1

COUPLINGS
1. Introduction
2. Flexible Couplings
a) Gear Type Couplings
i) Grease Packed
ii) Oil Lubricated
b) Diaphragm Couplings
c) Disk Couplings
3. Shaft to Coupling Hub Mounting Methods
a) Keyed Mounting
b) Keyless Mounting
4. Coupling Balance
a) Component Balancing
b) Field Balancing
5. Misalignment
a) Misalignment Limitations
b) Wear Influences
2
Introduction:
What is a flexible coupling? A coupling is a machine element which
connects two shafts for the purpose of transmitting torque from the driver to
he driven member and allows for misalignment between the two shafts.
Rigid couplings connect shafts for torque transmission, but do not
accommodate misalignment.
Couplings generally consist of four elements.
The Hub: The hub is the part of the coupling which is attached to the
shaft.
The Flexible Element: The parts of the coupling which flex and allow for
misalignment.
The Spacer: The spacer is generally a hollow shaft which connects the
two flexible elements.
The Bolts: Bolts are used to connect parts of the coupling assembly.
There are many different types of flexible couplings. The include gear
type, diaphragm, disk pack, and steel grid couplings. Each design has
advantages and disadvantages and are selected based upon the application.
The coupling(s) in a machine train is a very important element. It
must be installed correctly and properly maintained to ensure a long life
cycle.
3
FLEXIBLE COUPLINGS
Gear Type Couplings
Figure 1
Flexing in a gear type coupling is accommodated by the sliding action
between the gear teeth on the hub and the teeth on the sleeve. The amount
of misalignment that a gear type coupling can accommodate is determined
by the backlash between adjacent teeth. Backlash is the tangential clearance
between the teeth.
Backlash
Figure 2
4
Typical Gear Teeth Profiles
Side View
Top View
Figure 3
The pressure angle of an involute profile is shown in Figure 4. The
most commonly used angle is 20. The pressure angle controls the amount
of axial thrust that the coupling can transmit. The larger the angle, the more
axial thrust that resists axial displacement between the shafts. The pressure
angle also provides and controls the centering effect between the hub and
the sleeve. Maintaining good concentricity is essential for the balance state
of the coupling.

