×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

belt driven fan alignment

belt driven fan alignment

belt driven fan alignment

(OP)
Dear freiends,
I am recently involved in a project to install some air cooled exchanger (Gas Cooler) Fans.
The fans are driven by timing belts throught 2 timing pulley, I am seeking for a procedure or manual for installation and alignment of the system.
Motor and Fan shafts are vertical and parallel and pulleys are fixed by taper bushings.
Thank you

RE: belt driven fan alignment

Experience is the biggest factor. Other than that, verify perpendicular shafts with a machinists level. Then check that the pulleys are level with the level. Check with the level in the same location and rotate the shaft. Check ever 15 or 20 degrees. Use a string and or a straight edge for pulley position alignment.
Use lots of experience.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

RE: belt driven fan alignment

As Bill said, experience is the best tool, here is a couple of links,

http://www.lubsys.com/knowledge/knw_align05.htm

http://www.vibralign.com/belt-alignment.html?gclid=CMruyYzk16ACFRdaiAodDjmcBg

I am a big fan of using a laser alignment system for belt drives when possible.  When CAT engines started going into large tub grinders we had a large number of problems, the folks at Vibralign were a big help and their tooling helped us in a number of applications.  I've also used the tooling from SKF, and their tech support people are very helpful.

Mike L.

RE: belt driven fan alignment

Synchronous (Timing) belts require proper "engineering" for a successful installation. For example, some belt manufacturer's offerings such as the Gates PowerGrip GT2 have proprietary tooth profiles requiring matched pulleys. The Gates website has "design manuals" available for download. The design manuals discuss belt alignment. Coincidentally, there is also a design manual specifically for heat exchanger applications.

As stated previously, there is no substitute for experience, especially with synchronous belts.

FYI, I do not "sell" Gates products. I chose Gates for illustration purposes only.
 

RE: belt driven fan alignment

When aligning with a straight edge, I have four points of contact. My last check with straight edge alignment is to pinch a $5 bill in each contact point in turn and pull it to feel the drag.
Ever watch a group spend days aligning a 3 HP motor only to have it go out of alignment every time it is run??  If you don't make your first step, check that the pulleys are square on the shafts, you will some day experience some frustration.
How often do you see this step emphasized in textbook alignment procedures? My rant is that some of the people writing the procedures should stop just cribbing from another textbook or making it up as they go and get out in the field and get dirty for a few years. Experience. [Rant off]
You may replace my straight edge or string with a laser, but don't take away my level. I need it to check that the pulley is square on the shaft. Experience.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

RE: belt driven fan alignment

Are the motors on adjustable bases? Some of those are miserable at keeping things aligned during belt tensioning/adjustment, or so flexible that under power running alignment is completely different than the static alignment.

Dan T

RE: belt driven fan alignment

(OP)
Dear TMOOSE,
The motors are mounted in fix bases.
Thank You.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources