verlag moderne industrie

Safety and
Overload Couplings
Backlash-free torque limitation
for mechanical engineering

Tobias Wolf, Philipp Bergmann,

Andreas Rimpel, Michael Wöber

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 This book was produced with the technical collaboration of
R+W Antriebselemente GmbH. Contents
Safety couplings in the age of electronics 4

Functional principles of safety couplings 7

Spring loaded, ball-detent couplings....................................................... 8
Spring loaded, safety element couplings ................................................ 16
Translation: Frank Kronmüller
Spring loaded friction disc couplings ..................................................... 22
Magnetic continuous slip couplings........................................................ 24
Pneumatic and electromagnetic couplings .............................................. 27
Fields of application 30
Indirect drives ......................................................................................... 31
Direct drives ............................................................................................ 33
Selection criteria and characteristics 38
Design techniques ................................................................................... 41
Behavior and characteristics ................................................................... 49
Automatic re-engagement ....................................................................... 52
Full disengagement design ...................................................................... 59
Safety coupling types 64
2nd, updated and extended edition Rigid safety couplings............................................................................. 64
Torsionally rigid safety couplings ........................................................... 66
© 2014 All rights reserved with Vibration damping safety couplings ....................................................... 73
Süddeutscher Verlag onpact GmbH, 81677 Munich Low-cost safety couplings ...................................................................... 77
www.sv-onpact.de Safety line shafts ..................................................................................... 79
First published in Germany in the series Safety coupling accessories 82
Die Bibliothek der Technik
Original title: Sicherheits- und Überlastkupplungen Proximity sensors and switches .............................................................. 82
© 2008 (1st edition) by Süddeutscher Verlag onpact GmbH Spanner wrenches ................................................................................... 83
© 2014 (2nd, updated and extended edition) by Süddeutscher Verlag Actuation plate ........................................................................................ 89
onpact GmbH
Engagement and disengagement tool...................................................... 89
Illustrations: R+W Antriebselemente GmbH, Klingenberg Prospects 91
Typesetting: JournalMedia GmbH, 85540 Munich-Haar
Printing and binding: Sellier Druck GmbH, 85354 Freising
The company behind this book 95
Printed in Germany 236638

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 4 Safety couplings in the age of electronics 5

Safety couplings in Fig. 1:

TÜV-certified
mechanical safety
the age of electronics coupling

If one analyzes today’s market of safety

components for equipment and mechanical
engineering, it can be determined that in
addition to mechanical safety components,
Safety concepts there are many other safety devices being
offered from the field of electronics and con-
trol technology. These range from current-
dependent overload protection, through volt-
age and power monitoring components right
up to torque measuring devices. Particularly
in view of continuous advanced develop-
ments in the field of sensor engineering and
power electronics, mechanical safety compo-
nents are at least partially being put into
question with respect to their performance
capabilities.
However, an evaluation of both functional
principles must take into consideration that
electronic safety components have two major connect the drive and load from one another
disadvantages in comparison to their mechan- within a period of three to a maximum of
Disadvantage: ical counterparts. The first disadvantage is five milliseconds. A conventional mechanical
reaction time reaction time. For example, if an overload safety coupling therefore requires only a third
occurs in a machine due to a blockage, a signal of the time required by an electronic cut-off.
from the monitoring circuit only reaches the The ten to fifteen milliseconds time differ-
motor controller after about five to seven ence can be quite decisive in averting poten-
milliseconds following a strong rise in torque. tial damage to machines and tooling. Further-
During this period of latency, the controller more, electronic machine monitoring is not
attempts to further increase torque in order suitable for high speeds due to the centrifugal
to reach the setpoint value. Thereafter, even mass of the rotating parts.
under optimal conditions, another ten milli- The second disadvantage is the number of Disadvantage:
seconds will pass before the motor can react. potential failures. Equipment fitted with elec- failure points
Additional delays can be incurred due to the tronic monitoring systems generally needs
relatively large moments of inertia in the drive multiple sensors to ensure optimal protection.
train. In comparison, a precision mechanical This is why in addition to the sensors for
safety coupling (Fig. 1) will completely dis- motor monitoring, there are also torque meas-

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 6 Safety couplings in the age of electronics
uring devices attached to the equipment at
strategic locations. This setup of safety loops
harbors potential sources of failure because
they require a number of different compo-
nents.
Advantage: The advantage of a mechanically operated
only one safety safety coupling lies in the fact that only a
component single safety component per axis is required
throughout the entire system. Thus only this
single component must be monitored. The
coupling effects a positive separation of drive
and load in the millisecond range that oper-
ates under all conditions and does not fail
even in “worst case”.
Advantage: A further advantage lies in the simple handling
easy handling and trouble-free adjustment of the safety
coupling. For example, in equipment where
acceleration cycles or mass moments of iner-
tia occur in the entire drive train for which
the coupling torque is set too low, disengage-
ment torque can easily be readjusted over
a broad range. Finally, the coupling can also
be placed at the location in the drive train
exposed to the greatest probability of an
overload (for example, directly at the ball
screw spindle).
R+W_2014_eng.indd 6-7
7
Functional principles
of safety couplings
Safety couplings, also called overload cou-
plings (typically free of backlash, wear resistant
and maintenance free), are mechanically oper-
ated connecting elements employed to protect
machines and systems (Fig. 2). Although the
functional principles of these safety elements
differ by coupling manufacturer, the objective
and purpose of the coupling is the same for all
variants: To ensure a safe, quick, reliable, and
positive separation between drive and load
sides of a system or machine.
The five most frequently used functional
principles for safety couplings are explained
first in the sections below. Beginning with the
chapter “Fields of application” (see page 30 ff.), Fig. 2:
Safety coupling
this book deals only with safety couplings installed in a drive
based on the spring loaded, ball-detent princi- train
04.12.2014 09:43:43
 8 Functional principles of safety couplings
ple, since these are most frequently utilized
nowadays in conventional machines and
mechanical engineering and because these are
most commonly incorporated into new ma-
chine/system designs from the outset.
Spring loaded, ball-detent
couplings
Safety couplings operating on the spring
loaded, ball-detent principle are predominant
Function as in equipment where an absolute emergency
emergency stop stop function is to be implemented. These
elements couplings feature high component rigidity
and low/zero backlash, thereby ensuring con-
tinuous operation over the entire service life
of the equipment. This function principle
allows a maximum permissible torque to be
preset very precisely so that an optimal
degree of utilization for the overall machine
can be achieved.
Nine-component The structure of the complete safety segment
structure consists of nine individual components (Fig.
3). The base element (component 1) serves as
the connecting element to the driving side as
well as a support element or frame for all
other components. This is a steel part whose
surface has been additionally hardened (nitro-
carburizing) to protect it against wear even
when heavily stressed. The coupling’s service
life (disengagement cycles) can optionally be
further increased through a secondary pro-
cess. The adjustment nut (component 2) is
mounted on the base element. This nut has
fine threads to put a specific axial force on
the disc spring (component 3). Adjacent to its
Six holes inside threads, the adjustment nut has six
holes. The first three holes are threaded (3×
metric) to prevent the adjustment nut from
R+W_2014_eng.indd 8-9
Spring loaded, ball-detent couplings 9
Fig. 3:
Cross-section of a
4 zero-backlash safety
coupling based
2
5 on the ball-detent
7 principle
1 1 Base element
6 2 Adjustment nut
9 3 Disc spring
4 Actuation ring
5 Clutch balls
6 Ball bearings
7 Mounting flange
3 8 Bearing retaining
ring
9 Conical sleeve or
8 clamping collar
turning after the torque limit has been set.
The second set of three holes (3× blind holes)
allows for easier manipulation of the adjust-
ment nut to set the torque limit. Setting the
disengagement torque within the allowable
range is simple, yet very precise; this is done
by turning the adjustment nut with a conven-
tional spanner wrench (Fig. 4). An engraving
along the radial direction of the adjustment
nut shows the possible adjustment range. Op-
tionally, the adjustment nut can be configured
with an additional clamping mechanism. This
design does away with the three screws that
secure the adjustment nut to prevent rotation.
This ensures that the value for disengagement
torque remains the same, even when dis-
engagement has occurred a number of times,
04.12.2014 09:43:43
 10 Functional principles of safety couplings
min.
max.
Fig. 4: so re-inspection of the adjustment nut is not
Adjustment of dis- necessary before putting the coupling back
engagement torque
with a spanner
into operation.
wrench. The marks Safety couplings designed to today’s state-of-
on the adjustment nut the-art engineering standards are fitted with
indicate the adjust- special high-performance disc springs which
ment range.
can be employed within a large temperature
range (–30 to +120°C) and which have exact
spring characteristics. Most disc springs have
Two character- two characteristics. If the entire characteristic
istics curve for a disc spring is drawn in a diagram,
the rising segment is said to be the progres-
sive characteristic, the declining segment is
the digressive characteristic. Depending on
the fabrication of the disc spring, i.e. stamp-
ing and its axial pressure stressing, one of the
two characteristics can be utilized. Since the
digressive characteristic of a spring exhibits a
larger linear range than does its progressive
characteristic, it is the former which is utilized.
The ratio of spring force to spring deflection
changes proportionally in the digressive
range. In combination with the fine-pitch
threads of the adjustment nut, the propor-
tional ratio of these two quantities is ideal for
precision safety couplings. The digressive
characteristic operates exactly contrary to the
progressive characteristic which is character-
ized by the fact that under increasing axial
R+W_2014_eng.indd 10-11
Spring loaded, ball-detent couplings 11
load pressure, the disc springs generate a con-
tinuously increasing opposing force. The fur-
ther a disc spring is pushed, the more force is
necessary to push it. In contrast, disc springs
used in safety couplings that operate with the
digressive characteristic reverse this princi-
ple. The more the disc spring is pressed Digressive
together, the lower the spring opposing force characteristic
becomes. This reversed proportional relation-
ship means that the maximum spring force,
i.e. the maximum disengagement torque, is
already produced when the spring has the
least possible load pressure. In practical ap-
plication, after loosening the adjustment nut’s
locking screws, the user turns the adjustment
nut counter-clockwise to reduce load pressure
on the spring in order to increase the pre-
viously described relationship for coupling
disengagement torque. A further advantage of
the digressive characteristic lies in its very
minimal residual friction when the coupling Low residual
disengages (fully depressed disc springs have friction
almost no height, thus they possess only
Progressive Digressive Actuation
characteristic characteristic path
TKN max
Spring force
Fig. 5:
Characteristic for
high-performance
springs used in safety
TKN min
couplings
TKN max coupling –
maximum disengage-
ment torque
TKN min coupling –
Spring deflection minimum disengage-
ment torque
04.12.2014 09:43:43
 12 Functional principles of safety couplings Spring loaded, ball-detent couplings 13

minimal axial spring force). The wear on Fig. 6:

mechanically loaded components is thereby Miniature safety
coupling with coil
very low and actuation speed in the falling spring for disengage-
segment is substantially greater due to the ment torque less than
reduction in spring force. This results in a 0.1 Nm
long service life for the coupling.
Figure 5 shows this reverse proportional rela-
tionship between spring force and spring
deflection in the digressive range of the char-
Lower third as acteristic. Spring deflection in the lower third
actuation path of the characteristic is used as the actuation creases due to the disengagement of the cou-
path. This actuation path, often non-existent pling and remains high until it re-engages.
This is also the reason for using coil springs For low dis-
in lower-priced safety couplings, is outwardly
exclusively at low disengagement torque values. engagement
signaled by the actuation ring (component 4)
For higher disengagement torque values, the torque values
which can be sensed with a proximity switch
progressive characteristic curve would mean
or mechanical limit switch. In order to be
an excessive residual friction following the
able to implement the monitoring, a certain
disengagement of the coupling. Due to the
actuation path is required. A minimum actua-
employment at low torque values, the resid-
tion path is also needed for the engagement ual friction can be kept negligibly small de-
process itself. Because the spring deflection spite the progressive characteristic. Therefore,
of the disc springs used must be greater than safety couplings are produced that have dis-
the desired actuation path, the use of small engagement torque values in the hundredths
disc springs is problematic. The smaller the of a newton meter range.
dimensions, the less deflection the springs The clutch balls (component 5) and ball bear-
will have. Disengagement torque values less ings (component 6) are made of stainless
than 0.1 Nm therefore cannot be practically steel or tool steel, and run at exactly the same Fig. 7:
implemented with disc springs. Safety coupling balls
rotational speed during the disengagement and guide with iden-
To produce safety couplings for these smaller operation (Fig. 7). If cylindrical rollers were tical orbital speeds
Use of ranges, special coil springs are normally used
coil springs (Fig. 6). These provide a larger actuation path
which can be monitored with proximity and
limit switches. Because their characteristic
runs along a linear path, like the characteris-
tic of disc springs, couplings with coil springs
can also be set very precisely. The purely pro-
Progressive gressive force curve of these springs ensures
spring that the adjustment nut must be turned clock-
characteristics wise in order to increase the disengagement
torque of a coupling. The spring force in-

