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INDUSTRY NEWS
BY BRENT HAIGHT
Typical class sizes range
from a minimum of four
students to a maximum
of 12, with a preferred
class size of six to eight
students.
Ludeca Opens Alignment,
Vibration Analysis and
Balancing Training Center
Ludeca has opened a new Doral,
Florida, U.S.A., international training
center. The newly built, 345 m2 facility
features classrooms equipped with the
latest in interactive audio-visual training systems and training simulators for
machinery alignment, condition monitoring and balancing, all with dedicated
laser alignment, vibration analysis and
balancing systems.
According to the company, Ludeca
built the facility because of a need for
more modern facilities to keep up with
industry demand for its training services.
Ludeca offers hands-on courses
taught in a small class size to promote
one-on-one interaction and personalized attention.
“For alignment, we offer in-depth
two-, three-, and four-day alignment
training courses that cover the principles and practices of good shaft alignment, especially providing a thorough
understanding of the concepts of offset
and angularity, as well as soft foot detection, analysis and correction, thermal
growth, target specs, machine train
alignment, vertical flange-mounted
machine alignment, base-bound and
bolt-bound alignment solutions, PC
software and many other topics,” said
Alan Luedeking, manager Tech Support
& Training – Alignment Division, at
Ludeca. “Special classes are conducted
for bore alignment flatness, straightness
and leveling applications. We have a
variety of laser shaft alignment systems
including Rotalign Ultra, Rotalign Pro,
Optalign Smart and Optalign Plus. We
also have horizontal and vertical ma-
REPRINTED FROM MAY 2008 DIESEL & GAS TURBINE WORLDWIDE
LUDECA, INC. • 305-591-8935 • www.ludeca.com
chinery alignment simulators, machine
train simulators and are able to simulate
a variety of soft foot conditions. In
addition, we have special machine simulators for bore alignment flatness and
levelness, as well as a large diesel engine block.”
For alignment, Ludeca can simulate
small or gross vertical and horizontal
misalignment, shaft deflections from
coupling strain, torsional backlash issues, live moves, and a variety of soft
foot conditions, including distortions
induced by pipe strain. “In addition,
we can align to target specs for thermal growth. For straightness, flatness
and levelness, a variety of surfaces are
available for measurement, as well as a
train of bearing bores for bore alignment,” added Luedeking.
“In condition monitoring, the classes
cover the ins and outs of the Omnitrend software, the VibXpert and Vibscanner analyzers such as setting up
proper parameters to collect data to
identify machinery faults,” said Gary
James, training manager – Condition
Monitoring Division, at Ludeca. “We
offer a hands-on approach with many
class exercises to allow the user to be
productive and increase the ROI for the
customer. We also offer a balancing
course to give the end user the knowledge to perform in-place balancing at
their own facility. We have a Spectra
Quest Machinery Fault Simulator and
two-plane balancing simulators. We
can simulate alignment faults, unbalance conditions, perform phase measurements, study eccentricity, sheave
or pulley misalignment, bearing defects, resonance and others.”
Typical class sizes range from a minimum of four students to a maximum of
12, with a preferred class size of six to
eight students. “This way we ensure that
each student gets plenty of individual
attention from the instructor and lots of
hands-on practice,” said Luedeking.
Ludeca has regularly scheduled
courses at least twice a month and also
schedules courses individually for
customers either at its new training
center or on-site at the customer’s
facility. Courses are offered in English
and Spanish. A
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