SKF announced the introduction of the TKSA 31 shaft-alignment tool for easy laser alignment at an entry-level price. Developed for rotating machines in industrial applications, the instrument helps customers identify and correct shaft mis-alignments to improve equipment uptime and reliability, and lower maintenance costs.

The TKSA 31 and previously announced TKSA 41 are sharing the same design, but TKSA 31 has a lower price than its big brother TKSA 41. In return, the smaller version has lower measurement flexibility and is lacking the camera function that allows pictures to be added to TKSA 41 alignment reports. Both tools are designed to make shaft alignment easy and intuitive, even for operators with minimal experience.

Comprised of two measuring units with large detectors and bright lasers, the TKSA 31 reduces the need for pre-alignment and provides precise measurements, even in challenging conditions. The embedded soft-foot tool helps establish the basis for successful alignment.

The TKSA 31’s liquid crystal display (LCD) with touchscreen navigation makes alignment fast and simple, and measurements can be performed by using the well-known 9-12-3-o’clock positions with additional flexibility of 40º around each. The tool’s live view supports intuitive measurements and facilitates horizontal and vertical machine position corrections.

Because the instrument enables automatic measurements by detecting when the heads are in the correct position, operators can use both hands to rotate and hold the shafts in place. After each alignment, the TKSA 31 automatically generates a customized report with notes about the application, and each report can be exported as a portable document format (PDF) file. The built-in machine library helps to organize alignment reports and provides an overview of all machines.