Designed for professional alignment in harsh industrial environments, the TKSA 71 complements SKF's offering with a high-end shaft alignment tool. The instrument is very versatile with ultra-compact measuring units for use in extremely narrow spaces. Its dedicated software applications enable different types of alignments, including horizontal and vertical shafts, spacer shafts and machine trains. Superior alignment performance and long-term industrial durability are achieved with an innovative instrument design that offers high measurement accuracy and excellent protection against dust and water in harsh environments.
Shaft Alignment Overview
Shaft misalignment is one of the most significant and most preventable contributors to premature machine failure. When a machine is placed in service with less than optimal shaft alignment, the following conditions are likely:
- Poor machine performance
- Increased power consumption
- Increased noise and vibration
- Premature bearing wear
- Accelerated deterioration of gaskets, packing, and mechanical seals
- Higher coupling wear rates
- Increased unplanned downtime
Proper alignment is achieved when the center lines of each shaft are co-linear when the machine is under load and at normal operating temperatures. This is often referred to as shaft-to-shaft alignment. If the shafts of a machine train are not co-linear, when the machine is in operation, they are misaligned. In essence, the objective is to have a straight line through the centers of all of the shafts of the machines.
The SKF Shaft Alignment for TKSA 71 is a wireless shaft alignment tool that allows an easy and accurate method for aligning the shafts of a driving machine (e.g. electric motor) and a driven machine (e.g. pump).
Principle of Operation
The TKSA 71 is a Line Laser Shaft Alignment System and it has two measuring units that are mounted on each shaft, or on each side of the coupling. After rotating the shafts into different measuring positions, the system calculates offset and angular misalignment values between the shafts. The values are compared with user defined tolerance limits and adjustments of the machine can be made instantly.
During the measuring procedure, measurements are taken in three positions, each separated by at least 20°. As the shafts are rotated through an arc, any parallel misalignment or angular misalignment causes the detectors to measure the difference in their positions relative to each other.
Positioning information from the measuring units is wirelessly communicated through Bluetooth Low Energy to the displaying device, which calculates the amount of shaft misalignment and advises corrective adjustments of the machine feet.
If the shafts of a machine train are not co-linear when the machine is in operation, they are by definition misaligned. While the actual shaft positions can be illustrated in three dimensional space and the center lines can be defined mathematically, it is easier to relate the relationship between shafts at the coupling as an offset, an angle, or any combination of the two in the vertical and horizontal axes.
Alignment Applications
The TKSA 71 functions quickly and intuitively using six software apps tailored for different alignment jobs. Designed for use without prior training, these simple-to-use apps are available free of charge for both Android and iOS platforms. Common features include comprehensive, automatic reports, export and sharing options, instructional videos within the app, built-in tolerance guidelines, 3-D live view, disturbance compensation and a fully functional demonstration mode.
- Shaft Alignment - Easy and intuitive alignments of horizontal shafts with additional features including automatic measurement, minimal 40° total rotation, 9-12-3 guidance and alignment customization with target values.
- Vertical Shaft Alignment - Easy and intuitive alignment of vertical shaft machines with shimming support for different bolt configurations.
- Machine Train Alignment - Enables operator to align three connected machines, giving a complete overview of machine train alignment and allowing the operator to select stationary feet.
- Soft Foot - Assists technician in verifying that machine is standing evenly on all four feet. The app supports the operator identifying and correcting a soft foot.
- Spacer Shaft Alignment - Accommodates special requirements of spacer shafts and facilitates the alignment process.
- Values - Allows the shaft alignment tool to be used as digital dial gauges; operators can record absolute, zeroed and halved readings to perform customised alignments with manual calculations.
The SKF Shaft Alignment Tool TKSA 71 has achieved high user satisfaction in wind turbines where its compact, lightweight design has helped technicians to carry the instrument up the tower and perform alignments in very narrow spaces. In general industrial applications, technicians benefit from the tool’s versatility and ease of use, instantly becoming familiar operating the tool and performing machine alignment. Developed especially for demanding alignment tasks, the TKSA 71 provides superior performance in vertical shaft and machine train alignments.