The Importance of Precision Alignment in Manufacturing Industries

May 29, 2024

The manufacturing industry comprises of tons of machines responsible for producing products. These machines may be casting machines, cutting machines, shaping machines, or anything else involved in the building process of a product. However, eventually, the moving parts of machines wear out and fall out of alignment.

Such wear reduces the machine’s efficiency and leads to higher production costs and power consumption. Precision alignment is a technique that helps maintain the equipment’s alignment. In the following narrative, we’ll explore why it has a pivotal say in manufacturing industries.

Why Is Precision Alignment Necessary?

To increase customer satisfaction and preserve production standards.

1. Prevents Production Issues

Misaligned machines seldom produce the desired results. For instance, in paper production plants, the overall quality of the sheets depends highly on the machine’s overall alignment quality. Also, a misaligned machine will result in tons of production waste due to poor quality.

Furthermore, it’s essential to understand your machines’ alignment status before implementing upgrades. Installing new sections without precision alignment can significantly impact their accuracy and performance. It underscores the importance of a thorough alignment inspection before any modifications.

2. Reduces Energy Consumption

Proper machine alignment ensures appropriate machine tolerances as parameters like thermal growth and positional expansion are optimal. This leads to increased efficiency, reducing the overall energy consumption during the manufacturing process.

Surveys conclude that well-aligned machines consume 3 to 10% less power than misaligned ones [1]. Alignment also reduces overall noise and heat, prolonging machines’ lives and promoting a safer work environment. Moreover, there is less probability of failure and a guaranteed increase in ROI.

3. Helps Meet Regulatory Standards

Manufacturing companies spend millions of dollars on replacing equipment way before the pieces’ life ends [2]. The reason for this is the misalignment caused by wear and tear.

This eventual deterioration results in non-compliance with product standards, which may lead to different industrial scrutinization’s. Precision alignment can help industry owners bid farewell to all such issues, as well-aligned machines ensure compliance with standards.

4. Ensures Less Rework and Scrap

Misaligned equipment produces more vibrations, which leads to unnecessary wrinkles, breakages, depressions, etc. in the end product. Such imperfections dramatically increase product scrappage. Moreover, it also results in heightened restart costs on the production lines.

A timely inspection can save you from all such nuisances. Also, it is important to sidestep the common assumption that new equipment requires inspection at longer intervals. Experts say that the most critical time to make an inspection is the initiation period. [3]

5. Assures Risk Reduction

Another drawback of misaligned machines is unexpected downtime. Misaligned machines can overheat beyond control, causing catastrophic failures like fires, etc.

However, precision aligning your machines prevents all such situations, ensuring equipment and staff safety. Moreover, it also reduces unexpected maintenance expenses.

6. Improves Accuracy

With industrial developments, precision alignment techniques have also evolved. Unlike traditional analog readers, digital reporting features are available nowadays that give a complete representation of the machine’s present conditions.

Furthermore, alignment specialists don’t have possible reading errors, as laser-based apparatus is available. Most reputable precision alignment service providers have the latest equipment, so there is no chance of erroneous readings.

7. Guarantees Machine’s Longevity

Inappropriate alignment of the machine’s components produces unwanted friction, causing them to wear. If proper measures remain amiss, eventually, you’ll have to replace the entire equipment.

Precision alignment ensures the longevity of the machine’s components as the faulting pieces are quickly analyzed. Moreover, it’ll also save unnecessary repair and maintenance costs.

Laser Measurements

Laser alignment is the latest type of alignment method. As the name suggests, it includes laser heads to measure the straightness of the machine shafts. The information is communicated to an attached computer, where professionals analyze the amount of adjustments needed.

Advanced software can also calculate the number of adjustments and save the figures for benchmarking and future use. Moreover, laser alignment methods are also applicable when the equipment is working, as there is an automatic heat adjustment mechanism available.

Final Words of Advice

Precision alignment is not a luxury; it is a necessity because misaligned machines induce unnecessary vibrations, which lead to 75% of the problems. Aligning your manufacturing machines not only preserves their efficiency but also ensures product quality, reduced scrap, and increased revenue.

To pocket all these benefits, one must hire skilled professionals to perform the alignment, which reduces the chance of error and revision.

FAQs

When should I opt for precision alignment?

It is better to get a precision alignment inspection every 6 to 9 months. However, the inspection interval depends upon various factors like the age of the machine, the running time, and maintenance. [5]

How do we know if a machine needs alignment?

Other than the approaching maintenance intervals, signs like unusual vibrations, excessive noise, uneven wear, reduced efficiency, and frequent breakdowns indicate the need for an alignment.

How long does precision alignment for manufacturing machinery take?

An estimated time stamp can work wonders for scheduling staff. However, in the case of machinery precision alignment, things are not easy. It can take anywhere from 45 minutes to a full day, with a high chance of variation. [6] Please contact us to discuss your project.