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 14 Functional principles of safety couplings
to be used instead, differing rotational speeds
would occur in respective areas. Since the
base element and mounting flange are manu-
factured in separate milling processes, manu-
facturing tolerances would not allow for pre-
cise seating of rollers. Both of these factors
increase wear in comparison to the ball de-
sign, thus they would reduce service life and
also the coupling’s overall rigidity.
The balls are retained in through holes in the
base element. If the disc spring exerts axial
pressure on the actuation ring, the encased
balls will be pressed into their cone-shaped
recesses (blind holes) in the mounting flange
Conical recesses (component 7). Since couplings must operate
with special without backlash, these cone-shaped recesses
drill pattern have a special drill pattern. Two different-
sized angles in the positioning of these spher-
ical indentations ensure tension between two
adjacent balls (Fig. 8). In the event of an
overload, the exerted spring force is insuffi-
cient to keep the balls in their detents. They
Re-engagement angle
Spring
Base element
Actuation ring
Fig. 8: Balls
Tension between
balls for torque Mounting flange
transmission without
backlash
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Spring loaded, ball-detent couplings 15
exit their detents and roll in an orbit pre-
defined by the guide holes in the base ele-
ment. When the balls leave their detents as
described, the mounting flange is separated
from the base element, ensuring that the cou-
pling no longer transfers any torque. As soon
as the overload disturbance is cleared, the
balls will again lock into the next detent re-
cesses. This process is referred to as disen-
gagement and re-engagement.
Because all mechanically loaded components
in the safety coupling are hardened, only very
slight wear or settlement behavior occurs, Low wear
especially in the area of the conical recess
edge when there is axial movement of the
ball. Even if after frequent disengagement
and re-engagement (several thousand repeti-
tions) the edges are somewhat rounded, the
different conical recess angles balance out the
backlash for each other so that the coupling
ultimately operates absolutely free of back-
lash during its entire service life.
The mounting flange is positively connected to
the other components of the coupling during
normal operation (i.e. engaged or detent state).
Rotary motion and torque are transferred 1:1.
Disengagement separates the mounting flange
from the remainder of the components. To
ensure the coupling will disengage reliably at
a precisely predefined torque, two additional,
offset rows of ball bearings are integrated into Two additional
the coupling. These prevent the mounting rows of balls
flange from tipping sideways, which would
place a one-sided load on the disc spring and
substantially influence disengagement torque.
A bearing plate fitted with a retaining ring
(component 8) is included to provide axial
stability for the mounting flange and the
integrated ball bearings. Typically a chain
04.12.2014 09:43:44
 16 Functional principles of safety couplings Spring loaded, safety element couplings 17

sprocket or belt pulley is mounted through a used in high torque ranges, because they offer
circular pattern of holes in the mounting advantages in this area. Due to the modules
flange. Optionally the chain sprocket or belt used, the force acting within the coupling is Force distri-
pulley can also be integrated into the cou- shifted from a central position to multiple buted over
pling. There is no mounting flange in this points along a calculated internal diameter. multiple points
Weight-reduced case. The advantage of this solution is a re- As a result, the entire coupling can be made
solution duction in the coupling’s weight and its mass with smaller dimensions. This results in
moment of inertia. Depending on the cou- lower costs and easier handling.
pling’s size, either a conical sleeve or a The modules are designed to limit the maxi-
clamping hub (component 9) is used to fix the mum transmission of torque by disengaging at
coupling to the drive shaft. a set tangential force. Only in connection with
the remaining coupling parts do the modules
Spring loaded, safety element accomplish the task of torque limitation; the
couplings remaining coupling parts being: the mounting
flange (component 2), the base element (com-
Spring loaded, safety element couplings (Fig. ponent 1) and the bearing retaining plate (com-
9) are similar in functionality to single spring ponent 3). The base element and mounting
loaded, ball-detent safety couplings. In con- flange are mounted with respect to each other
trast to the latter, the former is intended to be over two offset bearing races. When a coupling
is installed, the drive shaft is mounted on the
5 4
base element and the driven shaft on the
mounting flange or vice versa. The safety
1 modules mounted on the base element (com- Interlocking
3 ponents 4 and 5) ensure a positive lock be- modules
tween mounting flange and base element. This installed
prevents rotation of the mounting flange rela-
tive to the base element. The coupling is there-
fore capable of transmitting torque. If the
applied torque between mounting flange and
Fig. 9: base element is too great, the modules dis-
Cross-section of engage and rotate independently of one an-
a ball-detent safety other until the coupling is re-engaged.
element torque The advantage of this type of design is that a
limiter
1 Base element large central disc spring assembly is no Multiple small
2 Mounting flange longer needed, as its function can be served disc spring
3 Bearing retaining by several small assemblies instead. This assemblies
plate saves on costs because disc springs beyond a
4 Ball-detent safety
2 certain size become disproportionately expen-
element
5 Detent segment sive as the spring force increases. Moreover,

