Axial alignment in wastewater treatment plants

The correct alignment of shafts in wastewater treatment plants using a laser shaft alignment tool allows maintenance personnel to precisely align both drive pulleys using a laser light, greatly increasing the accuracy of component alignment.

Wastewater treatment plants are an important part of any population. vibration analysis In process equipment in the sludge pumping area of primary treatment, it can help technicians determine, based on recorded vibration levels, that the most probable cause is misalignment or loose drive belts.

The correct alignment and tension of drive belts and pulleys are critical for preserving belt life, as well as reducing strain on the pump and motor, thereby increasing their reliability.

A severe misalignment of driveline components will cause high levels of vibration and premature failure of the pump and motor bearings, leading to unexpected downtime and loss of service for critical process equipment at the wastewater treatment plant.

The result of the vibration analysis should be to generate a work order to replace and appropriately tension the belt, and to check the alignment of the motor and pump pulleys. Proactive work is key to the continuous operation of a wastewater treatment plant.

After properly tightening the belts, the pump must undergo a post-maintenance test, confirming that the vibration readings have returned to the optimal working level.

The total costs for vibration testing and repair work orders are typically very low compared to the scenario of doing nothing and experiencing bearing failure. In this case, the pump would have had to be rebuilt at an estimated cost four to five times higher than the maintenance intervention. In addition to the costs of replacing components, there are the extra costs of labour and process downtime.

Some companies that own wastewater treatment plants, as part of the process for acceptance and commissioning of new industrial assets, carry out appropriate alignment during assembly and start-up.

The misalignment of rotating equipment will lead to premature wear and tear and ultimately to the failure of the industrial asset's components, reducing its lifespan and causing a loss of processing system availability.

Finding and correcting equipment misalignments before they fail is a critical step towards ensuring that newly installed equipment will continue to be reliable.

Since you are interested in knowing about technologies for the proper alignment of pumps in wastewater treatment plants, which drive the plant's pumping, we invite you to learn about the aspects to consider to achieve Energy efficiency of industrial machineryas well as to subscribe to our NewsletterThe newsletter will provide you with the best practices to achieve positive results within your plant.