is the pressure angle

Figure 4
5
The pressure angle determines the amount of perpendicular force
applied to the teeth. The magnitude of this force is determined by Equation
1.
F
T
PDN
p
=
2
cos
Equation 1
= pressure angle
The axial force that the coupling can transmit is a function of the
perpendicular force acting on the teeth and the coefficient of friction.
Axial Force = F
p
N Equation 2
= coefficient of friction
The coefficient of friction is determined by the type of lubricant used
within the coupling.
6
Grease Packed Couplings
GEAR TYPE COUPLING
GREASE PACKED
Grease Fitting & Hole
O Ring
Seal
Figure 5
Grease is pumped into the coupling through holes in the sleeve or
flanges. Many years of research have produced a number of industrial grade
grease formulas. Grease contains primarily three elements; oils, thickeners,
and additives. Grease compounds are tested in high speed centrifuges to
determine the degree of separation of the three elements. Selection of a
specific grease compound depends upon the application and environment
that the coupling will operate in. For example, grease at very low
temperatures becomes very stiff and will not properly lubricate the gear
teeth. Oil is generally used as the lubricant for applications when the
ambient temperature may go well below the freezing temperature. Grease
within the coupling should be replaced on a periodic basis. Most coupling
manufacturers recommend every six months and not longer than once per
year.
7
Oil Lubricated Couplings:
GEAR TYPE COUPLING
CONTINUOUSLY LUBRICATED
OIL SPRAY
NOZZLES
Oil Flow
Oil Flow
Figure 6
Most high speed gear type couplings are designed for continuous oil
lubrication. Oil is supplied from a lube system and with the use of nozzles is
sprayed into the area of the hub and sleeve teeth. The oil performs two
tasks. First it removes heat build up due to windage from high speed
couplings. Secondly, it provides lubrication between the mating teeth. A
coupling guard is employed to capture the oil as it exits the coupling. The
guard is equipped with a drain hole that allows the oil to return to the lube
tank.
8
DIAPHRAGM TYPE COUPLINGS
DIAPHRAGM TYPE COUPLING
Figure 7
This type of coupling uses diaphragm flexing elements to transmit
torque and accommodate misalignment. The diaphragm members are
welded to the spacer and bolted to the solid hub. Torque is transmitted
radially from the spacer element to the outer diameter of the diaphragm
which is bolted to the solid hub. In order to maintain a uniform stress
distribution through the diaphragm member, the diaphragms are profiled.
The base of the diaphragm (at the spacer) is thicker than the at the outside
diameter of the diaphragm. This type of coupling accommodates axial
growth of the connecting rotors by deflection of the diaphragm elements.
Therefore, the distance between the rotors is set to induce a certain amount
of initial stretch in the diaphragms before the machines are started. When
9
axial growth occurs, the diaphragms return to a neutral position which
minimizes stress.
DISK TYPE COUPLINGS
DISK TYPE COUPLING
Figure 8
Disk packs are connected to the solid hub and spacer by an
alternating bolt pattern. This type of coupling is typically limited to low to
medium speed machines. The life cycle of the disk packs are related to the
amount of misalignment during operation of the machinery. They are
subjected to fretting and corrosion failure.
10
COUPLING HUB MOUNTING METHODS
Keyed Mounting:
One of the primary tasks of a coupling is to transmit torque between
the shaft and the hub. Keyed hub to shaft connections are often used to
accommodate torque transmission. Keys are simple to manufacture and are
relatively low cost. One of the main disadvantages is that torque forces may
concentrated at one or two points on the key. This introduces an
undesirable stress concentration. Cutting keyways into the shaft and hub
also weakens these elements. Keyed hubs which are mounted with a slight
interference fit between the hub and the shaft permit some of the torque to
be transmitted by friction. This distributes the stresses around the shaft and
hub and reduces the stress at the key. Shear stress on the key can be
calculated by Equation 3.
Shear Stress
T
DWL
=
2
Equation 3
T = Torque in Lb-In D = shaft diameter
W = width of the key L = length of the key
11
D
W
L
Figure 9
The generally accepted design practice for keys is to size the width of
the key (W) to be:
W
D
=
4
Equation 4
D = Shaft Diameter
NOTE: If a key needs to be replaced, it must be replaced with a
material that has the same strength of materials properties and hardness as
the shaft or the hub.
12
Keyless Mounting Method:
Keyless mounting of hubs to shafts relies on an interference fit to
create friction sufficient to transmit torque. This type of mounting
technique permits torque transfer over the entire contact area between the
shaft and hub. It also eliminates stress concentrations found with keyed
mounting methods. The maximum torque that can be transmitted by friction
is shown in Equation 5.
T
AP D
s
max
=

2
Equation 5
A = Contact Area (D
s
L)
D
s
= Shaft diameter L = length of contact area
P = Contact pressure = coefficient of friction
P
D D D EI
D D
s h s
h s
=

