Coupling Corp was approached by a large industrial manufacturer with a low torque application requiring 75,000 RPM. This was no problem for the FLEXXOR coupling. Adding to the complexity, they wanted the coupling to mount on their straight cylindrical shafts. Normally a spline would be typical for that speed of equipment. Consequently, Coupling Corp used the world-renowned Anderson Clamp Hub™ to grip on the straight shaft. With the extra weight of the shaft and hub, the overhung moment would be a critical concern.
Each piece of the coupling was analyzed in finite element analysis (FEA) to determine possible failure modes and safety factors because of the high speed. As is the case with most high-speed applications, there were many iterations in both the coupling and user equipment designs to achieve the overall system’s optimal dynamics. A big part of those iterations was the overhung moment reduction process for the coupling (a.k.a, Weight Loss).
Luckily for this little coupling, no gym membership was needed. Instead, the Coupling Corp engineers worked through many details to achieve the overhung moment targets given by the customer. The coupling ended up being constructed almost entirely of titanium. Coupling Corp engineers even had to design a custom titanium bolt with a minimized head for the least amount of overhung mass.
In the end, the coupling achieved its weight loss goals. More importantly, the customer had a successful high-speed test.
If your rotating equipment application requires special design considerations or a custom lightweight coupling, please contact Coupling Corp today.
