PERMALIGN® - the system for non-contact displacement measurement

Thermal growth, foundation settling, piping forces and overloading are the most common causes of machine displacement - which can in turn lead to decreased efficiency due to increased loading or even to machine breakdown. PERMALIGN® lets you measure up to 16 mm of relative vertical and horizontal machine displacement during operation - without contact, over distances up to 10 m (32 ft.).

The same PERMALIGN® system can be used to measure other types of displacement such as that of outboard bearings, attached piping or even loading deflection of cranes.

• possibility of independent operating
• up to 16 PERMALIGN® monitors in one system
• communication with PC
• Permalign for Windows software

PERMALIGN® for WINDOWS software can produce clear alignment diagrams and list complete details of current or stored alignment conditions, even over extended periods of time. Graphics software allows you, for example, to relate vertical growth to operating temperature over time and produce corresponding documentation on paper or on file.

Applications example - coupling alignment monitoring

In order to determine misalignment of coupled machines resulting from thermal growth, sinking foundations, etc. the user fastens a PERMALIGN® monitor to one machine and the reflector onto the other; the magnitude and direction of any motion of one machine with respect to the other will then be reported by the system based upon the operating principle described earlier.

One sensor system may be used to observe two parameters simultaneously: each 90° roof prism allows detection of a relative parallel displacement of up to + 8 mm (+ 5/16 in.) and relative displacement of up to + 8 mm (+ 5/16 in.) resulting from angular rotation about the same axis.

Generally, two systems are used in conjunction for close observation of all four alignment parameters (degrees of freedom) which describe the alignment condition of

Additional monitors may be used for absolute measurements as opposed to relative movements between machines e.g. by measuring between the machine and a solid foundation.

Of course, using of the PERMALIGN® system is by no means limited only to monitoring the positions of shaft-coupled machinery. As a generally applicable measurement system, the PERMALIGN® allows simple yet precise monitoring of an extremely wide variety of structures, such as those encountered in steel mills, machine tool fabrication, or building construction.