Coupling Notes

Jaw couplings from Ruland in di erent sizes with spiders available in three durometers.

Jaw couplings in surgical robot applications

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

Zero-backlash jaw couplings with a balanced design, creating reduced vibration and constant velocity, are critical in applications that require demanding starts and stops, such as those in industries like semiconductor, solar, medical, and packaging. The dampening ability of jaw couplings aids in reducing settling time and shock loads, making them a common option for precision positioning systems. Jaw couplings have a three-piece assembly comprised of two aluminum hubs and an elastomeric element called the spider. The spider is made om complex polyurethane, which reduces impulse loads that might cause shock to the motor and other sensitive equipment. Available in three durometers, the spider in Ruland jaw couplings allows the user to tailor the jaw coupling’s torsional stiff ness, misalignment, and dampening requirements to their application. These jaw couplings have a curved profi le that press fi ts onto the spider, ensuring zero-backlash operation. The curved jaw profi le evenly distributes the forces to the center of the spider’s limbs, improving the eff ectiveness of

Coupling Notes

the elastomer material. Raised contact points on the spider limbs help maintain proper spacing between the two hubs, allowing for electrical isolation and full angular misalignment capabilities. The designer can mix and match clamp or set screw hubs with inch or metric, and keyed or keyless bores. Bore sizes range om 1/8 to 1-1/4-in. and 3 to 32 mm. Spiders are available in 85 shore A for the best dampening ability, 92 shore A for a balance of dampening and torsional stiff ness, and 98 shore A for the greatest torque and torsional stiff ness. This combination of hubs and spiders gives designers a high level of customizability. These zero-backlash jaw couplings are manufactured om select North American bar stock in Ruland’s factory in Marlborough, Massachusetts, under strict controls using proprietary processes.

Summary:

• Balanced hub design to support higher RPM with reduced vibration • Wide range of clamp and set screw style hubs with inch, metric, keyed, or keyless bores • Spider dampens impulse loads while minimizing shock to sensitive equipment • RoHS3 and REACH compliant

DW

Ruland ruland.com

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