Train your personnel. I was conducting a seminar for a paper company when on the second day a guy came at break and said, "I'm wasting my time here" - then hesitated, introduced himself and said I've heard enough; this is good. Come to my plant next. After 3 seminars there he said, "it's the best things we've done, the guys are actually doing it right and it shows". That's rare! But people perform alignment not computers or lasers or dial indicators. The person must select the method for the particular job and know how to do it correctly in an orderly manner. Don't expect to buy a computerized laser system and whamo, all is now OK; it just don't work that way. People are your #1 asset. The guy in the trenches has value if management don't mess it up.

Generally when I hear someone say, we laser align all our machines - I think they don't know much about alignment. Many times the dial indicators are the perferred method and much better.

I had a firm that does cooling towers buy my textbook and method/programs. They said their customers want and demand that they laser align everything. So, they use dial indicators to align and do the job. Then put on the laser system to record a final reading to satisfy the customer. They say they can do the job much faster and more accurately with dial indicators and take "one" final reading for the customer. The time savings is so great with dial indicators it increased their profit. That's what they told me! And it isn't just cooling towers where that may apply.

Now, what about lasers? They are good and work well. Some have limitations and you need to know what those limitations are. Sometimes lasers are the perferred method for a job but sometimes 'long spacer coupling' or 'indicator reverse' is better suited for a particular application. I use both laser and indicator methods but indicators more often.