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What is a coupling
- A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts
together at their ends for the purpose of transmitting
power.
-The primary purpose of couplings is to join two pieces of
rotating equipment while permitting some degree of
misalignment or end movement or both
The role of a coupling (shaft fitting)
-Transmit power .
-Absorb misalignment
-Absorb vibrations to protect surrounding products
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-Do not transfer the heat of the motor, etc., to the
driven Side
.end (ex: motor transfer power to pump through coupling)
:Other common uses
-To alter the vibration characteristics of rotating
units
-To connect the driving and the driven part
-To introduce protection
-To reduce the transmission of shock loads from
one shaft to another
-To slip when overload occurs
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1- Rigid coupling
A) Flange coupling
Flange couplings are mechanical devices
used to connect two shafts together to transmit
power or torque from one shaft another. They
consist of two flanges, one attached to each shaft
end, which are then bolted together with a gasket
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or seal in between Flange couplings are mainly used
for medium to heavy-duty industrial application
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B ) Sleeve or Muff Coupling
Sleeve couplings are simply hollow cylinders or
pipes. They are manufactured with the diameter of
the shaft in mind to ensure that the shaft fits well
into the sleeve. The driven and driver shafts are
they have ,inserted on each side of the muff. Then
holes used to firmly hold them together so that
The sleeve .they rotate as one to transfer torque
couplings are mainly used where the shafts do not
require any alignment
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2- Flexible couplings
Flexible couplings are used to transmit torque from
one shaft to another when the two shafts having
both lateral and angular misalignment
A) Push pin coupling
Advantages
-It can tolerate 0.5° of angular misalignment and 0.5
mm of lateral or axial misalignment
-It prevents transmission of shocks from one shaft
to another and absorbs
-It is simple in construction and easy to assemble
and dismantle
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B) Gear Coupling
ear couplings are a type of flexible coupling used G
to connect two parallel shafts, allowing for both
radial and angular misalignment
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They consist of
Two outer hubs with external teeth, typically made
of forged steel, that are mounted on each shaft
A sleeve with internal teeth that meshes with the
external teeth on the hubs
Advantages of gear couplings
-High torque capacity, often exceeding that of
.universal joints
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-Ability to accommodate parallel, angular, and axial
shaft misalignmen
-Compact size and low inertia
-Fail-safe design: if torque limits are exceeded, the
sleeve can break apart to prevent damage to
other components
-Robust and durable construction, able to withstand
harsh operating conditions
C) Beam Coupling
A mechanical beam coupling is a type of flexible
,coupling used to connect two parallel shafts
allowing for both radial and angular misalignment
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It consists of a single piece of material made flexible
by the removal of material in a helical pattern along
its length.
Advantages of mechanical beam couplings
-High flexibility to accommodate angular, parallel,
and axial misalignment between connected
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shafts - They can typically handle up to 10% of the
outside diameter in parallel misalignment.
-Compact and lightweight design, especially with
aluminum construction, providing high
responsiveness and low inertia.
-Lack of backlash due to the one-piece construction,
unlike multi-part couplings.
-Fail-safe design - the coupling can break apart to
prevent damage to other components if torque
limits are exceeded.
-Electrical isolation between the connected shafts
due to the use of non-conductive materials
like acetal or nylon.
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D) Metal bellow coupling
A metal bellows coupling is a type of flexible
coupling used to connect two shafts while allowing
for misalignment. It consists of a thinwalled,
corrugated metal bellows made of stainless steel or
other highstrength alloy, connected between
two hubs.
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Advantages of metal bellows couplings
-High torsional stiffness for precise torque
transmission with minimal twisting or distortion.
-Ability to compensate for axial, radial, and angular
shaft misalignments up to 10°.
-Low inertia, allowing for high speeds up to 10,000
rpm.
-Wear-free, maintenance-free operation.
-Compact, lightweight design suitable for tight
spaces.
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F) Tire coupling
Tire couplings, also known as tyre couplings, are a
type of flexible coupling used to connect two shafts
while allowing for misalignment. They consist of a
rubber tire element sandwiched between two metal
hubs.
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E) hydraulic coupling
A fluid coupling or hydraulic coupling is a
hydrodynamic or 'hydrokinetic' device used to
transmit rotating mechanical power. It has been
used in automobile transmissions as an alternative to
a mechanical clutch. It also has widespread
application in marine and industrial machine drives,
where variable speed operation and controlled start-
up without shock loading of the power transmission
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