It is a known fact -- all rotating machinery is susceptible to misalignment. Machines that are well aligned at the commissioning stage and regularly maintained will have reduced wear in couplings, bearings, and seals, all of which means reduced plant operating and maintenance costs.

Accurate shaft alignment contributes to energy savings and a cleaner environment. It protects assets, extends machine availability, and increases product quality, reducing vibration to a minimal level.

Users who are still relying to dial indicators and straightedges to ensure shaft-driven machines are correctly aligned could be losing thousands of dollars per year in replacement bearing and coupling costs; they are wasting hours of unnecessary repair time; and experiencing crippling and unplanned downtime - not to mention, it is taking years off of a machine's life.

When uptime matters, picking the right tool is critical

The Fluke 830/BT Laser Shaft Alignment Tool with Bluetooth is easy to use and provides users with fast, accurate, and actionable answers to keep a plant up and running. With laser shaft alignment, data is helpful, but insights are even better.

Unlike using the straightedge method or dial indicators, the Fluke 830/BT performs complicated alignment calculations, meaning that users will have the answers they need to align their machines and get their plants humming again quickly. An enhanced user interface provides easy to understand results that do not require extensive alignment knowledge. It also offers a unique "All-in-One" result screen that shows both coupling results and feet corrections (vertical and horizontal) in real terms, making it easy to take corrective action.

Sensor and Prism

Since machine downtime is costly, test repeatability is critical. The Fluke 830/BT uses a proven single-laser precision alignment system that provides accurate and repeatable measurement results so that users can be confident that they are addressing misalignment problems properly.

As well, high-quality brackets make certain that both the sensor and prism do not slip as the shaft rotates.

1. Setup

Align coupled shafts in four simple steps:

1. Setup: Step-by-step input of the machine dimensions.

2. Measure: Rotate the shaft and receive instant measurement verification.

3. Diagnose/correct: Actual correction numbers are given, along with a 4-level color severity scale indicating whether the machine is misaligned. "Live" mode provides immediate dynamic feedback while the user makes adjustments - eliminating the need to perform additional diagnostics.

4. Re-measure: Confirm alignment results - then print a report, As Found & As Left, to document the job.

2. Measure

3. Diagnose/correct

4. Re-measure

When machines are well outside of accepted tolerances, it can be difficult to get accurate alignment readings. For these gross misalignment problems, the Fluke 830/BT uses a unique "Extend" mode that enables better measurement accuracy by automatically increasing the effective sensor measurement area. Increasing the sensor measurement area virtually allows the Fluke 830/BT to address gross misalignment quickly without the need to perform an initial rough alignment.

1. Identify

Fluke predictive maintenance tools help keep plants up and running:

The Fluke 830/BT Laser Shaft Alignment Tool makes laser shaft alignment as easy as 1-2-3-4. Just set up the unit, perform the test, evaluate the diagnosis, and check the results. With the Fluke 830/BT Laser Shaft Alignment tool, users can correct any misalignment, then verify results with Fluke infrared cameras or vibration testers to check the machine's health.

1. Identify a potential problem using a Fluke infrared camera.

2. Diagnosis and repair recommendation using the Fluke vibration tool.

3. Corrective action using the Fluke 830/BT Laser Shaft Alignment tool.

4. Result verification using the Fluke vibration tool.

2. Diagnosis and repair

3. Corrective action

4. Result verification