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 18 Functional principles of safety couplings
the stresses on the components are distributed
by the modules over multiple points, so that
ball-detent safety element couplings can be
designed in a more compact manner. The re-
Size-reduced duction in structural size is the decisive factor
design for the economic viability of the ball-detent
principle in the heavy-duty range.
The modules consist of two segments: the
ball-detent safety element and the engage-
ment receptacle. The base body of the ball-
detent safety module is the housing (Fig. 10;
component 8). Located within the housing is
the plunger (component 2), at the end of
which a ball (component 1) is seated. This
Fig. 10:
Cross-section of a 5 6
ball-detent safety
element 8 result are pressed from the outside around the
1 Ball
2 Plunger
3 Locking segments
4 Support ring 7
5 Disc spring
assembly 1 segment
6 Adjustment nut
7 Adjustment scale
ring
8 Housing
2
3 4
ball bearing engages the detent. The plunger
Design of the is used purely for guidance and force trans-
ball-detent mission. A disc spring assembly (component
safety element 5) is loaded via the adjustment nut (compo-
nent 6). The compressive force of the springs
is exerted via the support ring (component 4)
and the inclined contact surface of the lock-
ing segments (component 3) on the plunger.
The detent segment has a conical depression
for receiving the detent ball.
R+W_2014_eng.indd 18-19
Spring loaded, safety element couplings 19
By installing the engagement receptacle in a
position opposite the ball-detent safety ele-
ment, the ball is pressed into engagement. If
excessive tangential force is exerted between
the two segments, the clamping force of the
ball-detent safety element and disc springs is
overcome. The ball with the plunger retracts
inside the ball-detent safety element. The Disengagement
locking segments are spread out during this …
disengagement process. Due to the design of
the ball-detent safety element, the progressive
characteristic of the disc springs is used,
which is why the springs – compressed fur-
ther after the disengagement – press against
the support plate with increased force. This
passes on the force via an angular contact
surface to the locking segments, which as a
shoulder of the plunger (Fig. 11). This holds
Detent Disc spring assembly Locking segment
Support ring
Plunger
the plunger in the disengaged position. The Fig. 11:
ball-detent safety element and the detent seg- Ball-detent safety
element in engaged
ment are completely separated from each (left) and disengaged
other. In order to bring the two back into (right) states
engagement, the application of a force to the
plunger, such as a light blow from a rubber
mallet, is necessary. This allows the clamping … and engage-
force of the locking segments to be over- ment function
04.12.2014 09:43:44
 20 Functional principles of safety couplings
come, and the plunger as well as the locking
segments can move back into their original
position.
The torque adjustment range covered by the
coupling can be determined by using different
numbers of modules. Fine adjustment of the
coupling is done on the ball-detent safety
elements. In order to increase the disengage-
ment torque within the adjustment range, the
spring assemblies are given greater loading
by turning the adjustment nut clockwise. The
currently set tangential force at which the
segment disengages can be read off the adjust-
ment scale ring (see Fig. 10, p. 18, compo-
nent 7), which simultaneously serves as a
cover for the entire housing. The adjustment
scale ring also serves the function of a hard
stop. It prevents the springs from being com-
pressed so much that they lock up during an
overload and block the disengagement. The
adjustment scale ring and the torque adjust-
ment nut are tensioned with adjusting screws
and are further secured against undesired
turning by an additional locking set screw.
Determining the The set disengagement torque of the coupling
disengagement can be determined by adding up the tangen-
torque tial forces of all the ball-detent safety ele-
ments and multiplying by their distance from
the center axis. In order to achieve the high
disengagement torque values required of
these couplings, the disc springs must exert a
very high amount of force on the ball bearing
into the engagement receptacle. Because of
the high level of stress, the engagement re-
ceptacles are made of vacuum-hardened, high
alloy steel.
In addition to the torque limitation, the func-
tion principle of the ball-detent modules is
also used for force limitation in linear motion
R+W_2014_eng.indd 20-21
Spring loaded, safety element couplings 21
applications. This variant is used in conjunc- Overload
tion with linear motors as overload protection protection for
because these motors make increasingly linear systems
greater dynamics possible, and the reaction
times of electronic overload systems are
therefore no longer sufficient. The magnitude
of the disengagement tensile or compressive
force can be infinitely adjusted by modifying
the spring pressure. Due to the clamping
force of the disc springs and the inclined con-
tact surfaces, the ball-detent safety elements
are pressed into the taper and hold the linear
Proximity switch Ball-detent safety element
Disc springs (engaged)
Push or pull force
Adjustment nut
shaft in position (Fig. 12). In this way, linear Fig. 12:
Linear force limiter
forces can be transmitted. If the force in-
in engaged state
creases enough that the disengagement force
is reached, the ball-detent safety elements are
pushed out by the inclined contact surfaces in
the taper (Fig. 13). Due to the specific angle
on the ball-detent safety elements, they also
Fig. 13:
Linear force limiter
execute an axial movement that can be de- in disengaged state
Ball-detent safety element (disengaged)
Taper
04.12.2014 09:43:45
 22 Functional principles of safety couplings
tected with a proximity switch. This allows
an immediate emergency cutoff to be trig-
gered when there is a fault.
Spring loaded friction disc
couplings
The structure of spring loaded friction disc
couplings is comparable to the structure of the
ball-detent design. These two systems differ
only in the manner of disengagement and the
Wider disen- components they employ. Spring loaded fric-
gagement torque tion disc couplings have a larger disengage-
tolerance range ment tolerance due to their functional princi-
ple. This is why they are used primarily in
equipment and machines where disengage-
ment and cut-off torque need not be precisely
maintained.
Their functional principle can be described
as follows: Two circular plates with friction
surfaces are pressed together by disc springs
(Fig. 14). The friction linings are large, made
of asbestos-free material, and exhibit very
Friction linings
Adjustment nut
Chain sprocket
Fig. 14: low wear. If the torque to be transferred be-
Friction coupling comes too great and it exceeds the frictional
with wear-resistant
friction lining torque acting between the linings that is pro-
duced by the disc springs, the coupling slips,
and this will result in a positive separation be-
R+W_2014_eng.indd 22-23
Spring loaded friction disc couplings 23
tween the drive and driven sides of the cou-
pling. If torque subsequently drops below the
friction force again, the friction linings will
adhere to one another to transfer torque with-
out backlash. Friction disc couplings de-
signed to today’s state-of-the-art engineering
standards will self-adjust autonomously to Re-adjustment
compensate for incurred wear. However, this
compensation adjustment process is limited
to the wall thickness of the friction linings. If
the coupling slips over an extended period
without the driving mechanism being cut off
or the cause of the malfunction being elimi-
nated, there will be extensive wear on the
friction linings to the extent that reliable op-
eration of the torque limiter is no longer
ensured. The wall thickness of the friction
linings, and thereby friction forces, will be
substantially reduced to a point where the
reliable transfer of imposed torque moments
is no longer possible.
The friction linings tend to exhibit good
thermal stability, particularly at low rotary
speeds. This is why friction couplings are pri-
marily used in applications where the rotary
speed is low. If the coupling is worn, it can be Friction lining
repaired by installing two new friction linings replacement
and readjusting the coupling to its proper dis-
engagement torque. In applications where the
direction of rotation changes, one must be
aware that after a certain period of operation,
there will be a difference in disengagement
torque between the two rotational directions.
If, for example, the coupling slips repeatedly
in the clockwise direction due to an overload,
the friction linings will be affected. The
minute teeth and hooks on the disc in clock-
wise direction will wear off, whereas the
teeth and hooks in the counter-clockwise
04.12.2014 09:43:45
 24 Functional principles of safety couplings
direction remain relatively unaffected. This
aspect should always be taken into considera-
tion when selecting a disengagement princi-
ple. Another aspect is the service life of
a friction coupling. Extreme influences, for
Bonding of example temperature or moisture, can cause
friction linings friction linings to become permanently
bonded to one another. The coupling will
consequently release at a disengagement
torque much greater than desirable because
the friction force between the plates is in-
creased by bonding. In the worst case, this
can cause permanent consequential damage
due to delayed or inhibited slippage of the
coupling.
Magnetic continuous slip couplings
In addition to the positive mechanical separa-
tion of drive and load during an overload,
separation by way of magnetic forces is also
possible. Magnetic continuous slip couplings
are preferred in applications where every cycle
is deliberately driven to the point of over-
load, such as in bottle capping systems. Such
systems use magnetic couplings to securely
close bottles with a precisely defined torque.
Wear-free Since magnetic couplings function without
operation wear, even in continuous operation, the bottle
closure process can be performed over and
over, virtually without end, and repeated at
very short intervals.
There are two types of magnetic continuous
slip couplings (Fig. 15a) on today’s safety
coupling market. These two types differ in
their functional principle. One type of mag-
Synchronous netic safety coupling is based on the synchro-
principle nous principle (Fig. 15b). They transfer input
torque by way of magnetic forces. These
R+W_2014_eng.indd 24-25
Magnetic continuous slip couplings 25
Shell Synchronous clutch Hysteresis clutch
Drive Load
Permanent
Permanent
Permanent magnet
magnets
magnet
or hysteresis liner Hysteresis liner
a b c
forces are produced by a uniform pattern of Fig. 15:
permanent magnets which face one another. Structure of a
When the torque to be transferred becomes so magnetic coupling
(a) with detailed
great that the holding force of the magnetic illustration of
field is exceeded, the coupling slips. The des- synchronous (b)
ignation “synchronous coupling” is appropri- and hysteresis (c)
principles
ate because of the absolute synchronous
transfer of torque. The coupling has a very
small slip angle even under nominally rated
torque. Synchronous magnetic couplings are
generally applied for torque transfer up to
1000 Nm.
The second function principle of magnetic
safety couplings is called the hysteresis prin- Hysteresis
ciple (Fig. 15c). The structure of such a cou- principle
pling differs from the synchronous coupling
only in the vicinity of the shell. Instead of an
outside circle of permanent magnets, the op-
posing pole is produced by a hysteresis liner.
The technical properties of both types of
magnetic couplings are comparable, however,
the magnetic field produced in the hysteresis
coupling can be reversed with a small amount
of energy, which is not possible in synchro-
nous couplings. If an overload occurs due to a
mechanical fault, the coupling will just slip
(pole reversal). The energy resulting from
slippage is transformed into heat which must
be dissipated to the outside. An important
04.12.2014 09:43:46
 26 Functional principles of safety couplings
aspect to consider is that the nominal torque
is transferred even under overload conditions.
With respect to the coupling’s maximum heat
dissipation, the limit for slip RPM (i.e. the
rotational difference between the two cou-
pling sections) should be observed strictly in
order to avoid a defect or overheating of the
coupling. Permanent magnetic hysteresis cou-
plings are generally designed for a torque
moment range up to about 5 Nm. Dependent
on coupling size, the maximum permissible
power loss during overload can be as high
as 30 W.
The disengagement torque for permanent
magnetic synchronous and permanent mag-
netic hysteresis couplings is determined by
the immersion depth of the magnets and the
Control over resultant magnetic field. Thus a safety cou-
disengagement pling set to 100% overlap of both magnets
torque (drive and load sides) can only disengage at
the maximum disengagement torque. On the
other hand, if the immersion depth is 30%,
then separation will occur instead at the 30%
point of rated disengagement torque (Fig. 16).
As already described above, magnetic safety
Fig. 16:
Disengagement
couplings are completely wear-free in opera-
torque adjustment for tion. This principle has no abrasion between
a magnetic coupling the drive and load sections. This is why mag-
Permanent magnets
Drive Load
Air gap
100% overlap of both magnets 30% overlap of both magnets
R+W_2014_eng.indd 26-27
Pneumatic and electromagnetic couplings 27
netic safety couplings are preferred for ap-
plications where the highest standards of
hygiene must be fulfilled.
Pneumatic and electromagnetic
couplings
During continuous operation, coupling ele-
ments which perform a safety function often
require readjustment or alteration of the dis-
engagement torque while running. This re-
adjustment must therefore be done without
shutting down the entire drive unit. Pneu-
matic or electromagnetic couplings permit Precise adjust-
precise setting of the disengagement torque ment of disen-
by way of air pressure or electric current. The gagement torque
disengagement torque can thus be adapted to
individual phases of the production cycle.
Either control mechanism can be optimally
integrated into automated machinery and
equipment. The control of air pressure or
electric current is defined precisely in the
programming of the machine’s control cir-
cuit. Due to their controlled functionality,
pneumatic and electromagnetic safety cou-
plings are some of the very rare types of me-
chanical torque limiters which can be linked
to an application’s electronics. In contrast to
torque limiters with disc springs or friction
linings, these controlled types are more ex-
pensive and installation is more complex. The
necessary compressed air or electric current
source should be taken into account during
the equipment’s layout and planning.
Pneumatic or electromagnetic safety cou-
plings are usually only required to define a
load or torque limitation without an actuation
signal, or to implement a re-adjustment func-
tion in continuous operation. Conventional
04.12.2014 09:43:46
 28 Functional principles of safety couplings Pneumatic and electromagnetic couplings 29

applications generally employ common ball- coils. A precisely defined current strength
detent or friction disc couplings in the inter- produces a magnetic field. The coupling’s
ests of cost savings and simplicity. armature disc will be attracted and held by
the magnetic force. Since current through the
Pneumatic safety couplings coil is infinitely variable, disengagement
Dependent on application requirements, there torque for the safety coupling can be adapted
are three different ways in which pneumatic optimally. As long as nominal torque is Positive
Use as an over- safety couplings can be utilized. First of all, being transmitted, the armature disc and hub connection
load-protection the coupling acts as an overload component. are form-locked together. When the allow-
component … The applied torque is transmitted by way of able torque is exceeded, the preset magnetic
air pressure. If the torque becomes too great force is no longer sufficient to maintain the
due to an overload, the drive and load sides form-locked linkage. The coupling disen-
will be separated from one another. Simulta- gages and the limit switch located near the
neously, a built-in inductive limit switch (usu- coupling sends a signal directly to the motor
ally a PNP switch with NC contacts) produces controller.
an output signal. The pressure is released and Electromagnetic couplings are commercially
the drive is shut off automatically. The second available for torque ranges between 4 and
… as an mode of utilization of pneumatic safety cou- 2500 Nm. Depending on coupling size, the
actuation plings is as actuation elements in a drive sys- shafts for drive and load can have a diameter
element or … tem. Simple regulation of the air pressure can between 6 and 100 mm. Such couplings can
be used to engage or disengage the coupling also be custom-fabricated to accommodate
like a clutch, transmitting torque only when other torque or shaft diameter requirements.
required. In combination with regulated air
… as a regula- pressure, the coupling can also be utilized as a
ting element regulating element. This third variation per-
mits the coupling to be adapted to a machine’s
given work cycle and the respective require-
ments associated with that cycle.
All three of these utilization variations must
comply with the requirement that a disen-
gaged coupling may only be re-engaged to the
drive train when the machine is at a standstill.
The maximum rotary speed at which reliable
disengagement due to overload is possible
depends on the coupling size and the mass
moments of inertia effective in the machine.
Electromagnetic safety couplings
Electromagnetic safety couplings operate by
passing electric current through magnetic

R+W_2014_eng.indd 28-29 04.12.2014 09:43:46

 30 Indirect drives 31

Fields of application Indirect drives

Drive trains which do not extend over a com-
Safety couplings are currently being utilized mon axis are referred to as indirect drives.
in many areas of equipment and mechanical The axis of rotation on the driving side is
engineering. For example, depending on de- perpendicular to the axis of rotation on the
sign, technical characteristics and linkage load side. Depending on the magnitude of
configurations, they secure and protect me- torque moment, torque transmission is ac- Transmission
chanisms in: complished by way of belts, gears or chains. elements
• machine tools Figure 18 shows one option for connecting a
• woodworking machinery motor unit by way of a toothed belt to a ball
Primary • plant automation equipment screw spindle.
applications • textile machinery Fig. 18:
• robotics Safety coupling for
• printing machinery Belt pulley an indirect drive
• mining equipment Safety
• rolling mills coupling
• extrusion systems
• rotary test stands Spindle
• anywhere that overloads can occur
Attention must be given to the type of drive in Timing belt
which a safety coupling is to be implemented. Motor
Differentiation is generally made along the
lines of indirect and direct drives (Fig. 17).

Fields of application
Couplings and other connecting elements used
in indirect drives are not needed for misalign-
ment compensation between two shafts, but
Indirect drives Direct drives rather for backlash-free and above all mainte-
nance-free torque transmission. In order to ful-
fill this function reliably, precise adjustment of
the belt or chain tension, the bearing support
Fig. 17: The drive type determines selection of the cou- with respect to belt or chain width, and a high
Fields of application pling as well as choice of the technical param- degree of positioning accuracy between drive
for safety couplings
eters. The most important aspects that are rele- and load sides play essential roles.
vant to safety couplings are described below Belt or chain tension is of particular impor-
on the basis of the ball-detent coupling type. tance. Depending on coupling structure and

