Effects of unsuitable contact between rotating machinery and its baseplate

Excessive premature component damage and vibration in rotating machinery can be traced to improperly designed or installed foundations or poor contact, or both, between rotating machinery and the baseplate or soleplate. Lack of contact is often referred to as 'soft foot'. If not corrected, soft foot can distort the machine case and baseplate causing considerable frustration during the shaft alignment process. This article describes two rotating equipment drive system problems, shows how the problems were corrected, and explains what effect the corrections had on the equipment.