2 2 2
2 2
2
( )
I = interference fit =
D D
D
h s
s

E = modulus of elasticity
D
h
= hub bore diameter
The typical interference fit for coupling assembly is .001 - .002 inch
per inch of shaft diameter.
Keyless hubs can be installed on straight or taper shafts.
13
TAPERED BORE ASSEMBLY
STRAIGHT BORE ASSEMBLY
Figure 10
Keyless hubs are installed either by heating the hub for sufficient
thermal expansion or with the use of a hydraulic fixture to expand the hub.
It is recommended that an oven be used for heating installations. The oven
will ensure uniform heating of the hub and the temperature can be
controlled. Hydraulic expansion requires oil passages in the shaft, a special
hydraulic tool, and a high pressure oil supply (typically 30,000 psi).
14
COUPLING BALANCE
Component And Assembly Balancing:
The elements which comprise a flexible coupling are individually
machined components. Although they are machined to very tight
dimensional tolerances, the mass center of a component may not coincide
with the geometric center. The displacement of the mass center will
introduce an unbalance force when the coupling is operated at its rated
speed. The mass center displacement of each component of the coupling
may contribute to a significant unbalance force when the coupling is fully
assembled. Therefore, a balancing procedure is utilized to initially balance
each component and then balance the complete coupling assemble. Since
the coupling does not have its own shafts, they are balanced in low speed
balance machines which have various sized mandrels to fit the bore of the
hubs. When an acceptable balance condition has been achieved, connecting
components are match marked. The purpose of the match marking is to
ensure that the coupling is assembled in the field in the same manner and
orientation as it was balanced. The quality of the balance state of the
coupling depends largely on the quality of balance machine. Mandrels
which are out of balance or poorly fitted will introduce significant error to
the balancing process. The American Petroleum Institute (API) Standard
671 and the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) Standard
9000-C90 provide specifications for max allowable dynamic unbalance.
15
Field Balancing:
Couplings are shipped to the field unassembled. The coupling has
been assembly balanced and match marked. The bolts were weighed and
weight matched with precision scales. It is very important to assemble the
coupling with all match marks aligned correctly and with the bolts that were
sent by the manufacturer. If the coupling is out of balance it will introduce
a vibration at a frequency equal to the operating speed of the machine. The
coupling is connected to shafts on adjacent machines. The rotors within
each machine may also be out of balance which will induce coupling
vibrations. The question then becomes, where is the source of the
unbalance? In one or both of the rotors or in the coupling? One technique
employed is to remove the bolts on one end of the coupling and rotate the
disconnected rotor through an angle of 180

and then reassemble the
coupling. Another technique is to disconnect the spacer from each end,
rotate it 180, and then reassemble the spacer. When the machines are
restarted, if the phase angle of the vibration changes by 180 relative to the
phase angle in the match marked condition, the source of the unbalance is
within the coupling. If it does not change at all or very little, the source of
the unbalance is within the connected shafts.
The most common procedure for field balancing a coupling is to add
washers at the appropriate phase angle to a bolt(s) which connects the
spacer to the hub. In most cases a satisfactory state of balance can be
achieved by this method. However, there is one risk in this procedure. If
the coupling is disassembled sometime in the future and the specific bolt
16
number that the washers were attached to is not properly recorded, the
coupling may be incorrectly assembled. A second procedure for balancing a
coupling is to add a balancing ring on to the coupling hub or sleeve. The
ring contains drilled and tapped holes for adding weights.
BALANCING
RING
Figure 11
This procedure has the advantage that the balancing ring is not
removed during future disassembles of the coupling.
MISALIGNMENT
One of the main features of a flexible coupling is to accommodate
misalignment of connected shafts. Misalignment can be categorized as
parallel, angular, or a combination of both. In fact most misalignment
conditions are a combinations of parallel and angular misalignment.
17
Parallel Misalignment
Figure 12
Angular Misalignment
Figure 13
Angular + Parallel Misalignment
Figure 14
18
Each coupling type articulates in response to misalignment forces.
For example, a gear type coupling accommodates misalignment by the
sliding action of the gear teeth. A diaphragm coupling responds with
deflection of the diaphragm member. The useful life of a coupling depends
largely amount of misalignment it operates under and for lubricated
couplings the integrity of the lubrication. For gear type couplings, if the
angle of misalignment (see Figure 15) is large, the contact area of the
mating teeth is reduced. This increases the wear rate and will significantly
reduce the life of the coupling.

Figure 15
The diaphragm or disk pack couplings accommodate misalignment
through deformation of the flexible element (see Figure 16).
19
Figure 16
The deformation of the flexible element introduces stresses.
Maximum stress is the sum of stress due to axial displacement and cyclic
stress due to the angle of misalignment. Failure can occur if the max stress
is beyond the yield strength of the material or the cyclic stress induces a
fatigue failure of the material.
As a general rule most coupling manufacturers specify that the
maximum allowable misalignment is limited to 1.0 mil or 0.06 per inch of
spacer length. The alignment state of connected rotors should always be
verified to fall within this limit, preferably well within this limit. This is
particularly true for diaphragm and disk type couplings. Techniques for
determining the alignment state include reverse dial indicator checks or
optical and laser target techniques.