What this is
What is an alignment and balance record?
What is an alignment and balance record?
An alignment and balance record captures a shaft alignment, rotor balancing, or belt tensioning job, with before and after readings showing whether it worked. It exists because misalignment and imbalance are the most common causes of premature bearing and seal failure, both invisible without a measurement.
What's the difference between the offset and angularity readings on a shaft alignment?
Offset is the parallel displacement between the two shaft centrelines. Angularity is the angle between them, even if the centrelines meet at one point. A shaft can close well on one and still fail on the other.
What is a balance quality grade, and why is it separate from Balancing Carried Out?
A balance quality grade (a G-value) is the tolerance for a rotor's residual unbalance, set by type and service speed under ISO 21940-11. Balancing Carried Out only says the work happened; Balance Grade Achieved is the number checked against the standard that class requires.
Scope
When is an alignment and balance record required?
This record covers one alignment, balancing or belt tensioning intervention, from before checks through to after readings. Using it to log the diagnosis that decided a machine needed the work, or the monitoring that watches it afterwards, answers the wrong question when read back.
Use this template when
- A shaft alignment, rotor balancing, or belt tensioning and alignment job has been carried out, or is about to be
- The work follows any coupling or rotor disturbance — a repair, bearing change, motor swap — where misalignment is a live risk
- A before-and-after comparison is needed to show whether the intervention actually corrected the condition it targeted
- You are running the Reliability and Predictive Maintenance programme and this record is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist, such as a vibration record or the work order raised against it
Do not use it for
- Motor Current Signature Analysis, which analyses motor current to find rotor bar, air gap and load faults without stopping the machine.
- Lubrication Route Record, which records the lubrication round — what was applied where, how much, and any condition observed.
- Condition Monitoring Route Plan, which sets which assets are monitored, by which technique, at what interval and alarm limits.
- Sensor and IoT Data Review, which reviews continuous sensor data for drift and alarm patterns, not one intervention.
- Anything outside KnowMaintain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 55001 cl.8.1 requirements does this satisfy?
ISO 55001 cl.8.1 governs how the intervention is planned and controlled; the tolerance and vibration fields answer to whichever technical standard sets the number for that machine class.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Operational planning determines the criteria and resources needed before the activity is carried out | Header |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Known failure modes are controlled before work proceeds, not corrected after the result is already recorded | Before |
| ISO 21940-11 | A rotor's residual unbalance is verified and stated against a balance quality grade appropriate to its type and speed | Balancing |
| ISO 20816-3 | Vibration severity achieved is evaluated against zone boundaries for the machine's class and mounting, not read as a bare change | After |
| API RP 686 | Shaft alignment tolerance is set from a documented standard for machine class and speed, not a default | After |
| ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Performance of the intervention is monitored, measured and evaluated once complete | Result |
What it does not cover
- Within Tolerance marked Yes with Tolerance Standard Used recorded as Tool default, which lets a pass rest on whatever number the laser defaulted to, not a stated standard.
- Vibration Improved marked No change or Worse with Within Tolerance marked Yes, which closes the job on a clean number while the symptom that triggered it hasn't moved.
- Balancing Carried Out marked Yes with Root Cause Of Imbalance marked Unknown and Underlying Cause Addressed marked Yes, which claims to have fixed a cause nobody identified.
- Soft Foot Checked And Corrected marked Not checked with Within Tolerance still marked Yes, which trusts a reading taken on a foot never confirmed sound.
- Action Required marked Yes with no CAPA ID entered, which leaves a promised correction with nothing behind it to check later.
Global
Alignment and Balance Record requirements by country
ISO 55001 sets how the intervention is planned everywhere certified, but the tolerance a reading is judged against comes from whichever technical standard the site or industry has adopted.
ISO 21940-11
Defines balance quality grades (G-values) for rigid rotors by type and speed, the reference a stated Balance Grade Achieved is checked against.
A balance grade recorded without naming the G-value the rotor's class requires is unverifiable against the standard it answers to.
API RP 686
The US petrochemical industry's recommended practice for machinery installation, with alignment tolerance tables by coupling type, class and speed.
A site running to API RP 686 has a specific tolerance table to cite — 'Tool default' is not a substitute at audit.
VDI 2060
The German standard for balance quality of rotating rigid bodies, precursor to ISO 21940-11 and still referenced alongside it.
Legacy equipment specified to VDI 2060 needs that grade reconciled with ISO 21940-11, not assumed equivalent.
