Hydraulic Pumps Benefit From Zero-Max CD® Couplings

Plymouth, Minnesota: New CD Couplings® from Zero-Max are an ideal choice for use with fixed displacement hydraulic pumps driven by servo motors. CD Couplings provide the ideal combination of high dynamic load capacity and high torsional stiffness to ensure reliable system operation.

“This new pump drive technology has become increasingly popular because of dramatic improvements in their energy efficiency and noise reduction”, reports Robert Mainz, Zero-Max sales manager. “These pump systems utilize the power and precision that only a servo motor can provide. The system pressure is controlled by modulating the output volume of a fixed displacement pump. This is made possible utilizing a high performance control system and the high performance qualities of a CD shaft coupling.”

CD couplings have unique design qualities that are robust to ensure that these hydraulic pump applications are reliable and productive. CD Couplings are designed so that the working part is made of a composite material. The composite disc design withstands the punishment and stress of a servo motor, “everything a variable speed pump drive system can dish out,” report OEM designers. They also report that CD couplings enable these systems to not only perform well in test lab environments, but more importantly, on the production floor.

CD Couplings are available in single and double flex aluminum hub models with or without keyways. The single flex models have a torque capacity range from 40 Nm to 1436 Nm and beyond with speed ratings from 4400 RPM to 17,000 RPM.

All CD couplings are environmentally friendly and are manufactured of RoHS compliant materials.

For more information, call 1-800-533-1731 for FREE brochure. Outside US and Canada, call 763-546-4300.

www.zero-max.com

HELI-CAL® Flexure coupling

The demands put upon today’s design engineers seem to increase yearly. It is little wonder engineers are reaching for the Rolaids with one hand and the assistance of industry specialists with the other. Clearly the pressure is on engineers to produce designs that create competitive edge.

Designs that provide a competitive edge combine simplicity of manufacture and assembly with durability and quailty in a compact design at a reasonable cost. Every component in an assembly should be evaluated and reevalulated routinely to determine if it could do more and do it better. Another name for its process is “value engineering.”

Each of the integrated, multi-featured products that Helical makes is a story unto itself. The diversity of the features displayed in these parts offers a glimpse into the productivity potential that can be had by using multi featured parts. The integrated, multi-featured part saves assembly time, conserves system space, and by virtue of its single piece name, assures backlash free performance. In almost every case, this means extended life and sizable cost savings to the customer. The only characteristic these parts have in common is the HELI-CAL® Flexure (flexible beam). All other features incorporated in each part were created specifically to customer requirements.

Visit www.Heli-Cal.com

For the Best Load Control Look to Bellows Couplings

Properly selected bellows couplings result in the best control over the load in any servo application. Here are tips to ensure you choose the right size for the application.

Bellows couplings help maintain tight controls over loads.

For years, bellows couplings have been a mainstay for efficient motion systems because they offer high torsional stiffness, low moment of inertia, and minimal restoring forces under misalignment. They may help maintain tight control over loads, which is especially critical when considering that the flexible coupling often represents the point of least stiffness in an electromechanical system. In this way, couplings have a significant effect on the stability of the entire system, as well as the postional accuracy of the load. Bellows couplings benefits include misalignment compensation paired with precise transmission of velocity, angular positioning, and torque.

Read more

Handbook for Mechanical Torque Limiters

As a part of a series of technical handbooks developed for the European manufacturing industry, R+W has released a new handbook for the design and application of safety and overload couplings.

Covering the very basics of what torque limiters are, the varieties available, and why they are used, all the way though complex theories and advanced sizing formulas used to determine optimum coupling selection, this handbook includes information for all levels of design engineers with a potential need for torque overload protection. This is the second of a two part series, with the first book handling the design and application of precision couplings and line shafts. Contact R+W America for more information.

www.rw-america.com

Test Drive an igus Sample

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  igus® Inc. has announced it is giving away free cable carrier and continuous-flex cable samples as part of its newly-launched Sample Test Drive Program.

