ParAlign Service Team Solves 9-Month Alignment Delay for German Steel Manufacturer in Just 5 Days

Summary

After struggling for nine months to align a new machine with a laser tracker, a steel manufacturer in Germany turned to the ParAlign service team for assistance. ParAlign technicians completed critical roll measurements and guided alignment in just five days — successfully kickstarting production.

• 120 rolls measured in two days, including in hard-to-reach areas
• No line of sight required — ParAlign measured rolls inside sealed ovens and 45 meters above the factory floor
• Alignment adjustments were guided by real-time data and completed over three days
• A successful first run confirmed alignment accuracy and production readiness

Background

In high-speed steel production, some degree of machine misalignment is inevitable. But when it occurs, the effects show up quickly in the form of inconsistent product quality and faster wear and tear on equipment. Large-scale facilities see an amplification of this problem, especially when they produce a wide range of products, such as hot-rolled wide strip, strip steel, strip plate, cold-rolled sheet, and surface-finished materials. Line complexity, which is necessary for product diversity, leaves little room for error.

For a major European flat steel producer facing this kind of operational pressure, a smarter, technology-driven approach to alignment was in order.

Challenge: 9 Months of Delays and Inaccessible Rolls

The plant had recently installed a brand-new machine — a large, densely configured system with multiple rolls housed inside high-temperature ovens. Before production could begin, every roll needed to be precisely aligned. But standard alignment methods weren’t up to the task.

The facility team had already spent nine months attempting to align the machine using a laser tracker with no success. The laser tool required a clear line of sight between the laser source and a prism target, something the compact layout of the machine simply didn’t allow. Rolls positioned deep inside ovens or mounted 45 meters above ground level were either inaccessible or impossible to measure with any consistency.

Until the team managed to align the machine, it couldn’t be commissioned — creating both time pressure and operational risk. The plant needed a solution that could deliver fast, reliable alignment in a highly constrained environment without relying on outdated tools that had already failed to meet the challenge. So, they turned to the ParAlign services team for assistance.

Implementation

The ParAlign service begins with a setup process that typically takes about 45–60 minutes. The technician starts by selecting a suitable link roll — one with stable rotation and a clean surface. This roll is measured three times using the ParAlign device, either by sweeping the device across the roll or by rotating the roll while holding the device still. Each pass must capture at least 20 degrees of arc, and the results must be consistent within 0.03 mm (30 micrometers).

The best of the three measurements is then used to align and fix a calibration plate to the floor, matching the direction of the link roll, and the entire machine. This alignment is critical, as the ParAlign device is engineered to operate within a precisely defined angular range of ±5° in both horizontal and vertical directions. Aligning the calibration plate closely to the link roll ensures that all subsequent measurements stay within this optimal range, allowing the system to deliver high-resolution, reliable results.

Once this setup is complete, the team continues measuring the remaining rolls using the same method. The ParAlign device uses three ring laser gyroscopes to detect angular movement in pitch, roll, and yaw as it is moved across each roll. This angular data is transmitted to a connected laptop — typically via Bluetooth, or by cable if needed. Once received, the software converts these angular results into precise metric values — horizontal and vertical offsets — which indicate how much each roll must be adjusted. These values are displayed relative to a reference roll, which is selected by the customer. Switching between reference rolls during or after measurement is simple and can be done instantly via a keystroke.

ParAlign measures with a resolution as fine as 5 micrometers per meter and does not require line of sight. This meant the ParAlign service team could move along the production line freely, without needing to set up reflective targets or worry about blocked views. “We measured rolls inside big ovens and 45 meters high,” says Rico Haase, ParAlign team supervisor on site. “That’s quite difficult or even not possible with a laser tracker — but it’s no problem with ParAlign.”

Results: From Nine Months of Frustration to a Perfect First Run

It took just 20 minutes for the ParAlign team to collect reliable alignment data on some of the most inaccessible and critical rolls in the new machine at the steel manufacturing plant.

Over the next two days, the team successfully measured 120 of the machine’s 242 rolls, focusing on high-priority components that were accessible during the service window. While the original plan was to complete a full-machine alignment, some rolls were temporarily inaccessible because the plant had already begun pulling test material onto the line in preparation for future test runs. Even with limited access, the team could capture data from the majority of the critical rolls needed to move forward with alignment corrections.

Using the real-time data provided by ParAlign, the facility’s technicians made targeted adjustments to misaligned rolls. Some corrections involved fine vertical or horizontal shifts using dial indicators and shims; in other cases, technicians repositioned bearing housings within their mounting slots. After each adjustment, technicians used ParAlign again to re-measure the roll and confirm proper alignment, enabling a fast, closed-loop correction process.

By the end of the service, the team aligned the majority of critical rolls within five days. The plant moved forward with a formal test run of the new machine — a crucial milestone in preparing for full-scale production. “After five days, they could start producing steel,” says Rico Haase. “And the first run was perfect.”