Which shaft alignment course is best for your needs?

Thanks for your interest in our shaft alignment training courses! As you are well aware, equipment reliability is a key issue in virtually every industrial complex today and proper machinery alignment is paramount in achieving dependable operation with a minimum of maintenance. One of the four ingredients required for reliable operation of rotating machinery is training. The other three : tools, time, and inspiration, can only achieve partial success if it lacks knowledge.
We offer the most comprehensive courses on alignment techniques and methods and these hands-on, step-by-step seminars are heralded as the best in the world. Thirty four years of field service work on industrial rotating machinery and twenty two years of industrial training has given us a keen insight on the real world of machinery alignment.

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There are six different courses we now offer:

• 2-day Basic course
• 3-day Intermediate course
• 4-day Advanced course
• 3-day Level 1 Certification Preparatory course
• 4-day Level 2 Certification Preparatory course
• 5-day Level 3 Certification Preparatory course

Keep in mind that these are hands-on courses where the attendees will be doing alignment work on training demonstrators. Everybody has the opportunity to get involved and understand the science and art behind aligning rotating machinery and now with the Certification tests, there is a way to measure what you have mastered and what you still need to learn. The premise of these courses are to provide the students with the knowledge to accurately align any type of rotating machine in a variety of different ways. Because of this, no single alignment method or system is promoted over another. There are advantages and disadvantages to each system and it is our responsibility to insure that the students are aware of what is out there to measure and correct misalignment and to help them pick the best method to suit their individual needs and the needs of their company. Above all else, we are responsible for instilling a desire to want to do the job correctly and the confidence that each student has the ability to achieve this goal. For some, it is the first time that they feel they have control over the machinery, not the other way around.

Alignment Certification Testing
In response to several requests from many of our current customers and companies making inquiries about our Shaft Alignment training courses, we are continuing to offer Level 1, 2, and 3 Certification tests on shaft alignment of rotating machinery. Shaft Alignment Certification testing is offered as an option to people attending any of the Shaft Alignment Training Courses or to anyone who feels qualified to take the test(s).
Due to the degree of difficulty of the material in the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced courses, our customers suggested that we extend each of these courses an additional day to allow more time for the students to absorb the material. The Level 1,2, and 3 Certification Preparatory Courses are designed to better prepare the attendee for the Level 1, 2, or 3 Shaft Alignment Certification tests. Since many of the people who attend the courses haven’t taken written exams in a long time, we have introduced a new training aid called the Shaft Alignment Self Study Guide. The Shaft Alignment Self Study Guide leads the student through the Basic Shaft Alignment Workbook and quizzes the student at the end of each of the eight lessons in the Self Study Guide. The questions in the Self Study Guide are similar to the types of questions contained in the Certification exams.

Basic / Level 1 Alignment Training
The two day Basic Alignment course and the three day Level 1 Certification Preparatory course are designed to train students ranging from those who have little or marginal experience in shaft alignment up to people who have been doing alignment for years but ... have not been exposed to all of the different dial indicator alignment methods, have not understood how to check or correct a 'soft foot' condition, have never used the alignment graphical/modeling technique, and would like to know about the advantages and disadvantages of all of the available alignment systems on the market today.
It is an excellent course for...
- Plant, maintenance, and production managers (who frequently do not understand why alignment takes longer than 45 minutes)
- Plant, maintenance, and production engineers (who were never taught this in school and are rarely allowed to do hands-on work)
- Technicians (who are asked to identify it through vibration analysis but may not know how to correct it)
- Trades personnel (who are the ones ultimately responsible for the final outcome) to give them the minimum working knowledge to achieve accurate alignment on two element drive systems (e.g. a motor and a pump) and to let them know what is involved in the overall alignment process.

The students in the Basic/Level 1 course will learn about the importance of alignment, how to: correct soft foot, check runout, align two pieces of rotating machinery using dial indicators, and to review all the currently used alignment equipment and techniques (e.g. lasers and electromechanical systems).
Material from other courses on vibration analysis and antifriction bearings are usually interjected to supplement the course and assist the students in understanding how alignment affects overall machinery performance.

Recommended background knowledge for basic alignment course...
- basic understanding of rotating machinery such as : motors, pumps, gears, compressors, fans, etc.
- have seen someone do alignment, have tried it themselves, or have heard what alignment is

Intermediate / Level 2 Alignment Training
The three day Intermediate Alignment course and the four day Level 2 Certification Preparatory course are designed to train students ranging from those who have some experience in shaft alignment as well as people who have been doing alignment for years but ... want to understand how to detect misalignment using nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques such as vibration analysis or infrared thermography, have not been exposed to the five basic alignment measurement methods, have not understood how to check or correct a soft foot condition, know all of the associated alignment graphical/modeling techniques for each of the five basic alignment methods, and would like to know about the advantages and disadvantages of all of the available alignment systems on the market today.
It is an excellent course for plant and maintenance managers; CBM-P/PM-Proactive maintenance managers, engineers, and technicians; and trades people to give them the working knowledge to achieve accurate alignment on any two machine element drive system using any of the five basic shaft alignment measurement methods.
The students in the Intermediate / Level 2 course will learn about the importance of alignment, how to : correct soft foot, check runout, align two pieces of rotating machinery using any of the five basic alignment measurement methods, and to review all the currently used alignment equipment and techniques (e.g. lasers and electromechanical systems).
Material from other courses on vibration analysis and antifriction bearings are usually interjected to supplement the course and assist the students in understanding how alignment affects overall machinery performance.

Recommended background knowledge for basic alignment course ...
- attended the Basic / Level 1 Shaft Alignment training course
- 2 years experience in CBM-P/PM-Proactive maintenance programs, or 2 years experience in the mechanical or electrical trades

Advanced / Level 3 Alignment Training
The four day Advanced and the five day Level 3 Certification Preparatory courses are only recommended for those people who have previously taken the Basic/Level 1 or Intermediate/Level 2 course and have had 6 months to a year to practice what they learned in these courses or for those who have had at least 5 years of field experience in alignment.
These courses cover all the material in the Intermediate/Level 2 course and...
- aligning multiple element drive trains and right angled drives
- how to measure off-line to running machinery movement (11 different techniques are reviewed)
- how to compensate for this movement when aligning the machinery off-line
- flexible and rigid coupling design, installation, and problem diagnosis