Common Direction Naming Conventions

Vertical machines present another opportunity to assign a directional convention since parallel to the shaft (axial) is now straight up out of the ground. Since we must adhere to our one hard and fast rule for directional conventions, the axial direction remains parallel to the shaft (perpendicular to the ground; what would be defined as vertical on a typical, horizontal direct-drive machines).

That leaves vertical and horizontal to be defined. For reasons similar to those discussed previously for the belt drive convention, it is recommended that horizontal be defined as parallel to the discharge of the machine. That would leave vertical as being defined as perpendicular to the discharge (and parallel to the ground).