How to complete it
How to complete an alignment and balance record, step by step
Filling in the readings is mechanical. The judgement calls below decide whether a closed record is actual evidence the machine is fixed, or just a number that fell inside a range.
A laser system's default tolerance table wasn't built for the machine in front of it. The call is whether the technician looked up the manufacturer specification or a precision standard for this class and speed, or accepted whatever the tool proposed.
A reading that dropped from very bad to merely bad is still an improvement, but that doesn't mean it reached an acceptable zone. The call is whether Final Vibration Level was checked against a stated boundary, not just where it started.
Balancing a rotor corrects the symptom whether or not anyone knows why it went out of balance. The call is whether build-up, erosion, damage or a prior repair was genuinely traced, not ticked Yes on the balance alone.
A machine with an uncorrected soft foot goes out of alignment the moment its hold-down bolts are torqued, invalidating every reading after. The call is whether this was physically checked this job, not carried forward from last time.
What auditors find
Most common alignment and balance record findings
The findings that recur at audit are rarely a missing reading — they're a result closed against the wrong reference, or a cause marked addressed that was never found.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Within Tolerance marked Yes with Tolerance Standard Used recorded as Tool default and no manufacturer or precision standard cited. | API RP 686 | Require Tolerance Standard Used to name a manufacturer or precision standard before Within Tolerance closes Yes. |
| Vibration Improved marked Yes on a reading that dropped but was never checked against a severity zone for the class. | ISO 20816-3 | Judge Vibration Improved against the stated zone for the class, not only its own prior reading. |
| Balance Grade Achieved recorded with no reference to which G-grade the rotor's type and speed require. | ISO 21940-11 | Pair Balance Grade Achieved with the required G-grade so the figure is verifiable. |
| Root Cause Of Imbalance marked Unknown with Underlying Cause Addressed marked Yes on the same record. | ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Block Underlying Cause Addressed at Yes whenever Root Cause is Unknown; only Partly or No apply. |
| Soft Foot Checked And Corrected marked Not checked with Within Tolerance still marked Yes on the same job. | ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Make Within Tolerance conditional on Soft Foot being resolved, not left Not checked. |
| Action Required marked Yes on the result section with no CAPA ID entered and no Action Owner assigned. | ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Make CAPA ID and Action Owner mandatory whenever Action Required is Yes, mirroring Priority. |
Case in point
Case in point: an alignment that passed on the tool's own default
A pump ran faster than most equipment on site, needing a tighter alignment tolerance than the laser's generic default assumed. Within Tolerance came back Yes against that default, Tolerance Standard Used stayed at Tool default, and the record closed clean.
Vibration on the pump barely moved — Vibration Improved was logged as No change, but with Within Tolerance already Yes, nobody chased it. The bearing failed five months later. Reviewed afterwards, the offset that passed the tool's default sat well outside the manufacturer's actual tolerance for that speed — a standard nobody checked because the tool never asked.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
5 sections
- Reference
- MNT-086
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- ALN-2026-000
- Scoring
- Within tolerance
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- Yes
- Basis
- ISO 55001 cl.8.1
- Links
- Links Vibration, Work orders
- Tags
- Predictive, Alignment
- Sections
- 5
- Fields
- 45
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 3
Header
12 fieldsRecord ID*
Auto sequence. Format ALN-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Asset*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
The Most Common Cause Of Premature Failure
Misalignment destroys bearings and seals faster than almost anything else, and it is invisible until something fails. Measure it, do not eye it.
Work Type*
Shaft alignment, rotor balancing, or belt tensioning and alignment.
Method Used*
Technician Trained*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Before
6 fieldsBaseplate And Foundation Sound*
- Yes3 pts
- Marginal1 pt
- No0 pts
Soft Foot Checked And Corrected*
Aligning a machine with soft foot means it goes out of alignment as soon as the bolts are tightened.
- Yes3 pts
- Checked, none found3 pts
- Not checked0 pts
Pipework Strain Checked*
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Initial Offset Reading
Initial Angularity Reading
Initial Vibration Level
After
9 fieldsFinal Offset Reading*
Final Angularity Reading*
Within Tolerance*
- Yes3 pts
- Marginal1 pt
- No0 pts
Tolerance Standard Used
Manufacturer specification, or a recognised precision alignment standard. Not whatever the laser tool defaults to.
