There has been an ever increasing tendency for manufacturer's to require Laser Shaft Alignment of their rotating equipment.  Most contractors have already realized that aligning the shafts of the pumps, motors, and blowers they are installing helps prevent call backs for equipment failures.  Spending a few $$ on prevention by having the shafts Laser aligned simply gives them the added insurance, as well as saving them labor & materials later. 

Any good mechanic understands that if the shafts(or couplings) are not in good alignment, the bearings and/or seals in the rotating equipment are stressed and susceptible to premature failure. In the past, using a straight edge, which a good mechanic can read to within .010", was considered good enough.  With the increased technology of today, studies have clearly shown that even .010" misalignment will not only produce stress on the equipment, but it will waste energy.  And the cost of wasted energy effects the bottom line!

How much can it waste? Easily thousands of dollars per year!  People think their little 10 HP motors aren't going to waste very much, but it is still wasting a minimum of 2%, and sometimes up to 9 % of the cost of their electricity!  As an example, if a company spends $50K per month on electricity, reducing their energy consumption by 4% would save them $24K per year!

Some large companies such as GM and Mobil, have completed studies that show conclusively that savings of 2.3% could be obtained on loaded machines, and up to 9% on loaded machines. Infraspection Institute in California demonstrated in a careful study years ago that misalignment generates heat and wastes energy.  The energy required to generate this heat within the flexible couplings is increased with misalignment and must come from somewhere. This waste of energy thereby directly effects the efficiency of the rotating machines.

Measuring the amount of savings can be calculated using the amount of current(amperage) a motor draws.  If you can save 1 or 2 amps by correcting for misalignment, you can multiply it by what you pay for electricity. It could easily be $10 - $20 per motor per year.  How many motors do you have in your plant?

And this energy savings is in addition to the cost of bearings, seals, couplings, unscheduled downtime and repair expenses.  Invest in PM, it will save you money!   

Why do I need a Check Valve?