The program is aimed at those who want to evaluate the performance of igus’ products before purchasing. It includes a free technical consultation with igus over the phone or on-site so that the optimal cable carrier or continuous-flex cable can be specified.

igus has 45-years field experience and conducts more than 2,000 tests on its Energy Chain® cable carriers and Chainflex® continuous-flex cables every year. These tests focus on push/pull forces, coefficients of friction, wear rates, drive forces and speeds under a wide range of demanding conditions.

igus developed the new test drive concept to underline its confidence in and commitment to developing products which meet and exceed customer expectations.

www.igus.com/testdrive_program.asp

Special Couplings for High Voltage Application

To meet the specific motion control needs of high voltage systems Huco Dynatork is exporting its expertise to Japan.  Its customer specialises in the design and manufacture of high voltage capacitors, one application for which is in an electronic assembly for plasma screens.  A miniature misalignment coupling is also part of this assembly but because standard materials of manufacture are unsuitable for this high voltage application the capacitor manufacturer turned to Huco Dynatork in the UK for a solution.

As one of Europe’s largest specialists in motion control technology Huco Dynatork is often asked to provide solutions to specific problems.  The answer for this particular application was to machine the required couplings in a non-standard, high dielectric constant material to prevent voltage leakage across the drive.

Victrex PEEK™ proved ideal for the job. The polymer is characterised by excellent mechanical properties maintained to high temperatures. As well as excellent electrical, chemical and temperature resistance it is hard wearing and provides dimensional stability. Trials of the special couplings proved successful and resulted in a substantial ongoing order for a range of the Huco Dynatork MultiBeam couplings made from PEEK™.

The general-purpose Huco Dynatork MultiBeam couplings readily accommodate any combination of axial motion and angular/parallel misalignment and as standard are machined in aluminium or stainless steel … and other materials by special order.

Sliding Disc Coupling Provides Design Flexibility

The design and manufacture of customised linear positioning systems on short lead times is key to LinTech’s success. This California-based company offers an exceptionally wide range of options enabling its customers to create the optimum system for the job. 

To compensate for misalignment between the motor shaft and screw (or belt) drive shaft extension LinTech’s product programme includes the choice of three different coupling types. The middle option is especially apposite to LinTech’s policy as it too can be tailored to suit the specific needs of the application. This flexibility is provided by the Oldham Series couplings, which are manufactured and supplied by Huco Dynatork. 

This British manufacturer of precision drive products was the first to employ the sliding coupling designed by the 19th century engineer, John Oldham, for locomotive applications. It introduced a plastic torque disc to achieve zero backlash and applied the principle to modern precision drives. The Oldham coupling has been central to the Huco product programme since the mid ‘80s. 

The 3-part sliding disc Oldham coupling is typically recommended by LinTech for applications that involve high acceleration and the starting and stopping of high inertial loads. Naturally it is supplied in a choice of diameter and length sizes and with bore diameters to accommodate various NEMA and metric motor shafts. However, it is the choice of hub styles and disc materials associated with this coupling that has particular appeal for LinTech. The hubs determine the method of installation and shaft attachment and the discs, the quality of motion. 

The Oldham is precision engineered throughout and comprises two hubs with inward facing tenons. These engage with matching slots spaced at 90° in a central lightweight torque disc. As the coupling rotates, the disc compensates for any parallel shaft offset by sliding the commensurate distance along each tenon in turn. A hard, low friction facing on the working surface guarantees long, trouble-free operation. 

Quality of motion is a function of the carefully controlled relationship between the tenons and the torque disc. The disc is precision moulded from high grade engineering polymers and, being easily replaced at low cost, is the sacrificial element in the drive train. A choice of torque discs is available including those resistant to radiation and heat. If severely overloaded the torque disc will break, acting as a mechanical fuse, thereby protecting associated equipment from damage. A replacement torque disc quickly restores the drive without the need to dismantle the drive system. 