Thermal Growth Allowed For*
- Yes3 pts
- Not required3 pts
- No0 pts
Final Vibration Level
Vibration Improved*
- Yes3 pts
- No change1 pt
- Worse0 pts
Coupling Condition Checked*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Shims Recorded For Future Work*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Balancing
5 fieldsBalancing Carried Out
- Yes3 pts
- Not required3 pts
- No0 pts
Balance Grade Achieved
Trial Weights Removed Or Recorded
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Root Cause Of Imbalance
Product build up, erosion, damage or a repair. Balancing a fouled fan just delays the next call.
Underlying Cause Addressed
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Result
13 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Technician*
Signature*
Reliability*
Second Signature*
MNT-086 · record IDs look like ALN-2026-000 · Links Vibration, Work orders
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The form is the easy part. Catching a pass judged against the wrong tolerance, and chasing a balance that never found its root cause, is the work that slips.
Holds the alignment history against the asset and its vibration record, flagging a Within Tolerance Yes recorded against a Tool default rather than a stated standard.
Tracks the specialist alignment or balancing contractor's certification and the standard worked to, since this job is commonly outsourced.
Watches for a Vibration Improved answer of No change or Worse on a machine already back in production, before the next failure catches it out.
Coordinates the crew across maintenance and reliability, rolls open actions and unresolved causes into one view, and holds every write for your approval.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Glossary
Alignment and Balance Record definitions and key terms
- Soft foot
- A machine foot not fully in contact with the baseplate, so tightening its hold-down bolt pulls the frame out of alignment even though the prior reading looked good.
- Balance quality grade (G-grade)
- A numeric tolerance for a rotor's residual unbalance, set by rotor type and service speed under ISO 21940-11, against which a stated balance figure is judged.
- Offset and angularity
- The two components of a shaft misalignment reading — offset is the parallel displacement between centrelines, angularity the angle between them. Both must close within tolerance, not just one.
- Thermal growth
- The amount a shaft centreline is expected to rise or shift once a machine reaches operating temperature, applied as a deliberate offset during cold alignment.
- Vibration severity zone
- A banded rating for how much vibration a class of machine can tolerate before condition, then damage, becomes likely, used to judge a reading rather than its own history alone.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about alignment and balance record
Does a belt tensioning job need the same record as a full shaft alignment?+
Yes. Work Type covers shaft alignment, rotor balancing and belt tensioning as its own options, and the tolerance and readings fields still apply — a mistensioned belt closes against a tolerance the same way a misaligned shaft does.
What happens when Balancing Carried Out is marked Not required?+
The remaining balancing fields — grade achieved, trial weights, root cause — stay blank, since the job that day was alignment or tensioning only. Not required is distinct from No, which implies balancing was needed but skipped.
Why does the record ask about thermal growth separately from Within Tolerance?+
A cold alignment reading can be within tolerance at ambient temperature and still wrong once the machine reaches operating heat. Thermal Growth Allowed For records whether that offset was applied.
What's the difference between Score Percent and Result Band?+
Score Percent is the calculated figure across every item assessed, excluding N/A. Result Band is the judgement — Pass, Caution or Fail — read against that percentage and the answers behind it, not the number alone.
Who signs off an alignment and balance record?+
The technician who carried out the work, with a second signature from reliability before it closes. Both are required regardless of whether the outcome was a clean pass or flagged an action.
Can the alignment and balance record template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and rule is editable, and links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as-is, run a cycle, then tighten the tolerance-standard fields to match what they reference.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Reliability and Predictive Maintenance
Root Cause Analysis
Finds out why something happened rather than who was involved
Equipment Failure Report
Records that an asset has failed and stopped or degraded production
Failure Mode Record
Records how an asset failed, using standard failure mode codes rather than free text
Repair Record
Records what was actually done to fix the asset, including parts replaced and settings changed
Temporary Repair Record
Records a repair that is not permanent, with an expiry date and a plan for the proper fix
Repeat Failure Review
Reviews an asset that has failed the same way more than once
More in Predictive Maintenance
Motor Current Signature Analysis
Analyses motor current to find rotor bar, air gap and load faults without stopping the machine
Lubrication Route Record
Records the lubrication round, with what was applied where, how much, and any condition observed
Condition Monitoring Route Plan
Sets which assets are monitored, by which technique, at what interval and against which alarm limits
Sensor and IoT Data Review
Reviews continuous sensor data for drift, alarms and anomalies, and whether anybody acted on them
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 55001 cl.8.1 and cl.9.1 — Operational planning and performance evaluation
- ISO 21940-11 — Mechanical vibration, rotor balancing, rigid rotors
- ISO 20816-3 — Measurement and evaluation of machine vibration
- API RP 686 — Recommended practice for machinery installation and installation design
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.