303-stainless steel beam couplings
RULAND Manufacturing, represented in Australia by Naismith Engineering , now uses 303 stainless-steel on its entire beam couplings line.
Stainless-steel beam couplings offer better torque and wind-up performance than aluminium couplings. 303 stainless-steel also has a mechanical performance comparable to 17-4 ph stainless steel, but with non-magnetic properties.
Beam-style couplings are one-piece aluminium or stainless-steel components which incorporate spiral cuts to accommodate angular misalignment, parallel misalignment and axial motion. The one-piece design and cut pattern ensure zero backlash and minimal wind-up. Flexbeam-2 couplings incorporate two sets of two spiral cuts. They are designed for precision applications, especially those that use delicate components such as encoders and tachometers.
The small bearings on these components make low radial forces essential. The Flexbeam-2 provides extra flexibility to yield reduced bearing loads. It is shorter than the Flexbeam-3 and conforms to industry standard lengths, fitting in confined spaces and allowing easy retrofits in existing equipment. The multiple cut pattern provides excellent torque capabilities and low wind-up when compared to single-beam couplings.
Flexbeam-3 couplings also incorporate two sets of two spiral cuts, but are suitable for light-duty power transmission applications such as coupling a servo motor to a lead screw in a motion control system. The couplings have larger body sizes and stronger beams to provide high torque capacity and low wind-up, without sacrificing misalignment capabilities. The demanding nature of reversing servo applications makes the performance benefits delivered by the Flexbeam-3 vital to maintaining the accuracy, repeatability and reliability of the system.
Flexbeam couplings are offered as standard parts in twenty different body sizes with outside diameters ranging from 9.5mm to 40mm and bores from 2mm to 19mm. Special designs, cut patterns suitable for specific applications, keyways, and threaded bores are also offered.
1-Nov-2004