Renold Clutches & Couplings has launched a new range of steel couplings that are backlash-free and torsionally stiff. The new Renoldflex couplings are designed around a disc pack of stainless spring steel as the drive element. Two carbon steel hubs are connected to either side of the discs by a system of micrometric precision bushings and highly resistant screws.
This design ensures a high degree of torsional stiffness and backlash free operation. This is important on
applications with frequent stops-starts, reversing, accurate positioning and for applications on packaging
machinery, servo motors, printing presses, machine tools and general automation. Additionally, because of the coupling's steel construction, it is suitable for use in high temperature applications up to 240ºC.
According to Renold, the new Renoldflex couplings offer a long, completely maintenance-free life and don't even need cleaning or lubricating. The couplings also reduce wear to other components within the power transmission system, as the flexibility of the disc pack absorbs vibrations that safeguard the system and reduce wear.
The new couplings are machined with very close manufacturing tolerances for concentricity and perpendicularity, and are therefore suitable for high speed applications, even where irregular torques might be present in the system. The range includes series one couplings, with a single spring pack, that can be used to compensate for angular and axial misalignment and series two couplings, with a double spring pack and spacer, that can additionally compensate for radial misalignment.