Importance of Tolerances

Basics
Flexible Coupling

 Two Shafts, one flexible coupling

www.ludeca.com
Single Flex Coupling

 It’s a common misconception that a

“flexible” coupling has 1 flex plane.

 A Single Flex Plane coupling does

exist but is not very common

www.ludeca.com
Flexible Coupling

 A flexible coupling is a coupling with 2 flex planes

(power of transmission points).

The shafts can only change their relative position at the two
power of transmission points.

www.ludeca.com
Flex Planes (power of transmission points)

Graph from Shaft Alignment Handbook Third Edition by John Piotrowski www.ludeca.com
Misalignment Magnified

Two Flex Points (power points of

transmission)

Connecting Element between two machines

(flexible element) www.ludeca.com
Misalignment Magnified

Only angular misalignment can exist at

each power of transmission point.
www.ludeca.com
www.ludeca.com
www.ludeca.com
www.ludeca.com
www.ludeca.com
www.ludeca.com
www.ludeca.com
Tolerances

 So, what are good tolerances?

Good tolerances are those that define the permissible limits
of angular misalignment at each flex plane (Power of
transmission point).

www.ludeca.com
Offset

 Where does Offset come from?

www.ludeca.com
Offset

 Offset is the distance between to lines at a given

point. The Optalign Training Book. ©1990 by Ludeca, Inc.
Let’s expand the definition a little:

 Offset is the distance between the projected

centerlines of rotation of two machines at any given
point.

www.ludeca.com
 Offsets

Angle B

Mac
hin
e 2

Offset

Offset Offset Offset Offset Offset Offset

Machine 1
Angle A
Expressing and evaluating misalignment

 The two most common ways of expressing shaft misalignment

of two rotational centerlines coupled by a flexible coupling are:
– Short Flex
– Spacer

www.ludeca.com
 Short Flex Coupling Type

Scale: Angle C = Angle between 1 and 2

1 SQ Horiz = 0.125 inches
Offset at Coupling Center (Center
1 SQ Vert = 0.50 mils
of Flex Planes)

Flex Plane 1 Coupling Center Flex Plane 2

e2
Machin
Offset @
Coupling Center

Angle C

Machine 1
 Spacer Coupling Type

Scale: Angle A and Angle B

1 SQ Horiz = 0.125 inches
1 SQ Vert = 0.50 mils OR
Offset @ A and Offset @ B

Flex Plane 1 Flex Plane 2

e 2
Machin

Offset A
Offset B Spacer Angle B

Machine 1

Angle A

Spacer is the connecting element between the 2 machines

Short Flex Tolerances
Other Tolerances

Ludeca Tolerances

www.ludeca.com
 Calculation of Offsets at Flex Planes from Short Flex (Using other Tolerences)

Scale: Angle C = Angle between 1 and 2 = 0.5 mils / inch

1 SQ Horiz = 0.125 inches
1 SQ Vert = 0.50 mils Offset at Coupling Center (Center of Flex Planes) = 2.0 mils

Distance between Flex Planes = 2.0 inches

Flex Plane 1 Coupling Center Flex Plane 2

e2
Machin
Offset @
Coupling Center

Angle C
2.0 Offset A 2.5
Offset B 1.5

Machine 1 1 Inch 1 Inch

Offset at CC = 2.0 mils

Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = Offset at CC + Angularity X distance CC to FP2
Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = 2.0 mils + 0.5 mils/inch X 1.0 inch
Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = 2.0 mils + 0.5 mils
Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = 2.5 mils
 Calculation of Spacer Angle from Offset calculated in previous slide

Scale:
1 SQ Horiz = 0.125 inches Distance between Flex Planes = 2.0 inches
1 SQ Vert = 0.50 mils

Flex Plane 1 Flex Plane 2

e2
Machin

Offset A 2.5
Offset B 1.5 Spacer Angle B

Machine 1 2.0 inches

Angle A

Spacer is the connecting element between the 2 machines

Angle A = Offset A divided by the spacer length

Angle A = 2.5 mils divided by 2 inches = 1.25 mils / inch

Is that good???
 Calculation of Offsets at Flex Planes from Short Flex (Using Ludeca Tolerences)

