Field Milling

PUMP AND MOTOR SKID SOLE PLATE RECONDITIONING

Northwest Industries of Mt., Inc. offers a specialized On-site machining service that will correct your alignment problems by resurfacing all four sole plates in a common geometric plane with only ONE SETUP! OPTALIGN® laser alignment system to finish the job for you while we are on-site. Call 406-248-2813 or Toll Free 888-817-2511 for more details.

TYPICAL FIELD MILLING SETUP PROCEDURE

In most alignment situations the pump remains stationary because of piping makeup restraints and therefore all alignment is done at the driver (motor or turbine). Over a period of time many Pump/Motor Skid bases will begin to settle in various directions that effect the geometric plane that keeps the pump and motor alignment true to that plane (all sole plates in the same plane). Adjustments are made periodically during alignment checks and corrected by adding or removing shims under the driver. Maintaining good coupling alignment greatly increases the service life of all rotating equipment and is an important MTBF concern for Maintenance & Plant Managers. Sometimes the Skids geometric plane will become so distorted that shim adjustment at the sole plates need to be stepped or ‘taper shimming’ to eliminate ‘soft foot’ conditions.
Below are sequential pictures showing a typical field setup for resurfacing sole plates to restore geometric plane. CASE: when aligned for coupling face angularity, this particular motor ended up with no shims under the front feet and all under the back feet. But for peripheral alignment the motor was too high and could not be lowered because the front feet had no shims. JOB SCOPE: resurface the motor sole plates in the same plane as the pump and to allow for a minimum of .100″ motor shims under each foot.