“We like the flexibility of mixing and matching different bore hubs to create a total coupling for an application,” explains Gary Wester, Vice President of Sales. “And we favour standard nylon torque disc that provides a nice degree of system damping between the motor output vibrations and the input shaft on our positioning slide.” 

This ability to fine-tune the component to the exact performance requirements of the application has earned LinTech a substantial customer base. Its systems are used in a broad variety of general automation applications but particularly for precise positioning in the medical, automotive and packaging sectors.

www.huco.com

Couplings deal effectively with hostile environments

The sorts of hostile environment faced routinely by the military present challenges for engineering as well as personnel. An army has to be totally effective whether operating in deserts, jungles, swamps, mountains or arctic conditions. Similarly, the HUCO Dynatork coupling selected for position sensing in a rocket launcher control system had to prove its reliable operation in extremely aggressive environments. 

The brand of coupling initially chosen for the job failed consistently. A cocktail of heat, dust, debris and combustion products resulting from a missile launch created a viscous mass that completely solidified the coupling rendering it rock-hard and useless. 

World leading precision coupling manufacturer HUCO Dynatork was able to engineer a simple but clever solution. The resultant coupling is based on its standard 19mm diameter, stainless steel, Multibeam, a design that is ideal for accommodating both angular and parallel misalignment. A stretched version of the original was made – nearly double the standard length – and modified to accept a specially moulded neoprene gaiter that effectively shields the beam mechanism from debris attack. 

Nearly a year of exhaustive trials proved this tailored product to be the ideal solution and a quantity has now been ordered for retrofitting onto armoured vehicles and for stockholding. 

This is just one example of HUCO Dynatork’s ability to provide products for operation in hostile environments. The company produces a wide range of standard stainless steel motion components that resist aggressive solvents and are therefore ideal for use in wash-down conditions. It also offers a range of composite plastic products for a variety of applications including isolating high voltage. Beyond the standard range HUCO Dynatork welcomes the challenge of unusual applications.

Multibeam Production cuts days o hours

 
By applying value stream mapping Huco Dynatork has made radical changes to the way it manufactures its range of Multibeam couplings, increasing capacity, simplifying flow and drastically cutting lead times in the process.  It also opens up new opportunities for customers with special design requirements.

The Multibeam is one of Huco Dynatork’s most popular product lines whose potential is now greatly enhanced by better production flow. To boost productivity and shorten lead times Huco Dynatork had already been manufacturing it’s single, three- and six-beam Multibeams from pilot bored stock.  And although this initiative had shortened the lead time of the most popular sizes and models, it wasn’t a comprehensive fix.  Unusually large orders or those for less popular sizes and specials were still subject to lengthy lead times. For Huco Dynatork this was unacceptable.
 
Historically Multibeams have been produced in a series of individual process cells at the Huco Dynatork factory in Hertford.  Value stream mapping has now led to the company to invest in a single, multi-process cell that manufactures every Multibeam from scratch rather than from pre-bored stock. So whether it be in stainless steel, aluminium, acetal or PEEK, total production lead time for Huco Dynatork Multibeam has been cut by 80%. Typical lead time for batches of 50 to 100 is now less than five days.

 
“We’re well on the way to providing a next day delivery service for every Multibeam we make,” explained Joint Managing Director, David Lockett.  “This investment also allows us to provide a fast turnaround for non-standard sizes and other specials too such as shafts with machined helical beams at either end to accommodate misalignment.”

New Look for Huco Dynatork

In February 2006 HUCO DYNATORK joined global Power Transmission group Altra Industrial Motion. 

Altra Industrial Motion is a leading global supplier of quality power transmission and motion control products to most major industrial markets including, but not limited to food processing, packaging machinery, material handling, turf and garden and most others. Along with unparalleled delivery programs and superior customer service, the power transmission consumer, distributor and OEM who demand the best can count on Altra Industrial Motion.

Huco Dynatork is proud to be included in the presitgious list of Altra brands and we are delighted to unveil our new style, logo and color scheme with this exciting brand identity.

For more information about the Altra group visit www.altramotion.com