9 minute read
Combination Coupling/Clutch Assemblies Reduce Cost, Footprint and Weight
Stromag has developed the 2in1 coupling/clutch, a pre-engineered single-piece assembly to replace the need for expensive custom solutions.
By Altra Industrial Motion Corp.
Equipment and machinery OEMs worldwide are continually challenged to design cost-effective drivetrains that fit in ever-shrinking spaces. In the case of mobile equipment designers, reducing overall system weight is also a critically important consideration. Sourcing individual drivetrain couplings and clutches can be time consuming as engineers hold interface clarification meetings with elastic coupling and clutch suppliers while also ensuring that quality, reliability, efficiency, vibration, footprint, weight and cost requirements are met.
Power transmission component manufacturer Stromag—part of Altra Motion—offers both couplings and clutches. The Stromag engineering team recently designed a new line of unique, modular 2in1 coupling/ clutch combination assemblies. The pre-engineered combinations feature an existing Stromag flexible coupling configured with an existing switchable clutch model for a compact, single-piece solution.
Depending on the application, various models from the performance-proven lineup of Stromag couplings and clutches are combined for electric, hydraulic or pneumatic actuation. Suitable 2in1 solutions are available for nearly every combination between drive electric motors or diesel engines, and pumps, generators and belt drives. The power spectrum of the 2in1 clutch/ coupling combinations ranges from a few hundred to several thousand Newton meters.
ALL IMAGES COURTESY ALTRA INDUSTRIAL MOTION
A cutaway of a Stromag coupling and clutch combination which allows pneumatic actuation.
“Smart” modular design concept reduces lead times
“Instead of designing ‘from scratch’ to meet specific customer requirements, the 2in1 modular ‘smart’ design concept allows our engineers to select from a carefully pre-configured family of paired flexible couplings and clutches. These compact pre-engineered combinations can then be quickly modified to meet particular customer needs,” says Ralph Breuer, Director of Engineering and Product Management at Stromag.
This modular design approach can significantly reduce costs and lead times. OEMs can experience the cost-saving advantages while more easily meeting tighter delivery schedules. Plus, time-consuming meetings between elastic coupling and clutch suppliers to ensure component compatibility are no longer necessary. Popular Stromag couplings include plugin, highly flexible Periflex VN disc couplings and TRI-R couplings featuring a combination ring element and diaphragm. Breuer explains, “Stromag‘s know-how in Torsional Vibration Analysis (TVA) constitutes the core of each coupling design. It provides a comprehensive analysis of loads in the crankshaft, coupling and driven side to ensure that critical speeds can be moved per application requirements.”
Unevenly rotating systems can severely degrade product quality and cause great harm to the powertrain. The TVA experts at Stromag work daily on the challenge of detecting such deviations by measuring them and protecting the entire powertrain with ideal product selection. Stromag calcu-
lates stationary and transient operating conditions while considering the stiffness and damping of a particular coupling’s elastomers.
Stromag flexible couplings also accommodate various levels of radial, axial and angular misalignment, depending on the model. All couplings meet the following industry classifications: ABS, Lloyd’s, CCS, Bureau Veritas and DNV-GL.
Reliable Stromag MWU electromagnetic pole-face friction clutches, KHA and KHR multi-disc clutches, and KPR clutches have a proven record of long-life performance in a variety of demanding applications.
Since the 2in1 combinations are configured into a single piece, there is no need for individual housings, bushings or keyways. These part reductions combine to provide weight savings which are especially important for marine and mobile equipment applications.
Stromag combination assemblies are provided as an open-running solution which is required for resiliently mounted engines and rigidly arranged drivelines. However, if desired, the combination units can be integrated into a single SAE housing for direct mounting to diesel engines. Stands and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) options are also available.
The unique 2in1 coupling/clutch combination units can be incorporated in a variety of applications across many industries. However, they are particularly popular for marine applications. According to Breuer, “The key to our success in the marine market certainly lies in our high level of marine application engineering know-how. We have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of marine applications allowing us to quickly and confidently design our solutions to meet specific requirements.