R+W_2014_eng.indd 30-31 04.12.2014 09:43:46

 32 Fields of application
Large forces size, radial forces of up to 20 000 N can
be exerted on safety coupling components.
Overhung loads are compensated for by spe-
cial bearings built into the coupling or addi-
tional needle or friction bearings extending
along the axis of the base element. Exact
alignment of gears or pulleys between the
drive and load is imperative – particularly in
the case of higher speeds.
Figure 19 shows an example of correct (a)
and incorrect (b) alignment of the transmis-
sion unit. If there is an offset between the two
Spindle Spindle
Timing belt
Misalign-
ment
Motor Motor
a b
Fig. 19: timing belt pulleys, transverse forces will be
Assembly example imposed in addition to the tensile forces ap-
for indirect drive
with one belt
plied to the belt. These transverse forces have
a) Correct alignment a detrimental effect on seating and smooth
b) Incorrect align- operation; ultimately they shorten the service
ment life of the entire drive train. Furthermore, the
misalignment of pulleys or gears without
flanges (guides) can cause a timing belt or
chain to move off the pulley or sprocket to be
thrown axially from the transmission unit. In
Exact alignment addition to exact alignment of transmission
elements to one another, the type of coupling
R+W_2014_eng.indd 32-33
Direct drives 33
1. Ball bearing 2. Ball bearing Additional bearing
a b
bearing support also plays an important role. Fig. 20:
Two ball bearing
Safety couplings are equipped with two ball
races (a) or an addi-
bearing races (Fig. 20a) so that tilting does tional bearing race
not occur when an overload with subsequent (b) prevent tipping
positive separation of the drive and load sides moments.
takes place. These are built into the coupling
at a specified distance from one another. If
the belt width or timing pulley does not
match the size of the coupling, additional
bearing support can be incorporated (Fig.
20b). Thus, independent of dimensions, the
tipping of a chain sprocket or belt pulley can
be prevented.
Direct drives
Drive trains in which the drive and load unit
extend along a single axis are referred to as
direct drives. Depending on the setup and
specification, the drive and load units are posi-
tioned on a single axis (Fig. 21). Disengage-
04.12.2014 09:43:46
 34 Fields of application
Fig. 21: ment torque, torsional rigidity and misalign-
Direct drive applica- ment compensation between drive and load
tion example (motor
must be considered when selecting a suitable
– coupling – spindle)
safety coupling for this type of drive. Mis-
alignment between the drive and load sides, as
a consequence of construction and assembly
tolerances, occurs in almost all applications.
These misalignments are natural results of me-
chanical tolerances between the components
being connected as well as external influences
which affect the drive train such as tempera-
ture or wear. A distinction is generally made
between three types of misalignment.
Axial misalign- The first misalignment type is axial misalign-
ment ment (Fig. 22). This is a change in length
occurring in the mostly metallic materials of
Fig. 22:
Axial misalignment
R+W_2014_eng.indd 34-35
Direct drives 35
which the drive and load shafts are made.
Such length changes depend on the specific
thermal expansion coefficients of the given
materials. It defines the amount of expansion
or contraction which will result in a material
due to temperature change. Shaft length
changes due to temperature generally lie in
the range of 0.1 to 1 mm. In addition to exter-
nal influences which cause axial misalign-
ment, there are also application-specific axial
misalignment effects that may total as much
as 10 mm. However, axial misalignments are
not very critical for the coupling because cush-
ioning compensation elements made of metal
(metal bellows) or plastic (elastomer insert)
are located between the driving and the driven
hub to provide adequate elasticity.
The second misalignment type is angular Angular
misalignment (Fig. 23), typically caused by misalignment
assembly-related misalignment of the two
Fig. 23:
Angular misalign-
ment
shafts to one another. Angular misalignments
of up to 2.5° can generally be compensated
for by most standard couplings. If a greater
angular misalignment must be compensated
for, changing the number of convolutions (in
metal bellows couplings) or the Shore hard-
ness (in elastomer couplings) can increase the
coupling’s compensation angle many times
over. Unlike axial misalignment, the increased
04.12.2014 09:43:46
 36 Fields of application Direct drives 37

load placed on the compensating element un-

der angular misalignment represents a signifi- Centering 1
Instrument Flange
cant additional strain on the coupling.
tripod
The most severe strain for a coupling occurs
Lateral with lateral misalignment (Fig. 24). In this
misalignment case, the two shafts are displaced parallel to Motor Spindle
each other. The compensation element (i.e.
the metal bellows or elastomer insert) is
therefore stressed by two opposing angular Motor Centering 2
a b
Fig. 24:
Lateral misalignment instrument jig and a precision dial indicator Fig. 25:
to measure the shaft’s highest and lowest Alignment of drive
and load without (a)
points when the shaft is rotated (Fig. 25a). and with (b) inter-
This allows the lateral offset between shafts mediate flange
to be assessed and subsequently corrected.
The second technique is used more frequently
for its simplicity and convenience. Here, the
drive and load frames are connected to one
another by means of an intermediate flange
misalignments. In addition to stress on the (coupling housing) (Fig. 25b). Due to the
coupling caused by restoring forces, addi- exacting fabrication tolerances for individual
tional stress is placed on bearings and other components, the two shafts typically require
components of the drive train, which also need no further adjustment.
to be taken into account in the design and lay-
out of the coupling. Standard couplings can
compensate for lateral misalignments of up
to 1 mm.
The three types of misalignment described
are almost always present in direct drives.
However, if the manufacturer’s maximum
misalignment specifications are not exceeded,
the coupling used will remain intact over its
rated service life and will not require any
regular maintenance.
Alignment There are a number of techniques for opti-
methods mally aligning shafts to one another. These
are dependent on the coupling’s given instal-
lation situation. Figure 25 shows two possible
techniques. The first technique relies on an

R+W_2014_eng.indd 36-37 04.12.2014 09:43:47

 38
Selection criteria and
characteristics
The design overhead for a drive train with
numerous different components has signifi-
Sophisticated cantly increased in recent years. Accordingly,
design the necessary design and calculations for the
layout of machine elements, e.g. couplings,
has also become increasingly sophisticated
(Fig. 26).
Physical characteristics such as torque, tor-
sional rigidity, rotational speed, spring rigid-
ity, moment of inertia, imbalance, and back-
lash play major roles in the design. Consider-
ing their importance, these characteristics
will be briefly defined below.
Torque is a vector (also called a moment) that
measures the tendency of a force to rotate an
Fig. 26:
Calculation software object about an axis. The magnitude of torque
is defined as the product of a force and the
for coupling selec-
tion and design length of the lever arm (radius).
R+W_2014_eng.indd 38-39
Selection criteria and characteristics 39
The most common unit of measure for torque
in the SI system is the newton meter (Nm); in
U.S. standard units, it is most often measured
in foot pounds (ft · lbf) (more correctly known
as ‘pound feet’, the terms pound-foot or
pound-feet being used to distinguish the unit
of torque from the unit of energy). For exam-
ple, safety couplings are primarily designed
to have a disengagement torque.
Aside from the outside diameter and corre-
sponding torque capacity, the second essen-
tial influencing factor for torque transmission
is the coupling’s torsional rigidity; the metric Torsional
unit of measure is Nm/rad. This quantity rigidity
describes the rigidity of a coupling when it is
subjected to a torsional load. If torque is too
high and the maximum torsional rigidity value
of a coupling is exceeded, the coupling’s
rigidity is no longer strong enough to transmit
the acting rotational force. The coupling is
no longer operated in Hooke’s range and
it twists.
The quantity rotational speed (unit r/min, Rotational speed
or r · min−1, formerly ‘rpm’) is a unit of fre-
quency, i.e. the number of full rotations com-
pleted in one minute around a fixed axis.
Speeds of up to 200 000 r/min can be attained
in general equipment and machine applica-
tions.
Spring rigidity is the counterforce exerted Spring rigidity
by the coupling in the case of differenti-
ated movement of the shafts in axial, angular
and lateral directions. Spring rigidity is meas-
ured in units of N/mm or Nm/°. If, for ex-
ample, the coupling’s manufacturer-specified
axial spring rigidity is 30 N/mm, the cou-
pling will exert a force of 30 N to counteract
1 mm of axial displacement. These additional
forces should always be taken into account
04.12.2014 09:43:47
 40 Selection criteria and characteristics Design techniques 41

when designing bearings or other drive train smoothly. An imbalance is caused by compo-
components. nents that are not symmetrical. The unevenly
Moment of A body’s moment of inertia describes its resist- distributed mass produces excessive centrip-
inertia ance to changes in rotary speed. Factors such etal forces that lead to vibration. This impairs
as the body’s total weight and the distance the smooth operation of the entire system.
between body mass and the axis of rotation This can be rectified by holes which are nor-
influence the moment of inertia significantly. mally drilled directly at the location of imbal-
In general, a body’s moment of inertia is ance. These ensure a uniform distribution of
reduced by a reduction of overall weight and mass around the entire component. In drive
its outside diameter. The inverse of this rela- technology, there are balance-quality grades
tionship is also valid. The moment of inertia which describe a maximum residual imbal-
is important in highly dynamic applications, ance (Fig. 27). Common metric classes are
because the drive has to generate additional G 16, G 6.3 and G 2.5, where the smaller
acceleration and deceleration torque to mani- numbers represent the better balance classes
pulate loads with larger moments of inertia. (less residual imbalance permitted).
Imbalance The imbalance of a drive train should be Zero backlash means there is no physical play Zero backlash
as low as possible in order for it to run or slack resulting from clearances in the cou-
pling which would distort motion transmis-
10 000 sion or allow coupling components to collide
5000 when changes in speed, direction of rotation
Permissible residual center of inertia extension in μm

2000
or torque take place. However, this does not
1000
preclude twist angle because individual com-
500
ponents in the drive train do have a defined
torsional rigidity and are thus always some-
200
what twisted when put under stress. Zero
G1
6

100
backlash is very important for the service life
G6

50
.3

of bearings, driving and driven machines.

G2

20
.5

10
Design techniques
G1

Safety couplings which operate on the ball- Design based on

G0
.4

2
detent principle are primarily designed for the disengage-
1
disengagement torque applications. In highly ment torque …
0.5

Fig. 27: dynamic applications, additional design con-

Diagram for 0.2
siderations for resonant frequency can be
assessing residual 0,1
10 30 50 100 200 500 1000 2000 5000 10 000 50 000 100 000 made. A design for torsional rigidity is also
imbalance based on 1/min
necessary in certain application situations.
balancing quality 0.5 1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1000 2000
1/s
(as per DIN ISO Maximum operating speed The coupling’s disengagement torque must
1940, Part 1) be greater than routine operating torque mo-

R+W_2014_eng.indd 40-41 04.12.2014 09:43:48

 42 Selection criteria and characteristics
ments incurred by the drive train, i.e. the ap-
plication’s nominal torque rating, and is to be
established by the designer or developer ac-
cording to the field of application. Before es-
tablishing disengagement torque, it is neces-
sary to determine the normal operating torque
in the drive train. In practice, a multiplication
factor of 1.5 has proven to be adequate for
accommodating acceleration moments and
other influencing factors. Thus the equation
for calculating coupling torque for the drive
train looks like this:
TKN ≥ 1.5 · TAS
TKN Required coupling torque rating in
Nm
TAS Peak torque rating of the drive sys-
tem in Nm
Peak torque TAS is usually taken from the
rating plate of the given drive mechanism. If
this information is missing, then torque can
be easily ascertained with an equation that
calculates the ratio of system power to rotary
speed. In mechanical engineering, the number
9550 is frequently used as a constant value
for converting power into Nm. For this equa-
tion, the drive unit’s power rating is in kilo-
watts, and the rotary speed in revolutions per
minute.
P This approach simulates an application
TKN ≥ 9550 · AN · 1.5
n
PAN Power of the driving side in kW
n Speed in r/min
… acceleration Another more accurate design technique is
torque … the acceleration torque method. In addition to
R+W_2014_eng.indd 42-43
Design techniques 43
angular acceleration, this method makes al-
lowances for peak torque on the driving side,
the mass distribution, and the moments of in-
ertia inherent to the driving and driven ends.
With the help of a safety factor (surge or load
factor) established according to the machine
and application, acceleration torque can be
determined using this method. Normally, a
distinction is made between three types of
load safety factors:
• SA = 1 (harmonic strain)
• SA = 2 (periodic strain)
• SA = 3–4 (non-periodic/highly dynamic
strain)
The equations below reflect these relation-
ships:
JL
TKN ≥ α · JL ≥ ·T ·S
JA + JL AS A
α Angular acceleration in rad/s2
JL Moment of inertia on the load side
in kgm2
JA Moment of inertia on the driving
side in kgm2
SA Load safety factor
The most accurate but complex assessment
of torque for the evaluation of suitable
safety couplings is the acceleration and … acceleration
load torque method (start-up under load). moment and
load moment …
which is constantly being accelerated and
decelerated under load conditions. Load
torque (peak load-side torque) is used as an
additive factor to acceleration torque. The
equation below, with differentiation of indi-
vidual quantities, describes this relation-
ship:
04.12.2014 09:43:48
 44 Selection criteria and characteristics Design techniques 45

