allowed and Vibration Causes Damage.
4

2007 Ludeca, Inc.

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are property of
Prueftechnik AG.