By Zak Khan Line shafts transmit motion in systems over long distances. But to do so, they must have support along their lengths. A specific kind of line shaft, torsionally rigid line shafts, have unique properties that allow them to work with supports that function with the aid of gimbals. Torsionally rigid line shafts are […]
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How do operating conditions impact coupling material choices?
When we have a job to do in a harsh work environment, stress builds quickly and it affects our efficiency. The coupling in your design is no different. Certain operating condition require specific coupling construction materials. Here, Randy Kingsbury, mechanical engineer and vice president of sales and marketing at Helical Products Company, explains some common […]
How do I avoid selecting an oversized coupling?
Less is more. Or, at least, more in not more. When your coupling selection is too big for its motion system britches, at best, your losing efficiency. Stepping up a size to a coupling that it slightly larger than necessary isn’t always going to cause a catastrophic failure, which is why we often let it […]
When are custom couplings the best choice?
Randy Kingsbury, mechanical engineer and vice president of sales and marketing at Helical Products Company, tells us when a custom coupling might make the most sense for a motion system. “The one thing I can say is our most expensive part is a custom part and our least expensive part is also a custom part. […]
When should you select a custom coupling?
By Mike Santora “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”— an old phrase perhaps most appropriate in reference to the coupling selection for a future design. With time constraints moving at the speed of commerce, designers go with what they know has worked in the past. That’s a legitimate argument. Plus, there is no reason […]
Coming to America: NBK talks ancient history and new future
By Mike Santora It would have been all but impossible to predict anything like the concept of modern motion control 456 years ago. Forget the modern coupling, not even the pencil (1564) had been invented when Nabeya Bi-tech Kaisha (NBK) was founded in 1560. So, while the motion control component company’s new U.S. subsidiary NBK […]
What is a hysteresis coupling?
By Zak Khan Hysteresis refers to a specific magnetic phenomenon. Certain magnetic materials, called ferromagnetic materials, have a tendency to remain magnetized to some degree even after the magnetic field they are subjected to is removed. This “memory of magnetic history” is referred to as hysteresis. This also means a magnetic field in the opposite […]
The 4 best coupling basics videos on the internet
Coupling videos are a dime a dozen on the internet. So which ones are the most helpful, the most interesting, the most worth your time? Well, we watched more coupling videos than we’d like to admit just to help answer that question for you. We’ve put them in a list. We did this because people […]
What is a line shaft?
By Zak Khan Line shafts may conjure up images of Industrial Revolution-era factories, with whirring belts and machines, but just what is a line shaft and are they still relevant today? In the simplest definition, a line shaft is the rotating shaft part of a system of mechanical couplings between the power source in a […]
Custom Ameriflex couplings for polymer resin pumps
A major global petrochemical company experienced a coupling failure on a polymer pump in one of its larger resin processing facilities. The coupling problem caused expensive, time-consuming production line shutdowns. Ameridrives was contacted to provide a solution. Gear couplings were initially installed on all the polymer pumps between the pumps and gearboxes for this high-torque, […]