JL If the drive and load are not linked by way

TKN ≥ α · JL + TAN ≥ · (TAS – TAN) + TAN · SA of a spindle or lead screw, but rather via a
JA + JL
timing belt drive, the following equation is
TAN Peak torque rating of the drive sys- used to calculate the incurred torque:
tem in Nm d0 · FV
TAN =
The three design methods described are based 2000
on manufacturer data for the drive and the d0 Pitch diameter of the timing pulley
load components. In addition to torque mo- in mm
ments, only moments of inertia and potential
acceleration loads are included. Another The design for resonant frequency requires … resonant
… thrust force option for assessing torque requirement is the detailed knowledge of the individual pa- frequency …
… thrust force method (Fig. 28). This method rameters. Each body and each component in
the drive train has its own natural fre-
quency. If possible, the application should
Safety coupling
not be operated at speeds near this so-called
“resonant frequency” because vibration and
Table FV
Servo motor oscillation can build up with damaging
results in this range. The resonant fre-
quency of the coupling and of the entire
Spindle
drive system can be approximated with the
following equations. A prerequisite for the
calculation is the summation of the mass
moments of inertia of the individual com-
ponents. This permits the total mass moment
Fig. 28: can be applied (depending on the design of of inertia to be determined. The torsional
Thrust force of a the drive train) to spindle screw drives as well
spindle for coupling rigidity of the entire drive train also has a
selection as to timing belt drives. big influence on oscillation. The equation
In addition to overall thrust force for the for calculating the coupling’s resonant fre-
entire unit, spindle pitch and the spindle’s quency in Hertz (Hz) is:
efficiency play important roles in the proper
design of spindle drives. The equation below
1 JA + JL
is used to calculate the applied torque: fe = · CT ·
2· π JA · JL
s · FV
TAN =
2000 · π · η The equation for calculating the natural oscil-
lation in r/min is:
s Thread pitch in mm
FV Thrust force in N
30 JA + JL
η Efficiency ne = · CT ·
π Pi π JA · JL

R+W_2014_eng.indd 44-45 04.12.2014 09:43:48

 46 Selection criteria and characteristics
fe Resonant frequency of the system in Hz
CT Torsional rigidity of the coupling in
Nm/rad
ne Natural oscillation term of the system
in r/min
… or torsional As mentioned above, the torsional rigidity of
rigidity the entire system plays an essential role in
the design and construction of machinery.
Whether a machine is designed to be rigid
or damping depends on the respective appli-
cation. The rigidity of all individual compo-
nents, including the coupling, should always
be taken into account. In theory, it is said that
a body twists by a defined angle if it is sub-
jected to a certain load (torque). The degree
of twist depends on the rigidity of the body
(countering the torque). This relation is ex-
pressed by the following equation:
180 TAS
ϕ= · coupling is determined by several other fac-
π CT
ϕ Angle of twist in °
An influencing factor that must also be
Additional considered in the case of all aforemen-
factor: tioned design methods is the applied speed.
applied speed The maximum permissible speed of a
safety coupling is limited depending on the
coupling size, type of clutch, and engage-
ment state. A distinction should be made
between the permissible speed during dis-
engagement of the coupling and the per-
missible speed in the engaged state. In
the engaged state, the maximum operating
speed depends primarily on the imbalance
of the coupling and can therefore be in-
creased by counterbalancing the coupling
R+W_2014_eng.indd 46-47
Design techniques 47
(Fig. 29). Most manufacturers offer balancing Fig. 29:
grades up to G 2.5. Balancing of a
precision coupling
By contrast, the maximum permissible rota-
tional speed during disengagement of a safety
tors. Because a coupling with automatic re-
engagement will repeatedly engage and dis-
engage until the torque is reduced below the
set limit, its operation at high speeds results
in very rapid component wear. Even with in-
tegrated emergency cutoff, larger load inertias
requiring more time to coast to a stop can still
cause damage to the coupling. The use of an
additional load brake to stop the drive line
quickly is one approach to this problem. To
prevent the need for this, full disengagement Full disengage-
safety couplings are recommended, because ment safety
they completely disconnect the driving and couplings
driven sides of the coupling upon overload,
allowing the inertial loads to run out inde-
pendently without resulting in damage.
Other aspects of the disengagement behavior
must also be considered. When a shaft locks
04.12.2014 09:43:48
 48 Selection criteria and characteristics
up, the detent balls within the coupling move
through the actuation path in the axial direc-
tion. Because this movement is completed
within fractions of a second, depending on
the speed, the balls can be subjected to high
acceleration loads. If the acceleration turns
out to be too great, the actuation ring can be
damaged, and in extreme cases, broken apart
by the balls. Damage can also occur in the ra-
dial direction because in the engaged state,
the balls have a greater contact surface area
against the mounting flange than in the disen-
gaged state. If the contact surface area in the
engaged state is sufficient to absorb the cen-
trifugal force acting on the balls, the resulting
reduction in surface area when the coupling
disengages can cause the surface pressure to
exceed the material limits of the base ele-
ment. This can cause the holes in which the
detent balls are located to expand in the radial
direction, which can result in fracturing at
those points. The radial positioning of the de-
tent balls is therefore no longer ensured, thus
eliminating the functionality of the safety
coupling. Several measures can be taken to
Remedies provide a remedy in this case. New materials
with better mechanical properties to with-
stand these stresses can be used for the base
element. Force absorption can also be im-
proved through changes in geometry or the
size of the detent balls. This results in a
reduction of the accelerated masses and a
decrease of the resulting stresses.
Because the permissible rotational speed in
the engaged state is driven by factors other
than those which determine the permissible
rotational speed at which a safety coupling
Two different can be disengaged, it is frequently the case
allowable speeds that a coupling has two different permissible
R+W_2014_eng.indd 48-49
Behavior and characteristics 49
speeds: the permissible operating speed and
the permissible disengagement speed. The
maximum operating speed usually exceeds
the maximum disengagement speed. This
characteristic of the ball-detent principle ben-
efits a wide variety of applications, because
electric motors supply their maximum torque
at lower rotational speeds, and their torque
production decreases in proportion to an
increase in rotational speed. This means that
when run near their limits for speed, ball-
detent couplings can still protect against over-
loads that occur at low rotational speeds and
in the same application can be run at higher
speeds.
In order to properly select a safety coupling
by disengagement torque, resonant frequen-
cy, and torsional rigidity, while also taking
into account the applied rotational speeds,
it is normally prudent to consult with the cou-
pling manufacturer. Manufacturers with many
years of experience in the design of couplings
can help ensure proper dimensioning of
safety couplings in a wide variety of fields
and applications. In recent years, more estab-
lished manufacturers have also been able
to work increasingly with design software
and load simulations developed in-house, so
development work can be substantially accel-
erated.
Behavior and characteristics
Safety couplings employed in today’s ma-
chines and equipment must generally exhibit
two key behavior patterns.
• When an overload occurs, separation of the
drive and load sides should take place Requirements
within a few milliseconds in order to pro-
04.12.2014 09:43:49
 50 Selection criteria and characteristics
tect the entire drive train. In essence, the
quicker a coupling is able to disengage, the
lower the consequential costs will be as a
result of damage to the machine.
• After the safety coupling has disengaged,
residual friction should be low; this pre-
vents coupled components from becoming
further accelerated by the driving inertia.
The less residual friction the coupling ex-
hibits, the lower the strain will be for the
drive and load components after disengage-
ment.
Both safety requirements are fulfilled by
using a specially designed high-performance
disc spring. In Figure 30, the diagram depicts
actuation time in milliseconds on the x axis
and the torque of the drive unit in newton
meters on the y axis. The area in the diagram
marked red is a function of the disengage-
Fig. 30:
Safety coupling ment speed characteristic and the torque pre-
disengagement sent in the drive train. If conventional disc
behavior springs are used rather than high-performance
Torque in Nm
without safety coupling
with conventional
disc springs
Preset
disengagement
torque
with high-performance
disc springs
0 10 40 Actuation time in ms
R+W_2014_eng.indd 50-51
Behavior and characteristics 51
disc springs, the coupling will react more
slowly to an overload condition. The separa-
tion of drive and load takes place several
milliseconds later. Aside from the springs,
another factor which influences disengage-
ment speed is the mass of the components Component
which must be accelerated in axial direction mass factor
in order to accomplish disengagement. An
example of this is the actuation ring. The
actuation ring should be as light-weight as
possible so it can be accelerated quickly.
The area marked in red in the diagram
describes the work which must be done dur-
ing a disengagement process. The larger this
diagram area is, the more energy will be re-
leased, which will have to be dissipated from
the drive train. Safety couplings with high-
performance springs exhibit optimal disen-
gagement behavior and therefore release
much less thermal energy. This is illustrated
by the correspondingly smaller area in the
diagram.
A special disc spring characteristic is respon-
sible for the safety coupling’s continuous ad-
justment range and low residual friction at
separation. The disc spring is not used in its
progressive characteristic, as is the common Utilization of
practice, but rather in its digressive character- the digressive
istic (refer to the section ”Spring loaded, characteristic
ball-detent couplings,” pages 8 ff.). Since all
safety couplings must be monitored by way
of inductive proximity or limit switches, ball-
detent torque limiters send an external signal
upon overload based on the axial position of
the actuation ring. The “actuation path” for
this ring (the distance across which it moves)
should be as great as possible so that it oper-
ates reliably even with a build-up of dirt and
contaminants. This requirement is fulfilled
04.12.2014 09:43:49
 52 Selection criteria and characteristics
optimally because of the spring’s digressive
characteristic and the small amount of spring
force when the disc spring is compressed.
Depending on coupling size and applied
torque, an actuation path of 0.7 to 3 mm can
be achieved. Thus reliable protection of the
equipment or machine is provided by limit
switch detection.
Automatic re-engagement
Depending on the drive system’s motion
profile, one of various different re-engage-
Four function ment designs can be employed. With any of
systems the four safety coupling function systems de-
scribed below, it is imperative that re-engage-
ment take place only at low or zero speed.
This prerequisite is necessary because the
equipment’s mass moments of inertia must
once again be accelerated by the coupling
Fig. 31:
upon return to normal operation. One design
Automatic re- type provides automatic re-engagement. This
engagement for
quick resumption type of coupling will automatically re-engage
of operation at a predefined angle once the overload has
Actuation path
Disengaged Engaged
R+W_2014_eng.indd 52-53
Automatic re-engagement 53
been removed. This guarantees precise timing
and relative positional accuracy of the drive
and driven components. Various approaches
are taken, depending on whether spring
loaded ball-detent couplings or ball-detent
modules are being used.
In the case of ball-detent couplings, this prin-
ciple is made possible by utilizing the spring
in its zero range. The spring is almost in its
over-center state in this range. Very little axial
force is required to press the balls back into
their detents. Automatic re-engagement (Fig.
31) can be practically implemented in appli-
cations having rotational speeds of up to
about 3000 r/min.
The specially arranged pattern of detents in Single-position
the single-position design of automatic re- design
engagement safety couplings permits the cou-
Fig. 32:
Single-position
re-engagement after
exactly 360°
pling to re-engage only at an exact return to
the 360° point (Fig. 32). The balls and detents
in the base element are configured so that the
coupling again operates wear-free and reli-
04.12.2014 09:43:49
 54 Selection criteria and characteristics
ably after re-engagement. This principle en-
sures absolute synchronization of the drive
train. Once the overload is cleared, there is no
longer a need for time-consuming readjust-
ment of the equipment. This allows costly
down-time to be avoided.
Multi-position The multi-position design (Fig. 33) also oper-
design ates on the automatic re-engagement princi-
ple. The difference between this coupling and
the single-position coupling lies in the pattern
of detents positioned at symmetrical points
around the entire base element. Standard
re-engagement patterns are available for 30°,
Fig. 33:
Multi-position
torque limiter with
re-engagement after
45°, 60°, 90° or 120°
45°, 60°, 90° or 120°. Since the detent pattern
is drilled individually for every coupling, cus-
tom requirements at any re-engagement angle
which results in an integer when divided into
a complete revolution (360° re-engagement
angle = integer quotient). The multi-position
coupling can be used in slowly rotating appli-
cations or applications which perform exclu-
R+W_2014_eng.indd 54-55
Automatic re-engagement 55
sively oscillating movements (motion with re-
versing action at an angle below 360°, for ex-
ample 180°). Like the single-position design,
the multi-position coupling re-engages auto-
matically after the overload has been cleared.
This allows for immediate availability of the
machine after overload.
A third variation for automatic reengaging
couplings is the load-holding/load-blocking Load holding
version (Fig. 34). Couplings of this type are version
only used as a mechanical actuation compo-
nent in the drive train. If an overload occurs,
the balls will be pushed out of their detents,
Fig. 34:
Torque limiter version
to hold a load
however, internal teeth in the coupling will
prevent them from rotating freely. The two
coupling sections exhibit an offset angle of
about 4°. The balls remain on the rims of
their detent recesses. This permits automatic
re-engagement after the overload has been
cleared. The offset angle for the disengaged
state can be made larger as needed. The cou-
04.12.2014 09:43:49
 56 Selection criteria and characteristics
pling disengages, turns by the predefined off-
set angle, and must be returned to the original
position (zero offset) in order to re-engage.
Safety couplings in the load-holding design
are used in applications where a load must be
secured despite the coupling being in its dis-
engaged condition, e.g. hoist equipment.
The automatic re-engagement of ball-detent
modules occurs in different ways depending
on the design. The first version operates simi-
larly to standard ball-detent couplings. Here,
the blocking segments are eliminated (Fig.
35). As a result, the plunger is not held firmly
in the ball-detent safety element after the dis-
Detent segment Disc spring assembly
Plunger
Fig. 35: engagement. The spring force continues to act
Automatic re-engage- directly on the ball and on the running sur-
ment ball-detent
safety element in face of the mounting flange. If the coupling
engaged (left) and halves are located in the correct position with
disengaged (right) respect to each other, all segments automati-
states cally re-engage. Because the components are
subjected to relatively large loads from the
continuously acting spring force, an immedi-
ate stoppage of the entire drive train is recom-
mended when the coupling is disengaged.
Suitable for Otherwise, the service life of the coupling
low speeds could be severely reduced. This is also the
reason why this version is suitable only for
R+W_2014_eng.indd 56-57
Automatic re-engagement 57
applications with very low rotational speeds.
The angular distance until re-engagement is
determined by the arrangement and number Determining the
of modules; typically 40° or 120°. Just like angular spacing
traditional ball-detent couplings, ball-detent
module couplings in the load-holding design
are produced with an automatic re-engage-
ment function. When the coupling disen-
gages, the coupling halves turn only a few
degrees with respect to each other before
interior teeth prevent further rotation. If the
applied torque drops below the disengage-
ment torque setting, the coupling re-engages
automatically. This is because the balls never
completely leave the detent segments.
Another ball-detent module version offers
automatic, single-position re-engagement
(Fig. 36). In the event of a disengagement, the
plunger and ball are held in the disengaged
position. Torque transmission is therefore
Fig. 36:
Ball-detent safety
element torque
limiter with fully
disengaging function
and automatic
re-engagement
04.12.2014 09:43:50
 58 Selection criteria and characteristics
completely interrupted. The rotation of the
drive train inertias can be allowed to run out
without any braking being necessary. After
the coupling has been brought to a standstill
and the cause(s) of the malfunction corrected,
the coupling can be re-engaged. To do this,
the coupling is to be started slowly, at ap-
Reversal to proximately 1 r/min, in reverse to the direc-
re-engage tion of rotation from which the coupling dis-
engaged. When the coupling halves reach
their original engagement position, all mod-
ules automatically re-engage. This version
combines the advantages of a fully disengag-
ing coupling with the advantages of auto-
matic re-engagement. Torque transmission by
the coupling is completely interrupted after
disengagement, but at the same time, no direct
access to the coupling is necessary in order to
bring it back into engagement.
In this version, the function of the locking
segments is performed by a closed hydraulic
Two-chamber system. This works with two chambers that
system are connected to each other in the engaged
state (Fig. 37a). The majority of the hydrau-
lic fluid is held in the upper chamber when
the coupling is in its engaged state. If the
coupling disengages, the fluid is forced
through a one-way valve plate and is held in
the lower chamber (Fig. 37b). Because of
the one-way valve plate, the fluid cannot
flow back into the upper chamber. The
plunger is thus held in position and does not
automatically re-engage. If the coupling is
then slowly turned in reverse, when the
correct position is reached, a valve in the
hydraulic system is opened via a small cam
mechanism. The opening of the valve re-
stores the equalization of the two chambers
with each other. Because the force of the
R+W_2014_eng.indd 58-59
Full disengagement design 59
a b
Chamber 1
Chamber 2
Valve Valve
open closed
disc springs continues to act on the plunger, Fig. 37:
Releasing ball-detent
it is pressed back down once the fluid is re-
safety element with
leased from the lower chamber. When this automatic re-engage-
happens, the oil flows back into the upper ment at synchronous
chamber. The cam mechanism which opens angular intervals
a) Engaged
the valve is located at a position along the
b) Disengaged
perimeter of the coupling. This opening at
just one specific position on the coupling
ensures a single-position re-engagement. A
positive side effect of this design is that the
mechanically stressed locking segments are
eliminated and the modules are thus even
less susceptible to wear.
For monitoring the actuation state, an actua-
tion disc, the position of which can be
checked with a proximity or limit switch, is
installed on all automatically re-engaging
designs.
Full disengagement design
As is the case with automatic re-engagement
versions, there is also a difference between
spring loaded, ball-detent couplings and ball-
detent module couplings when it comes to
full disengagement versions.
Whereas applications with speeds of up to
3000 r/min are served well by automatically
re-engaging ball-detent safety couplings, with
04.12.2014 09:43:51
 60 Selection criteria and characteristics Full disengagement design 61

