How advanced alignment systems boost manufacturing efficiency and reduce downtime
The importance of proper alignment to manufacturing reliability, efficiency, and quality cannot be overstated. Making alignment processes easier and more precise is a key goal of machine and system designers. Shaft and bore alignment, optical assembly alignment, and 3D-printing alignment are some of the processes seeing improvements.
Alignment system capabilities
Efficient and effective features are in demand, and X-Series Laser Shaft Alignment systems from Hamar Laser Instruments remove the need to perform a rough-in. “Part of the pre-alignment checklist is a rough alignment when setting up the system to take data. With our X-Series tools, it is unnecessary due to the dual beams pointing in the same direction, angularity built into the heads, and the fact that we have one of the largest position sensing detectors (PSD) on the market,” explains Terry Southall, global brand and distribution manager at Hamar Laser Instruments.
Technicians using X-Series systems outdoors benefit from Light Shield with Narrow-Band Filter technology, which blocks out 97-98% of UV sunlight that would otherwise interfere with the infrared (IR) light of the laser beam, adds Southall.
For the AT-300 digital line laser system and AT-400 high-end dual-axis shaft alignment system from Acoem, a new Shim Simulator feature is available to optimize machine alignment. Used during machine setup, it allows users to instantly preview how different shims affect coupling alignment so they can make the right decisions.
The Shim Simulator is provided as a function of the Acoem HSA app, a companion app for performing horizontal shaft alignment, and is powered by the company’s GuideU interface. As users adjust shim values up or down in the app, they are promptly shown the effect on alignment so they can fine-tune the setup accordingly.
The XT950 Bore alignment system from Easy-Laser measures the straightness of bore centerlines, bearing journals, and cylindrical components. Designed for applications such as engines, gearboxes, and compressors, it accurately measures bore sizes between 80 and 500 mm (3.15–19.68 inches). The XT Alignment app’s Bore Center program, which measures from 3 to 50 points at each position for high accuracy, walks the user through the measurement process.
“Laser-based bore measurement with the Easy-Laser XT950 provides the utmost in accuracy and operator-independent repeatability,” observes Daus Studenberg, product manager for LUDECA, Easy-Laser’s U.S. distributor. “With a simple setup, data can be taken promptly without concern for wire sag, making the whole job more efficient and less time-consuming.”
For optical components assembly, the MRSI-A-L Active Aligner from MRSI Systems provides active alignment capabilities in the nanometer and millidegree range. The modular machine has integrated pick-and-place, dot or pattern dispensing, machine vision, optical alignment, and UV curing functions for components such as transceivers, silicon photonics, arrayed waveguide gratings (AWG), LiDAR, and integrated optics.
3D printing refinements
Alignment capabilities in additive manufacturing keep improving. For TruPrint 3D printing systems from TRUMPF, Automatic Multilaser Alignment (AMA) enables intelligent monitoring, analysis, and calibration of laser metal fusion (LMF) processes. AMA facilitates the production of printed multilaser parts for industries with stringent quality standards, such as semiconductor, automotive, and aerospace.
TRUMPF lasers can be calibrated during the build process and without the need for a special service mission, unlike many multi-laser machines that need to be calibrated during installation and then aligned again on a regular basis to ensure consistent quality, says Adam Simons, head of additive manufacturing for TRUMPF in North America. “Automatic Multilaser Alignment provides fully automated online monitoring and correction of beam source positioning relative to each other and up to 27.5 µm accuracy,” Simons adds.
The M600 metal 3D printer from Meltio needs no manual alignment because its newly developed deposition head removes the need for laser alignment. Calibration of the printer is likewise not required. Features such as these are designed to help modernize machine shops and encourage large-scale adoption of metal additive manufacturing.
“The vast majority of metal 3D printed parts require post-processing, which is carried out in the machine shop,” notes Lukas Hoppe, director of R&D at Meltio. “The Meltio M600 metal 3D printer is highly autonomous, meaning that operator interaction is minimal, common touch points such as manual laser alignment have been removed for increased reliability, and programming is a matter of minutes thanks to the Meltio Horizon, the dedicated slicer for the Meltio M600.”
