Laser Prop Shaft Alignment

The laser alignment of marine engines and propeller shafts is critical in shipbuilding, shiprepair and marine maintenance activities. The stresses and vibrations caused by rotation of misaligned shafts can not only lead to failures in the drive shaft assembly itself, but can also cause significant damage to structural items such as struts and hulls, eventually leading to cracks, leaks and possible sinking.

Marine based engines and associated drive shafts and propulsion systems are working in a non rigid environment. So invevitably most boats will twist and bend under the normal everyday stresses exerted by seagoing conditions. These stresses can and do cause failures in the mountings of engines and propeller shafts.

Marine engine drive systems gradually move out of alignment and must to be periodically checked and realigned accurately to reduce the stresses increased as a result. Laser alignment will significantly reduce wear to drive train propulsion units, engine components, and also the vessel itself.

Nicol & Andrew distributes the Fixturlaser range of Prop Shaft Alignment Systems which have been specifically developed for measuring and correcting the alignment of driven shafts in marine applications.

Prop Shaft Alignment - Consequences of Propeller Shaft Misalignment

Common problems associated with propeller shaft misalignment include:

• Increased bearing wear
• Bent or broken shafts
• Drive system vibration leading to transmission damage & failure, engine mounts and the boat hull itself.
• Structural resonance as a result of shaft vibration leading to loosening of struts
• Worn engine mounts
• Rapid wear on universal joints and couplings

Prop Shaft Alignment Systems

Fixturlaser XA Prop Shaft Alignment System

The Fixturlaser XA system is a powerful, easy to use laser guided Prop Shaft Alignment System for checking and correcting alignment in propeller or any driven rotating shaft.

The XA System features:

• Icon-driven large LCD colour touch screen interface
• 3D colour animations to guide users through the alignment process
• Unique line-laser technology and large detector areas for easy set-up and measurement
• Blue-tooth wireless connectivity between laser heads and display unit eliminate the need for cables to transfer data
• Precision Alignment measurements to within 1/100th of a millimetre
• Live onscreen measurements instantly inform users of effects of shimming and corrections to engine or shaft position.

Fixturlaser Centring System - measurement of inside diameters

The Fixturlaser Centering System is a Flexible Geometry Measurement system for measurements on inside diameters. It is a powerful tool for checking bearings journals as well as positioning of support bearings in applications such as propeller shafts.

The Fixturlaser Centering measures the rotational centre position, in two axes, in relation to user defined reference points for Prop Shaft Alignment.

The system is based on the Fixturlaser Geo Platform and provides full functionality for measurement, alignment, and documentation. The rigid fixtures together with easy operated components fulfil the requirements on a quick, easy, and precise alignment system. Alignment of bearing journals in diesel engines within shipbuilding and power generation with the Fixturlaser Centering has proved to be most useful.

Technical specification of the Fixturlaser Centring System:

• Displayed measurement result resolution: 0,001 mm (0,1 mils)
• Operating temperature range: 0 - 40°C (32 - 122°F)
• Power supply: All units run on standard batteries.
• Operating time: Depending on operation cycle 10 - 20 hrs
• Measurement diameters: 80 - 350 mm (3,15" - 13,78") with standard equipment

Propeller Shaft Alignment Services

Nicol & Andrew is a specialist independent Prop Shaft Alignment Service company with over 50 years experience providing support to the marine industry.

We specialise in all forms of rotating machinery repair and alignment problems.

Nicol & Andrew provides Certified onsite prop shaft alignment services, and specialist on site machining and repair services Worldwide.