Why is Precision Shaft
Alignment Important?

Precision alignment pays off in many ways:

Reduced power consumption
Decreased wear on bearings, seals and couplings
Reduced unscheduled downtime
Reduced machinery vibration

Effects of Misalignment

Premature bearing, seal and coupling failures
Elevated bearing and coupling temperatures
Excessive vibrations
Loosening of bolts/ fasteners
High power consumption

Only 7% of measured machines within acceptable tolerances*
*A survey conducted by one of the world's leading rotating equipment service organizations shows that less than

Benefits of Shaft Alignment

Reduced Production Downtime

Your plant/operation is not in business to perform maintenance. You have to satisfy your customers. Unscheduled downtime can be costly.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

Properly aligned machinery needs less unscheduled maintenance. It has also been proven that unscheduled maintenance is more expensive than planned maintenance (sometimes as much as 10X). Properly aligning your machinery will reduce your overall cost of maintenance.

Reduced Inventory Costs

When machines are properly aligned they require fewer parts replacements (bearings, couplings, seals, etc.). This can translate into reduced inventory of spare/replacement parts.

Increased Machinery Life

Misalignment will cause machines to vibrate excessively. The forces generated are not absorbed by the flexible coupling or the machine casing. The forces are transmitted to the bearings, and result in reduced bearing life. The forces can also damage seals.

The energy savings from alignment can be approximated in the field.

kW =

V x l x PF x √3

1000

Where

kW = Three-phase power in kilo-Watts
V = RMS voltage, mean line-to-line of 3 phases
l = RMS current, mean of 3 phases
PF = Power factor as a decimal

Close Sample Calculations

Assumptions for this example: You have a 480 volt motor drawing 40 amps and operating 8400 hours/year. The Power Factor is .85. Electricity costs $0.06/kWhr. Also assume that the amp draw is measured before and after the alignment and it is found that there is a 1 amp difference.

kW =V* A*PF*1.732/1000
kW =480V* 1A*.85*1.732/1000
kW =.706 = power savings

Savings ($) = operating hours * kW savings * kW cost
Savings ($) = 8400 * .706 * $0.06/kWhr
Savings ($) = 8400 * .706 * $0.06/kWhr
Savings ($) = 355.82

If your plant has 80 similar motors, and if only half of them had the same amount of savings, it would total $355.82 * .5 = $14,232!

Could you be saving as much as $14,000? Click above to View Sample Calculations.

ROI Calculator

Energy savings
Longer bearing and seal lives
Lower maintenance costs
Reduced downtime

They can all add up very quickly. There is a way to calculate your potential savings and ROI for a laser used in precision alignments. Use our handy ROI Calculator to get a customized ROI Report.

What our Customers Say

We have started using a laser system for alignments because we have lost most of the personnel who were familiar with the dial indicator methods. Most of them have retired. The laser system makes it easier for the new personnel to do a good job, without the manual calculations or graphing.

Maintenance Manager Containerboard Manufacturer

We use a laser system to check the work done by the installing contractors. It is fast and accurate. In addition, we can generate a report that is filed in our CMMS system. The laser system has helped us to avoid premature failures and warranty issues.

Facilities Manager Software Company