at least one re-engagement point per revolu-
tion, another functional principle is needed for
applications where speeds exceed 3000 r/min.
Here, the full disengagement design can be
employed. In contrast to the previously de-
scribed automatic re-engagement designs,
here the disc spring flips completely over
Fig. 38:
center when an overload condition occurs
a) Conceptual
illustration for (Fig. 38a). In virtually all sizes, barely meas-
disc springs in urable residual friction is produced subse-
engaged and quent to disengagement. This allows rotating
disengaged states masses on both the drive and driven sides of
b) Safety coupling
re-engagement the coupling to run out freely. When the over-
by way of axial load has been cleared, re-engagement can be
pressure accomplished by using a lever (Fig. 38b).
Figure 39 shows an example of the full-disen-
gagement-type safety coupling.
For rotary speeds up to 10 000 r/min, and
higher speeds for smaller sizes, full dis-
engagement safety couplings do not need to
be balanced. This makes multi-position re-
Fig. 39:
Full disengagement
design allows free
deceleration of
rotating masses.

a
Limit switch Actuation path

Spring
Spring (reversed)

Dis-
Engaged
engaged engagement possible after, for example, a Balancing for
60° turn. Where speeds significantly exceed more than
10 000 r/min, as is often the case in test 10 000 r/min
stands, fine balancing of the coupling is
b
Free turning of
necessary. Finely balanced couplings require
adjustment nut a 360° turn before re-engagement, to ensure
that the balance is maintained. If re-engage-
Compressive force
ment were made possible at additional rota-
tional increments, the distribution of mass
would be unbalanced across the coupling. In
applications where high-speed disengagement
can occur, the coupling is most often en-
Lever or closed in a housing or behind a guard.
screwdriver
The full disengagement system used in stand-
ard ball-detent safety couplings cannot be
used for the safety element module design,

R+W_2014_eng.indd 60-61 04.12.2014 09:43:51

 62 Selection criteria and characteristics Full disengagement design 63

because the complete over center of the disc

springs is only possible in the digressive
Release prin- range of the spring characteristic. By contrast, a b c
ciple of ball-de- the spring assemblies in the ball-detent safety
Plunger
tent safety ele- elements use the progressive characteristic
ment modules range, and must be used in conjunction with Locking Disc spring
assembly
locking segments to achieve a full disengage- segment
ment. In the engaged state, the locking seg-
ments rest against the inclined surfaces of the
plunger and transmit the spring load force
along that surface (Fig. 40a). If the ball-
detent safety element is overloaded, the locking
segments spread out around the larger diam- Nevertheless, the use of a full disengagement Fig. 40:
eter section of the plunger as it retracts into ball-detent module coupling is also recom- Release function
the housing. The spring force and tapered mended for substantially lower speeds, be- of a ball-detent
contact surfaces press the locking segments safety element
cause in the high-load range, larger rotating a) Engaged position
inward around the plunger, holding it in the masses and component loads can result in b) Freewheeling
disengaged position (Fig. 40b). heavy wear at an earlier stage. The fully dis- c) Re-engagement
For re-engagement, the coupling halves are engaging design of safety element couplings procedure with
first rotated into one of the engagement posi- mallet
can likewise be monitored via an actuation
tions for resuming operation (every 40° or plate and proximity switch, and in this way
every 120°). Each ball-detent safety element provide a signal for the automatic shut-off of
is then re-engaged through the application of the drive system in the event of an overload.
Re-engagement force to the back side of the plunger. This can Regardless of the method used, it should be Automatic
tools be done with a rubber mallet (Fig. 40c), with ensured that an automatic emergency shut-off emergency
a pry bar, using the recess on the shaft hub of is always integrated when the coupling disen- shut-off
the coupling, or with a re-engagement tool gages.
(see chapter “Safety coupling accessories”,
p. 82 ff.). With the use of a special actuation
plate, simultaneous re-engagement of all the
ball-detent safety elements can be performed
with a pry bar. When all the ball-detent safety
elements are re-engaged, the coupling is once
again operational, and can transmit full
torque.
As with standard ball-detent safety couplings
with a full disengagement feature, fully dis-
engaging safety element module couplings
are suitable for higher rotational speeds.

