SKF, the knowledge engineering company, has launched a shaft alignment tool. The TKSA 51 is a comprehensive system for all alignment tasks designed for use with tablets and smartphones. The TKSA 51 app makes it quick and easy to set up of motors, drives, fans, gearboxes, pulleys and couplings, even by operators who use the instrument for the first time.
The TKSA 51 comprises two compact and lightweight laser measuring units, designed to suit almost any application. Using the versatile shaft brackets, the instrument can be mounted on small machines with limited space, whilst extension chains, rods and magnetic holders are supplied for mounting the tool on large machines.
Connected wirelessly, the app uses real time data to provide a live 3D view of the measuring units. This gives operators the possibility to rotate the virtual machine in all directions. Measurements are made by a simple touch of a button or by the hands-free automatic measurement function which just needs the shaft to be rotated to the next measurement position.
“Shaft misalignment is one of the main causes of machine failure,” said Jens Kammann, product manager at SKF maintenance products. “It creates additional forces and vibration that can damage machine components such as bearings, seals and couplings, adding considerably to operating and maintenance costs. Often, we find shafts not being aligned correctly because the applied method or instrument is time consuming and difficult to use, leading to mistakes and incorrect alignments.”
The measurement freedom is just one of the core features of the systems, allowing alignments in confined spaces as measurements can start at any angle and only require a total shaft rotation of 40°. Further alignment adjustments are possible with alignment targets that, for example, can be set to compensate the thermal growth of the machinery. After each alignment check or correction, a comprehensive report is created that can be customized, emailed or uploaded to a cloud service for future reference. To aid the user, notification and helpful guidance menus are displayed if a problem occurs during set up, such as the detector being off center or the laser beam being too close to the edge of the detector.
Image: TKSA 51 and app/SKF
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