Cold Alignment Target Calculator — Thermal Growth

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Cold Alignment TargetTHERMAL GROWTH g = α·L·ΔT → SHIMS AT EACH FOOT

Preset machine trains

Stationary machine usually the driven pump

MATERIAL

SHIM PLANE → SHAFT CL (mm)

FRONT FOOT · mm / °C

REAR FOOT · mm / °C

Movable machine usually the motor / driver

MATERIAL

SHIM PLANE → SHAFT CL (mm)

FRONT FOOT · mm / °C

REAR FOOT · mm / °C

Conditions

ALIGN-DAY METAL °C

SPEED rpm

Cold target set

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION

Tap Cold target set to flip between the correct cold setting and the "perfect zero" alignment everyone wants to hand in. Watch the bottom panel.

Shaft centrelines — cold and running

Growth at each support · g = α·L·ΔT

The cold target

Before you trust any of this

Soft foot — dial each foot while loosening that bolt alone; more than 0.05 mm (0.002 in) of movement must be cured first. Pipe strain — with indicators on the coupling, slacken the suction and discharge flange bolts; more than 0.05 mm of shaft movement means the piping is bending the casing and no shim will fix it. Horizontal thermal growth is ignored here (symmetric casings); it is not ignorable for a machine with one hot side or a single side support. Tolerance bands are typical practice — use the vendor's table.

Educational teaching tool — simplified and illustrative. Not for engineering design use.