R+W_2014_eng.indd 62-63 04.12.2014 09:43:51

 64
Safety coupling types
As described in the introduction, safety cou-
plings are used to protect the machine in the
event of a malfunction, thus eliminating high
downtime and repair costs. This is why they
are being increasingly employed in general
mechanical engineering and machine design.
Depending on the application and the specific
characteristics of the entire drive train, safety
couplings need to be very flexible in their
configuration, and suitable for easy adapta-
tion to the required parameters of the individ-
Five classes ual application. They can be generally sub-
divided into five classes.
Rigid safety couplings
Rigid safety couplings are used in indirect
drive systems. In this situation the entire drive
Fig. 41:
Safety coupling be- train is not positioned along a common axis.
tween a servo motor The torque produced on the motor or gearbox
and a belt pulley shaft (driving side) is transmitted by a belt or
R+W_2014_eng.indd 64-65
Rigid safety couplings 65
chain sprocket to the load side. Timing belt
pulleys and chain sprockets are usually fas-
Use in indirect
drives
tened directly onto the motor or gearbox shaft
with positive force clamping elements. If it is
necessary to protect the drive train with a
safety coupling, space requirements generally
dictate that the safety coupling be attached to
the shaft by tensioning elements such as
clamping hubs or conical clamps (Fig. 41).
Safety element module couplings are also
frequently provided with a keyway connec-
tion for high-load machinery (Fig. 42). The
timing belt pulley or chain sprocket is then at-
tached directly to the load side of the safety
Fig. 42:
Rigid ball-detent
safety element torque
limiter for indirect
drive systems
coupling. Thus the coupling’s disengagement
mechanism is located directly on the primary
drive where it can reliably protect the ma-
chine.
Rigid safety couplings have no misalignment
compensation elements such as a metal bel-
lows or elastomer insert. Thus in cases where
the sprocket or pulley is supported by an ex-
04.12.2014 09:43:52
 66 Safety coupling types
ternal bearing, the otherwise necessary inter-
nal bearings can be left out of the safety cou-
pling. To a certain extent, the transverse forces
exerted by belt tension can be disregarded in
those cases (depending on the coupling’s
size). Another advantage of the lack of a
compensating element is that virtually no
twist occurs within the safety coupling, thus
eliminating transmission error.
Torsionally rigid safety couplings
Torsionally rigid safety couplings are gener-
ally used between two shafts, journals, or
flanges, and exhibit a very high resistance to
twisting. They can be subdivided into two
groups.
Single-piece The first group consists of single-piece, tor-
couplings sionally rigid safety couplings. The coupling
has two hubs for attachment to the shafts, the
safety component, and a stainless steel bel-
lows (Fig. 43). The stainless steel metal bel-
Fig. 43: lows fulfills two functions in the drive train.
Single-piece torsion-
ally rigid safety It transmits rotary motion and it compensates
coupling for shaft misalignments. This compensation
R+W_2014_eng.indd 66-67
Torsionally rigid safety couplings 67
function plays an important role in the entire
drive train. If torque were to be transmitted
between the two shafts over a rigid connec-
tion, the restoring forces caused by misalign-
ment could be too great and lead to bearing
damage. The metal bellows is, within the Metal bellows
group of torsionally rigid safety couplings, couplings
one of the few compensating elements ca-
pable of compensating for all three types
of misalignment (axial, angular and lateral)
simultaneously. Angular misalignment of up
to 2° and lateral misalignment of up to 1 mm
can be compensated for in standard configu-
rations. These compensation limits can be in-
creased by employing additional convolutions
in the bellows. For example, metal bellows
with as many as 20 convolutions can be fabri-
cated for customized solutions.
At the high torque levels at which the safety-
element design is used, in addition to metal
bellows couplings, either steel disc pack cou-
plings or flexible gear couplings are com-
bined with the safety component.
Steel disc pack couplings (Fig. 44) ensure a Steel disc pack
torsionally rigid torque transmission and are couplings
backlash- and maintenance-free. As a rule,
they include two hubs, usually connected to
the shafts via a keyway connection. Other
hub varieties include conical clamping sys-
tems, shrink discs, and flange hubs. Depend-
ing on the requirement, the couplings consist
of one or two disc pack assemblies. When
two assemblies are used, an intermediate
spacer is necessary. For torsionally rigid ball-
detent safety element couplings, the design
with two disc pack assemblies and an inter-
mediate spacer is typically used. The discs
are made of spring steel with a precisely de-
fined geometry. By changing the number of
04.12.2014 09:43:53
 68 Safety coupling types
Fig. 44:
Torsionally rigid
ball-detent safety
coupling with
flexible disc packs
Number of discs in the assembly, the properties of the
spring discs entire coupling can be affected. The disc pack
affects proper- assembly is fastened to the hub with bolts
ties through every second hole. Depending on
whether one or two disc packs will be used,
either the second hub or the intermediate
spacer is then bolted to the disc pack assem-
bly through the remaining set of holes. The
bolted connection provides backlash-free
torque transmission from the first hub to the
disc pack assembly, and on to the second hub.
Through the individual layering of the discs,
the coupling can compensate for angular as
well as axial shaft misalignment. The use of
two assemblies makes it possible to compen-
sate for lateral misalignment. In the design
with two disc pack assemblies, the coupling
compensates for axial shaft misalignment of
up to 3 mm and angular shaft misalignment
of up to 1°. The lateral shaft misalignment
that can be compensated for with this kind of
coupling depends on the length of the inter-
mediate spacer, and can be within the range
of several millimeters. Because the coupling
is made completely of steel, it is also suitable
for high temperatures.
R+W_2014_eng.indd 68-69
Torsionally rigid safety couplings 69
Fig. 45:
Torsionally rigid
ball-detent safety
coupling with
flexible gear set
Flexible gear couplings (Fig. 45) also provide Flexible gear
torsionally rigid torque transmission. The couplings
low-wear mode of operation for these cou-
plings allows extensive maintenance intervals
and ensures a long service life. The coupling
is constructed of two hubs with curved exter-
nal teeth, joined together via an intermediate
flange with straight internal teeth. The shafts
are mounted to the hubs via keyway connec-
tions or shrink-fit connections. Due to the
curved teeth of the hubs and the straight teeth
of the intermediate flange, the hubs can be
tilted within the intermediate flange. As a re-
sult, the coupling is capable of compensating
for angular misalignment of up to 1.2° and
lateral misalignment of up to 10 mm. The ex-
tended length of the teeth in the intermediate
flange also makes it possible for the coupling
to compensate for axial shaft misalignment of
up to 8 mm. Because the components do not
deform in this coupling when misaligned, but
instead simply change their relative position-
ing, only very low restoring forces result. The
teeth are lubricated with grease to reduce fric-
tion and wear, and an O-ring prevents the
grease from escaping to the outside of the
04.12.2014 09:43:53
 70 Safety coupling types
gear set. In order to enable uniform lubri-
cation, a certain shaft offset is necessary to
spread the grease across the teeth. Without
this shaft offset, wear increases and the ser-
vice life of the coupling is reduced. However,
through a special concave tooth geometry, it
can be ensured that optimum lubrication is
achieved even at a very small level of shaft
misalignment.
Various methods are used for connections of
the overload safety components to the mis-
alignment compensation components (metal
bellows, disc packs, gear teeth, etc.). The
connections between hubs, the safety compo-
nent, and the stainless steel metal bellows is
Adhesive made with a double-sided adhesive for units
or welded with nominal torque ratings of up to 500 Nm,
connection and by welding for nominal torque ratings
over 500 Nm. The final assembly for all tor-
sionally rigid safety couplings is performed
on special arbors to ensure good concentricity
and smooth operation. This manufacturing
procedure minimizes restoring forces (in-
curred during installed operation) that act on
the machine’s bearings, helping to extend
maintenance intervals. The hubs are fabri-
cated from high-strength aluminum, steel or
stainless steel (Fig. 46). These materials can
be additionally nickel-plated, chrome-plated,
nitro-carburized or anodized.
With safety element couplings, whether
torsionally rigid or vibration damping, the
Flange misalignment compensation components are
mounting mounted to the output plate of the torque lim-
iter via flange connections. This provides ad-
vantages in the handling and transport of the
coupling assembly because the safety compo-
nent can be separated from the misalignment
compensation component if necessary, which
R+W_2014_eng.indd 70-71
Torsionally rigid safety couplings 71
Fig. 46:
Single-piece safety
coupling with stain-
less steel corrosion
protection
can be a major benefit in the case of heavy
load items. In the standard versions, all parts
of the safety components are nitro-carburized,
which provides some corrosion resistance.
The misalignment compensation parts in the
case of disc pack couplings are made of steel
or, in the case of flexible gear couplings, of
burnished steel, which also offers a certain
corrosion resistance. Other designs with
stainless steel components, chemical or elec-
trolytic coatings or paints are also available to
achieve the required corrosion protection in
each case.
With single-piece torsionally rigid safety cou-
plings, the overload safety component and the
misalignment compensation element are sol-
idly connected to each other during delivery
and operation of the coupling. This connec-
tion cannot be separated in the case of stand-
ard-size ball-detent safety couplings, and in
the case of safety element couplings, can only
be separated by loosening the flange bolts
when the coupling is off the machine. Single-
piece torsionally rigid safety couplings are
available to cover a torque range from 0.01 to
165 000 Nm and a shaft diameter range from
3 to 290 mm.
04.12.2014 09:43:54
 72 Safety coupling types
Blind mate The second group of torsionally rigid safety
couplings couplings features an additional “blind mate”
function. “Blind mate” couplings are well
suited for complex, difficult-to-access installa-
tions. The coupling’s two sections can be at-
tached to their respective shafts in advance of
assembly without requiring access holes for
the coupling hubs’ clamping screws. Disas-
sembly can be performed without the need to
peer into wrench access holes and adjust the
coupling to reach the screw positions. The
coupling’s two sections can simply be pulled
apart without loosening screws. This allows
the time required for assembly and disassem-
bly to be reduced by as much as 80% in com-
parison with single-piece safety couplings.
The male segment which joins the two cou-
pling halves together is made of a special
High- high-performance thermoplastic with a com-
performance position that is well suited to the highest
thermoplastic mechanical, chemical and thermal stresses.
When 40% fiberglass is added to this plastic,
strength ratings comparable to those of steel
can be achieved.
The principle of “blind mate” safety cou-
plings utilizes the axial spring effect of the
Axial preloading metal bellows to preload the tapered male
of the coupling segment axially into a matching socket (Fig.
segments 47). The male segment is formed with self-
centering lobe projections that can be press-
fitted into corresponding recesses in the coni-
cal socket of the opposite coupling half. As
little as 0.2 mm of axial preload on the metal
bellows ensures absolutely backlash-free
torque transmission. The self-aligning seg-
ment guarantees wear- and maintenance-free
operation. The combination of the bellows
element and the fiberglass-reinforced plastic
male segment ensures the coupling’s torsional
R+W_2014_eng.indd 72-73
Vibration damping safety couplings 73
rigidity. This configuration is also electrically Fig. 47:
isolating and somewhat vibration damping. Press-fit, zero-back-
lash safety coupling
Particularly for high temperatures, “blind
mate” bellows couplings are also available
with all components made of steel. With this
coupling design, continuous backlash-free
torque transmission is ensured by a special
geometry for the male segment and the fe-
male receptacle.
“Blind mate” safety couplings can cover
torques ranging from 0.1 to 1500 Nm and bore
diameters ranging from 3 to 80 mm. Clamp-
ing hubs with tangential screws (conforming
to ISO 4762) or axially mounted tapered
clamping hubs offer a highly secure means of
attachment for the coupling halves to their
respective shafts.
Vibration damping safety
couplings
In this section, traditional ball-detent safety
couplings will be presented first, followed by
safety element couplings.
Vibration damping ball-detent safety cou-
plings are fitted with an elastomer insert Elastomer insert
made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). of TPU
04.12.2014 09:43:54
 74 Safety coupling types
This insert is located between the overload
safety component and the other coupling half,
and damps incurred drive vibrations (Fig. 48).
Because of the spring-like elastic properties
of this elastomer insert, this coupling type is
capable of compensating for axial misalign-
ment, oscillations and impacts. The lobes on
each face of the elastomer insert also en-
Torque limiting component Clamping hub
Lug
Elastomer insert
Fig. 48: sure good electrical insulation from one end
Vibration damping to the other.
safety coupling
This coupling’s damping is effective in equip-
ment subject to frequent impacts, reversals or
oscillation stresses. It has a positive effect on
the service life of attached machine parts –
but only to the extent that the coupling ele-
True running ments are afforded sufficient concentricity.
This is particularly true of the positioning of
the insert lobes to the axis of rotation. Inaccu-
rately fabricated hubs exhibit poorer concen-
tricity characteristics and produce transverse
forces that act on the rotary axes.
R+W_2014_eng.indd 74-75
Vibration damping safety couplings 75
An elastomer insert with low damping capa-
bility is appropriate where there are only
minor oscillations or slight impact stresses
(high torsional stiffness); an elastomer insert
with high damping capability (low torsional
stiffness) is appropriate for equipment in
which there are strong oscillations or pro-
nounced impact stresses. The elastomer
hardness is rated according to the Shore
hardness scale for all elastic materials.
There are two different test procedures for
hardness classification. Both procedures
measure the penetration of a foreign object
into a test specimen, the Shore-A test proce-
dure uses a ball; the Shore-D test procedure
uses a pointed object. “Soft” elastomer is
measured with the Shore-A test, and “hard”
elastomer is measured with the Shore-D test.
Two materials are used for the elastomer in- Two materials
serts. One material used is thermoplastic
polyurethane, considered to be the standard
insert material. It is suitable for a tempera-
ture range from –30 to +120°C, which is
sufficient to handle the vast majority of
coupling applications. Otherwise, Hytrel® is
used. This material has a special composi-
tion that is advantageous for use in applica-
tions where temperatures fluctuate severely
(–60 to +150°C). The Shore hardness ratings
98 Sh A, 64 Sh D and 80 Sh A are the stand- Shore hardness
ard values applicable to general machine and
equipment engineering.
Through a sort of artificial “pre-aging”, in-
jection-molded elastomer inserts are very
precisely calibrated to ensure a good fit Artificial
within the coupling hubs. “This leads to a pre-aging
larger contact surface between the insert and
jaws so the torque load on the insert is no
longer concentrated on a certain point, but is
04.12.2014 09:43:55
 76 Safety coupling types
distributed over a larger area (…). Thus, the
insert is stressed less (low degree of wear),
and the service life of the coupling is in-
creased.” (from: Wolf, Tobias; Rimpel, An-
dreas; Wöber, Michael: Precision Couplings
and Line Shafts. High-precision connection
elements for the power transmission and
motion industry. Die Bibliothek der Technik,
Vol. 297. Munich: sv corporate media, 2006.
p. 38)
Vibration damping heavy-duty safety cou-
plings of the safety element design use rub-
ber damping elements (Fig. 49). Instead of a
one-piece insert, the parts are constructed of
several segments in order to facilitate easier
handling. The material of the segments con-
sists of various types of rubber, the selec-
tion of which is oriented toward the require-
ments that are imposed on the coupling. The
standard design, a mixture of natural and
Insert material synthetic rubber, has very good resistance to
abrasion, a Shore hardness of 75 to 80 Sh A,
and is tolerant of ambient temperatures
from –40°C to +80°C. Two other varieties
are also offered: The first is made of syn-
thetic rubber and provides a high resistance
Fig. 49:
Vibration damping
ball-detent safety
element torque
limiter with elastic
elements
R+W_2014_eng.indd 76-77
Low-cost safety couplings 77
to mineral oils and fuels, has a Shore hard-
ness of 73 to 78 Sh A, and is tolerant of am-
bient temperatures from –40°C to +100°C.
The second, made of silicone rubber, ena-
bles operation within a large temperature
range extending from –70°C to +120°C, and
has a Shore hardness of 70 to 75 Sh A. As
with torsionally rigid safety element cou-
plings, the misalignment compensation ele-
ment is attached to the torque limiter output
by a flange connection.
Vibration damping safety couplings are suit-
able for a torque range from 2 to 160 000 Nm,
and hub bore diameters range from 3 to
290 mm. Depending on the requirements of
the application, hubs made of aluminum,
plastic, steel, cast iron or stainless steel are
used for connection to the shaft. The hub sur-
face can be enhanced though nickel-plating,
nitro-carburizing or anodizing.
Low-cost safety couplings
Low-cost safety couplings (Fig. 50) are used
primarily in applications where robust, simple
overload protection is needed and a very
economical solution must be provided. In
contrast to those coupling systems already
described, this type of coupling functions Variation of
on a variation of the ball-detent principle. the ball-detent
Preloaded disc springs exert a precisely principle
defined axial force on two overlaid rows of
balls. In its engaged state, this creates a posi-
tive force connection capable of transmitting
the coupling’s rated torque. In the event of an
overload caused by a malfunction or exces-
sive acceleration torque, the defined axial
spring force holding the rows of balls into
each other is overcome. This moves the balls
04.12.2014 09:43:55
 78 Safety coupling types Safety line shafts 79