Scale: Angle C = Angle between 1 and 2 = 0.2 mils / inch

1 SQ Horiz = 0.125 inches
1 SQ Vert = 0.25 mils
Offset at Coupling Center (Center of Flex Planes) = 1.0 mils

Distance between Flex Planes = 2.0 inches

Flex Plane 1 Coupling Center Flex Plane 2

e2
Machin
Offset @
Coupling Center

Angle C
1.0 Offset A 1.2
Offset B 0.8

Machine 1 1 Inch 1 Inch

Offset at CC = 1.0 mils

Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = Offset at CC + Angularity X distance CC to FP2
Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = 1.0 mils + 0.2 mils/inch X 1.0 inch
Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = 1.0 mils + 0.2 mils
Offset at Flex Plane 2 (Offset A) = 1.2 mils
 Calculation of Spacer Angle from Offset calculated in previous slide

Scale:
1 SQ Horiz = 0.125 inches Distance between Flex Planes = 2.0 inches
1 SQ Vert = 0.25 mils

Flex Plane 1 Flex Plane 2

e2
Machin

Offset A 1.2
Offset B 0.8 Spacer Angle B

Machine 1 2.0 inches

Angle A

Spacer is the connecting element between the 2 machines

Angle A = Offset A devided by the spacer length

Angle A = 1.2 mils devided by 2 inches = 0.6 mils / inch

Is that good???
Tolerances

 Extracted from an article on www.couplings.com: “there comes

a point where no beneficial returns can be made if alignment
tolerances have adequately been met”
 This brings the question… What tolerances do I use? Where
can they be found?
 Research has found that many manufacturers, coupling and
machinery, refer to “The Shaft Alignment Handbook” by John
Piotrowski

www.ludeca.com
John Piotrowski’s Tolerance Guide

www.ludeca.com
RPM Angle Offset RPM Angle Offset
mils/in mils mils/in mils
3600 0.5 2.0 3600 0.2 1.0
1800 0.7 4.0 1800 0.3 2.0
1200 1.0 6.0 1200 0.5 2.5
900 1.5 8.0 900 0.7 3.0

X LUD
RPM 3600 RPM 3600
Dist MaxOff MaxAng Pio Exc MA > Pio --- MaxOff MaxAng Pio Exc MA > Pio
mils mis/in mis/in --- mils mis/in mis/in
1 2.25 2.25 0.68 3.31 --- 1.10 1.10 0.68 1.62
1.5 2.38 1.58 0.68 2.33 --- 1.15 0.77 0.68 1.13
2 2.50 1.25 0.68 1.84 --- 1.20 0.60 0.68 0.88
3 2.75 0.92 0.68 1.35 --- 1.30 0.43 0.68 0.64
4 3.00 0.75 0.68 1.10 --- 1.40 0.35 0.68 0.51
4.5 3.13 0.69 0.68 1.02 1.45 0.32 0.68 0.47
5 3.25 0.65 0.68 0.96 --- 1.50 0.30 0.68 0.44
6 3.50 0.58 0.68 0.86 --- 1.60 0.27 0.68 0.39
7 3.75 0.54 0.68 0.79 --- 1.70 0.24 0.68 0.36
8 4.00 0.50 0.68 0.74 --- 1.80 0.23 0.68 0.33
9 4.25 0.47 0.68 0.69 --- 1.90 0.21 0.68 0.31
10 4.50 0.45 0.68 0.66 --- 2.00 0.20 0.68 0.29
11 4.75 0.43 0.68 0.64 2.10 0.19 0.68 0.28
Importance of Spacer
Option
Spacer Shaft Tolerances

 Same machine, but now with the flex planes further

apart.

www.ludeca.com
Spacer Shaft Tolerances

 At what distance does it make sense to use Spacer Tolerances

rather than Short Flex Tolerances?

www.ludeca.com
Tolerances

 Using Ludeca’s Tolerances at 3600 RPM:

Short Flex: Offset: 1.0 mil
Angularity: 0.2 mils/inch
Spacer: Angularity: 0.3 mils/inch OR
Offset: 0.3 mils/inch of spacer
?
?

www.ludeca.com
 Scale:
1 SQ Horiz = 0.5 inches
1 SQ Vert = 0.5 mils
Spacer Tolerance
RPM = 3600
Spacer length = 8 inches
Angle Tol = 0.3 mils / inch
Offset Tol = 0.3 X 8 = 2.4 mils

FF BF

2.4

Machine 1 8 inches
2.4 2.4

Machine 2
Spacer Alignments
 At a distance between flex planes greater than 5 inches, it is
more convenient to use ‘Spacer Tolerances’. Accurate alignment
can be achieved faster than if ‘short flex Tolerances’ were used.
 The ‘Spacer’ option becomes even more important as the
distance between flex planes increases.
 A shaft alignment tool that does not offer a ‘Spacer’ option is not
a complete shaft alignment tool.

www.ludeca.com