About this course

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 Clock analogy
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To define the various measuring positions during the alignment process, the analogy
of a clock, as viewed facing the stationary machine (S) from behind the movable
machine (M), is used.
The position with the measurement device standing upright is defined as the 12
o’clock position, while 90° left and right are defined as the 9 and 3 o’clock positions
respectively.
The 6 o’clock position is opposite the 12 o’clock position.
 Vertical alignment
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Vertical misalignment is any misalignment when viewed from the side that is corrected
by making height adjustments at the front and rear feet of the movable machine.
Measurements taken in the vertical plane, i.e. in the 12 or 6 o’clock position, are used
to determine the vertical misalignment.
 Horizontal alignment
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Horizontal misalignment is any misalignment when viewed from the top that is
corrected by sliding the front and rear of the movable machine sideways.
Measurements taken in the horizontal plane, i.e. in the 9 or 3 o’clock position, are
used to determine the horizontal misalignment.
 Summary
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Each alignment plane will have both offset and angular components, so there are
actually four alignment parameters to be measured, calculated and corrected:
horizontal offset, horizontal angularity vertical offset and vertical angularity.
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Shaft misalignment is measured

at the coupling, but the required
corrections are made at the feet
of the movable machine.
This means that the positions at
the feet must be calculated from
the measurements taken at the
coupling / shaft. If this is not
done then success will depend
upon the aligner's skill or luck,
many machine moves will be
required, and accuracy will be
compromised.
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Offset is the deviation of a

position from a set reference
point. Offsets are designated by
the amount and direction of
deviation. In shaft alignment,
the term “offset” refers to the
deviation of one shaft centerline
from another shaft centerline, at
a given point (or plane) along
the length of the shaft.
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In the diagrams that follow the

centre-line of the movable shaft
is represented by the red line.
Points 1 & 2 represent planes of
measurement, where the offset
of the moveable shaft is
designated with reference to the
stationary machine centerline.
Points 3 & 4 represent the front
and back feet of the moveable
machine.
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It is important to remember the

goal during alignment is to
make the rotational centrelines
of the shafts co-linear, i.e. to
eliminate offset at all points
along their length. The readings
at points 1 & 2 allow calculation
of the slope of the moveable
shaft, which in turn allows
calculation of the offset (and
hence the required correction)
at the motor feet (points 3 & 4).
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Angular misalignment is most

easily defined as the slope
relationship of two rotational
centres. Slope is quantified by
measuring the offset difference
between any two planes, and
then dividing the result by the
distance between the planes.
Slope is sometimes referred to
as “angularity”. In this example
the slope is 0.66 mm per 100
mm.
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Knowing the distances between

the measurement planes and
the feet of the movable
machine, we can then use the
slope to calculate the offset at
points 3 and 4.
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Alignment values at the coupling are

not always the best indication of
alignment quality. For example, a
machine with a long shaft and a long
span between bearings may be
aligned according to a specification
chart in terms of offset and angularity.
However, the outboard feet of the
machine may still have a significant
error.
Some users therefore prefer a
simpler, though more stringent
specification that combines critical
factors at the coupling and at the
planes of the machines’ feet, providing
a precision tolerance that can be
applied for any machine configuration
or shaft speed.
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 Shiming
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Shimming is the method used to fill the gap between the support surface and
the machine base frame. Shimming devices include:
• machinery shims
• adjustable steel levellers, e.g. SKF Vibracon SM elements
• customized rigid steel chocks
• epoxy resin
The shimming process varies depending on the type of shim selected. Some
shims are designed to establish the proper mounting plane for new
installations or repair applications. Others are used to correct soft foot in
preparation for the realignment of an existing machine.
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