“We have seen increased demand for these compact 2in1 assemblies partially due to the growing usage of marine hybrid drive systems or alternative drivetrain solutions due to ecological restrictions in or near harbor areas,” Breuer says.
Various 2in1 combination assemblies are also ideally suited for use on a range of off-highway construction and agricultural machinery, including asphalt milling machines, dozers, excavators, tractors and combines.
In these types of construction and ag applications, enclosed units for direct mounting on internal combustion engines according to the SAE standard are used on air compressors and hydraulic fluid pump drives. Units can also be utilized on belted drives applications such as asphalt milling machines. Output-side is designed for easy “Plug & Play” connection to work machines. |
This article was written and contributed by Altra Industrial Motion Corp.
Various models of the Stromag couplings are available, including those enabling hydraulic actuation.
Stromag’s unique, modular 2in1 pre-engineered combinations feature an existing Stromag flexible coupling configured with an existing switchable clutch model for a compact, singlepiece solution.
Depending on the application, various models from the lineup of Stromag couplings and clutches can be combined for electric actuation.
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The First True Motor Scraper
The Model A Tournapull could be yoked to a single-axle scraper in such a way as to allow for extreme maneuverability, offering greater speed and productivity for earthmoving projects.
by Thomas Berry, Archivist, Historical Construction Equipment Association
We’ve been looking at Robert G. LeTourneau’s innovations in construction equipment development, and in this issue we’ll see another of his most important inventions, the first modern motor scraper.
Prior articles have discussed the groundwork for these machines: Improved loading efficiency and carrying capacity; cable control of the scraper from a towing tractor; and the 1923 SelfPropelled Scraper. While all of this greatly increased a scraper’s productivity, a bottleneck remained—the speed of the towing tractor.
A crawler tractor offered great power and traction, but was inherently limited in how fast it could go, and the limitation was passed on to whatever it was towing. The solution was born literally by accident, as LeTourneau recuperated in 1937 from severe injuries suffered in a car crash. He sketched out the preliminary ideas for something completely different, a big tractor on a single at the rear with large tires. It would be yoked to a single-axle scraper in such a way as to allow for extreme maneuverability, and a cable control unit on the front of the tractor controlled the scraper by means of lines reeved up and over the tractor. The tractor was powered by a 160 hp (119.3 kW), 8-cylinder Cat D17000 engine, and with its LeTourneaudesigned transmission it was good for up to 20 mph (32.2 kph) on the level.
Unveiled in April 1938, the tractor was called the Model A Tournapull, perhaps the first of very many usages of a “Tourna-“ prefix for his inventions. To say it and the Z25 25-yd. (22.9 m)
R. G. LE TOURNEAU INC. IMAGE
The first scraper to be equipped with pneumatic tires is pulled by an Allis-Chalmers crawler tractor in California’s Imperial Valley in August 1932.
Carryall scraper that was built for it were ungainly is an understatement. But it achieved LeTourneau’s goal of much greater speed and productivity. An improved second prototype followed that summer. In late 1938, Guy F. Atkinson Company ordered 10 of them for use on Hansen Dam in the Los Angeles Dam, making it the very first earthmoving project to be done primarily by motor scrapers. Further improvements and new models followed, and the Tournapull and scraper combination set the standard for tens of thousands of motor scrapers for the future. |
The HCEA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the construction, dredging and surface mining equipment industries. With over 3,800 members in 25 countries, HCEA activities include publication of a quarterly educational magazine, Equipment Echoes, from which this article is adapted; operation of National Construction Equipment Museum and archives in Bowling Green, OH; and hosting an annual working exhibition of restored construction equipment. The next International Convention and Old Equipment Exhibition will be September 23-25, 2022, at the National Construction Equipment Museum in Bowling Green, OH. The HCEA is raising funds for construction of a new purpose-built building to house its equipment collection, and the convention will feature groundbreaking for it.
Individual annual memberships in the HCEA are $35.00 within the USA and Canada, and $55.00 U.S. elsewhere. HCEA seeks to develop relationships in the equipment manufacturing industry, and offers a college scholarship for engineering and construction management students. Information is available at www.hcea. net, by calling 419-352-5616 or e-mailing info@hcea.net.
