The material itself is a specially engineered thermoplastic polymer with glass fiber reinforcement. The plastic has a temperature range of -20° to 100° C. The fluid absorption rate in liquid media is less than 1% with virtually zero change to the dimensioning, as tested in the TX couplings. The high chemical resistance and low absorption rate make these couplings ideal for corrosive environments as an alternative to costly stainless steel designs.

Beyond the typical applications for servo couplings, such as packaging machinery, machine tool automation, material handling, etc. the TX offers superior performance and equivalent cost in centrifugal, radial piston, and vacuum pumps. Since in almost any case, motor and pump connections are effected via shaft keys, for ease of installation and safe holding torque, the first series of TX couplings will mount in the same way. The high strength material and construction allow for high start-up and impact torques to the same degree that metallic couplings can currently. The real advantage for pump manufacturers is the light weight and high torsional stiffness in comparison to the sintered metal couplings typically used, serving to optimize acceleration times during start-up. This difference can be taken into account during motor sizing, noticeably improving efficiency in any drive system.

The plastic itself is a specially engineered thermoplastic polymer with glass fiber reinforcement.

While the first model, TX1, involves a keyway and set screw interface, it will be followed shortly by clamp collars and tapered bushing designs, which are in the final testing stages currently. Torque ranges of 2 to 660 Nm (18 to 5840 lbs/in) and bore diameters of 8 to 45mm and .375 to 1.75 inch are already available for OEM applications.

Optimization of specific material properties, such as rheology, stiffness and resilience, have allowed for extended testing involving 40 million plus load reversals to be carried out with no recognizable wear or fatigue. In addition to the accelerated life testing, static fracture testing was utilized to reveal a 3 to 4 times safety factor in the torque ratings. Even at a four-fold torque overload, the units survived testing, with the limiting factor being the keyed shaft connection. Hardened steel key stock became deformed before any signs of cracking were evident in the coupling hubs. Climate chamber testing was also conducted in order to more accurately simulate the coupling life cycle. Exposure to high levels of humidity and UV radiation yielded no change to stiffness or durability.

The combination of both performance and cost advantages are rarely achieved in machine component design, except in the case of engineered plastic components. It is no understatement therefore, that the TX series represents a significant evolution in coupling design. Contact R+W America for more information.

Model with clamp collars.

Tapered bushing design.

If you wish to receive more information on this Product please do not hesitate to contact R+W Antriebselemente GmbH at phone: 001-888-479-8728 or via email at info@rw-america.com

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