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ULTRATech Note 5
ULTRATech Note 5
ULTRATech Note 5
Figure 1
Introduction
This Tech Note describes how to check for strain from external forces acting on machines. It
shows you how to measure the effects of static pipe strain on shaft alignment and quantify these
in terms of offset and angularity in both the vertical and horizontal directions. With this
procedure, you can prove the existence of pipe stress on a pump or conduit stress on a motor.
External forces (stress) acting on a machine frame usually result in machine frame distortion
(strain). Therefore, it is important to ascertain its existence and eliminate it. As such, this
procedure complements but does not replace the Soft Foot function.
Overview
This procedure makes use of ROTALIGN ULTRA's Move function. Mount the Laser and
Receiver normally, and observe the usual sign conventions. The idea is to take a set of zero
reference alignment readings, loosen the piping, monitor resulting movement, tighten the piping
again, and confirm repeatability, which should fall within 0.002".
Using a normal setup with the Laser on the left machine and the Receiver on the right machine,
you may wish to specify that the machine to be checked for pipe strain be the left machine, even
if for alignment purposes it is normally the Stationary Machine. Do this by making the left
machine movable and making the right machine feet fixed. This is the first alternative. The
second alternative is to simply monitor the movement of the right machine. Thus you have
maximum versatility in monitoring the effects of external stress.
Note: ROTALIGN ULTRA is a registered trademark of Prftechnik A.G.
Rotalign Ultra TechNote 5
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Procedures
To monitor the effects of pipe strain on the left machine
1) Mount Laser on the shaft or solid coupling hub of the left machine. Mount Receiver on the
right machine. See Figure 1.
2) Turn ROTALIGN ULTRA on:
4) Configure a two-machine setup with the left machine moveable (in the Machine Properties
screen for the left machine, uncheck the Stationary Machine checkbox, and select
Fixation as 'Feet' (see Figure 2.)
Figure 2
5)
Figure 3
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7) Press
, adjust beam into the center of the Receivers dust cap, then remove cap.
Figure 4
10) Now fix the feet of the right machine, in order to be able to monitor the movement of the left
machine. Do this scrolling the cursor to each foot of the right machine and pressing
each time. The foot icon will change from an outline triangle to a solid black triangle (see
Figure 4.
11) Press
12) Loosen the piping and observe how the alignment changes.
15) Tighten the piping flange bolts to the correct torque, and observe the alignment change
again.
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OPTIONAL: If you wish, you may now see a record of the starting alignment, pipe strain result
then
, then select
and final position in the Measure Table. Do this by pressing
Table (see Figure 7). The attached history comment (if any) for any line in the Measure Table
will also be displayed.
4) Configure a normal two-machine setup with the left machine stationary and the right
machine movable.
Figure 5
7) Press
Rotalign Ultra TechNote 5
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Figure 6
10) Press
11) Loosen the piping and observe how the alignment changes.
14) Tighten the piping flange bolts to the correct torque, and observe the alignment change
again.
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Figure 7
OPTIONAL: If you wish, you may now see a record of the starting alignment, pipe strain result
then
, then select
and final position in the Measure Table. Do this by pressing
Table (see Figure 7). The attached history comment (if any) for any line in the Measure Table
will also be displayed.
Page 6 of 6