Shaft alignment, sometimes also known as “coupling alignment”, is the process of making two or more rotating shafts collinear, or aligned in a single straight line, both horizontally and vertically. Most rotating machinery are often susceptible to misalignment. Shaft misalignment affects the life cycle of machinery critically.
matter what the equipment is or how the driver is coupled to the driven unit, precision alignment will have a positive impact on the operational life of the bearings, couplings, seals, shafts, etc. and may even reduce the power consumption of the system. This is true whether the system has a coupling, universal joint or belts…It should be precisely aligned.
A misaligned shaft results in the following: Increased friction and therefore also increased energy consumption; excessive and unnecessary vibration and noise; premature bearing and seal failure; seal and lubricant leakage; and finally, premature shaft and coupling failure. Studies have shown that shaft misalignment causes up to 50% of all rotating machinery breakdowns.
There are two types of misalignment: Angular and Parallel misalignment:
In Angular misalignment, the centerlines of both shafts lie at an angle to each other instead of being parallel.
In Parallel misalignment, both the shaft centerlines are parallel, but they are offset by a distance.
