In the past and even still today, turbines, compressors and other rotating equipment were aligned using bubble levels, plumb-bobs and piano wire. These hand tools were artfully utilized to align equipment that depended on precise alignment to ensure bearings, shafts, seals and other components reached their maximum life span. The technicians performing these alignments were highly skilled but their toolboxes were in dire need of an upgrade.
Nowadays, the technicians’ toolboxes consist of laser-based metrology equipment with accuracies capable of measuring less than half the thickness of a human hair and the repeatability of a Swiss watch. These measurement tools are capable of aligning the same mechanical equipment with exceptional precision; there is nothing more accurate for performing an alignment in the field. This new methodology has replaced the art with science.
Whether you need to align in-situ milling machines, rotational equipment or any other mechanical component, the new mode of measurement is digital. Industry is benefiting from this on many levels. One example is the process is repeat-able. This means the results are the same from one technician to the next. This was never the case with old-school methods that measure only once. On another level, technology greatly improves the overall process. For example, properly aligned rotating equipment will need less maintenance, which in turn means less downtime. The speed of performing alignments with new methods offers significant time savings and cost reductions.
The previous generation of alignment technicians is retiring and taking their skill-sets with them. Without proper apprenticeships in place, they cannot be easily replaced, and we are left with a knowledge gap in the current workforce. This normally would have created a serious void; fortunately a high-tech solution that not only fills the void but greatly improves the process is available. Although piano wire, bubble levels and plumb-bobs helped build some of our greatest accomplishments across the world, technology will advance our capabilities to the next level.
Using the laser tracker methodology, digital data can be collected, reviewed and analyzed much faster and more accurately than before. The old-school ways of measuring with hand tools was not only slow; they were never complete enough.
When it comes to in-situ machining projects, machines can be placed and aligned with the most complex coordinate system and held to the tightest tolerances ever possible. If you imagine a situation where a flange facer needs to be aligned to face a horizontal 70-inch-diameter flange precisely 90 degrees to another vertical 70-inch-diameter flange, holding perpendicularity to tenths of a degree would not be achievable using old-school methods.
Another example would be aligning a compressor shaft to the crankshaft within just thousandths of an inch. Keeping the shaft of the piston horizontal through the entire length of the compressor by aligning each component — like the cross-head slide — precisely parallel and perpendicular to the crankshaft is not only possible; it is repeatable.
The benefits of obtaining precision alignments will have a great impact on the reliability of industrial equipment. The machinery will run more efficiently; for example, turbines will more easily reach their maximum capacity specifications, and the internal bearings will last longer before replacements are needed. Another benefit is real-time response for any item being monitored during the alignment process. This is especially critical when aligning machinery in all three X, Y and Z axes. In addition to repeatability and precision, speed has also increased drastically, reducing cost on many levels. When the project is complete and ready for interrogating, the report is clear and concise, leaving no room for misinterpretation. The old-school challenges can now be solved with new-school methods — highly accurate, quicker, repeatable and capable of tasks never before possible.
For more information, visit www.dimensional3d.com or call (832) 819-5661.