Fig. 50: this value is generally made by the manufac-

Economy safety turer. Therefore the customer must specify the
coupling for
rotational speeds
desired disengagement torque prior to its fabri-
up to 200 r/min cation. Due to its special design (ball on ball),
this type of safety coupling operates virtually
without wear even with disengagement repeti-
tions on the order of 100 000 or more. This
coupling type thus represents a true alternative
to friction couplings or magnetic couplings in
low-cost, extended-use applications.
Fig. 52:
seated in the base element upward and out of Centering of the
Actuation path

the overlapping spaces between the balls two rows of ball

Engaged
Disengaged
Fig. 51:
Illustration of a
variation on the ball-
detent principle
Specific setting
located on the coupling’s hub (Fig. 51), caus-
ing the coupling to disengage. This condition
will remain for as long as the overload is pre-
sent. Only when the torque drops below the
corresponding setting established for axial
spring force does the coupling automatically
re-engage again.
Most safety couplings fabricated to state-of-
the-art engineering standards require a bear-
ing between the base clutch body and the
mounting flange. This bearing guides the
assembly during disengagement to prevent
motion within the coupling itself. This newer
design, however, utilizes a function principle Safety couplings in the low-cost line are cur-
which requires no bearing. The centering of rently fabricated for disengagement torques
the base element to the coupling hub is from 1 Nm to 150 Nm, and bore diameters
automatic here because the pitch diameters can be selected from a range of 6 to 38 mm.
of the ball rows differ from one another by Because of the axial motion of the coupling
several millimeters. Figure 52 shows how the during overload, a stroke path of 1 to 2 mm
two rows of balls are loaded and centered in must be taken into account for each disen-
relation to one another. gagement.
In contrast to conventional safety couplings
which have an adjustable range, safety cou-
plings made with this modified ball-detent
Safety line shafts
principle are factory-set for a specific disen- Line shafts are used to span long distances
gagement torque. A correction or change of between shafts. Conventional solutions in

R+W_2014_eng.indd 78-79 04.12.2014 09:43:55

 80 Safety coupling types Safety line shafts 81

Span longer the past often included one or more inter-

distances mediate bearing stands to support the drive
between shafts train. Today’s line shafts are fabricated to
high precision tolerances. This results in
very smooth operation such that they can
now span as much as 8 m without an inter-
mediate support.
For the user, employing precision line shafts
significantly reduces assembly time because
there is no alignment of the intermediate
support necessary; a noticeable cost savings pling in comparison to a line shaft with an in- Fig. 54:
is thus achieved. High-precision line shafts tegrated safety coupling. The photo in Figure Line shaft with
can now be equipped with an integral safety 54 depicts a line shaft with an integrated integrated safety
coupling that, in the event of an overload coupling for dis-
safety coupling. tances up to 4 m
malfunction, will quickly separate the drive
and load sides of the coupling from one
another.
Integration of the safety coupling into the line
shaft saves the user from adding a separate
assembly, which usually requires additional
Fig. 53: support elements (such as bearing stands),
Illustration of a line
shaft with separate
and substantially reduces space requirements.
(a) and integrated (b) Figure 53 schematically illustrates a conven-
safety coupling tional arrangement with separate safety cou-

1m
Pillow block bearing

a
Line shaft

1m Safety coupling
(separate)

b
Line shaft

Safety coupling
(integrated)

R+W_2014_eng.indd 80-81 04.12.2014 09:43:56

 82 Spanner wrenches 83

Safety coupling Mechanical switches act on the motion pro-

duced with a switch plunger, mounted as
Signal genera-
tion by switch
accessories closely as possible to the safety coupling’s
actuation ring (which will move axially if dis-
plunger

engagement occurs). Once the actuation func-

When an overload acts on a safety coupling
there is a positive separation between the
drive and load. The malfunction which causes
it must be detected by sensors and signaled to
the motor controller as quickly as possible.
Sensors suitable for the given coupling sizes
are generally offered by the safety coupling
suppliers.
Proximity sensors and switches
Sensors employed in conjunction with safety
couplings detect a positional change of the
Fig. 55: actuation ring and send a signal to the motor
Illustration of prin-
ciple for mechanical
controller. Actuation path detection can be
(a) and inductive (b) accomplished by either mechanical or induc-
limit switches tive switches (Fig. 55).
a b
max. 2 mm
tion has been tested (after installation), the
normally closed (NC) contacts of the switch
(switches under any condition) will open with
positive force when the safety coupling disen-
gages. The ideal switch mechanism has IP65
ingress protection, operates in an ambient
temperature range from –30 to +80°C, has a
maximum voltage rating of 500 V AC, and
can carry a maximum continuous current of
up to 10 A.
Inductive sensors (proximity switches) con-
tain a coil in the probe head which can detect
changes in a magnetic field. As soon as the
metallic actuation ring performs an axial
movement (overload situation), the magnetic Magnetic field
field at the sensor changes. The sensor then change
reports the overload to the motor controller at
a maximum switching frequency of 800 Hz.
In order for the sensor to operate reliably in
an ambient temperature range from –25 to
+70°C, its radial spacing from the safety cou-
pling’s actuation ring should be no greater
than a maximum of 2 mm. In contrast to me-
chanical limit switches, the proximity switch
(protection class IP67) operates in a voltage

range from 10 to 30 V DC and has a maxi-

mum output current of 200 mA.

Spanner wrenches
about 0.1 mm Distance
Depending on model and size, safety cou-
Actuation path plings and safety module couplings operating
on the spring loaded, ball-detent principle offer Variable adjust-
the user a continuously variable torque adjust- ment range

R+W_2014_eng.indd 82-83 04.12.2014 09:43:56

 84 Safety coupling accessories
ment range from 0.1 up to 2800 Nm or 2 to
165 kNm, across multiple body sizes. This is
usually made possible in traditional ball-detent
safety couplings by the digressive characteris-
tic of the disc springs. The maximum and
minimum torque values are explicitly en-
graved on the safety coupling torque adjust-
ment nut to make setting of disengagement
Marking of torque as simple as possible. In addition to
maximum and maximum and minimum values, the factory
minimum value preset disengagement torque is also engraved
on the nut to afford better orientation. With
ball-detent safety element couplings, marks
are also located on the scale ring in a similar
manner. However, in contrast to traditional
ball-detent safety couplings, the disc spring
assemblies employed here use a progressive
characteristic curve.
The complexity and diversity of today’s ma-
chines and equipment which are fitted with
Adaptability safety couplings demand convenient adapta-
tion to any given machine. Engineers and de-
signers specify drive and acceleration torque
based on the individual machine components
which are integrated such as servo motors,
transmissions and spindles. Adaptation of the
safety coupling is a necessity in order to ac-
complish fine-tuning of these drive elements.
These safety couplings must be able to se-
parate the equipment’s drive and load com-
ponents at the equipment’s respective limit
value (absolute maximum torque).
Adjustment of The disengagement torque can be altered for
the disengage- almost any safety coupling operating on the
ment torque spring loaded, ball-detent principle. The ad-
justment nut can be turned by simply loosen-
ing the three locking screws (set screws). Since
this nut presses directly onto the safety cou-
pling’s disc springs, a torque that is dependent
R+W_2014_eng.indd 84-85
Spanner wrenches 85
Fig. 56:
Setting or adjusting
disengagement
torque
on the size of the respective coupling must be
applied. Setting torque by way of this adjust-
ment nut is generally done with a spanner
wrench (Fig. 56). Dependent upon whether an
indirect or direct drive will be implemented,
either an engraving on the base element and
mounting flange, or a continuously visible gap
in the coupling’s clamping hub serve the pur-
pose of a reference value for setting the disen-
gagement torque. Infinitely variable torque set-
ting within a specified range is made possible
by virtue of the fine threads on the adjustment
nut. Since it is the digressive characteristic of
the safety coupling’s disc springs which is
used to establish disengagement torque, these
disc springs are not pushed to achieve greater
preload for higher disengagement torque set-
tings, but rather produce higher disengagement
torque settings when they are less stressed.
The adjustment nut must therefore be turned Turning the
counter-clockwise in order to achieve higher adjustment nut
disengagement torque. If lower disengagement
torque is to be set, then the adjustment nut
must be turned in the clockwise direction. It
should be noted that the safety coupling will
only function reliably and free of backlash
04.12.2014 09:43:56
 86 Safety coupling accessories
Fig. 57: when the adjustment nut is within the manu-
Adjusting the axial facturer’s defined torque adjustment range.
force setting of a
ball-detent safety
Depending on the design, this can be up to a
element 340° turn of the nut. Once the adjustment nut
has been turned to the desired value, it is then
locked in place by tightening the three radial
set screws. Special plastic balls between the
set screws and the fine threads serve as a
buffer to protect the threads from being dam-
aged by the screw. This permits easy and re-
peatable re-adjustment.
With safety element couplings, the adjust-
ment range can also be modified in the field.
To do this, modules are added or removed ac-
cording to whether a higher or lower adjust-
ment range is needed. To adjust the disen-
gagement torque, each ball-detent safety ele-
ment is individually set. After loosening the
four clamping screws and the locking screw
on each safety element, the adjustment nut
attached to the scale ring can be turned using
R+W_2014_eng.indd 86-87
Spanner wrenches 87
a face spanner wrench (Fig. 57). Because of
the progressive spring characteristic, the dis-
engagement force increases the more the ad-
justment nut is tightened. A fixed limit pre-
vents incorrect adjustment of the ball-detent Fixed limit
safety element beyond the maximum force. prevents over-
Fine threads in the adjustment nut allow for tightening
precision adjustment across a continuous
range. The module setting can be read on the
housing body through a notch. Once the de-
sired setting is reached, the four clamping
screws and the locking screw are re-tightened,
preventing autonomous shifting of the seg-
ment.
To reach the optimal service life of the mod- Same setting for
ules and the safety coupling mounting flange, each element
all elements should be set to the same disen-
gagement force, since uneven setting of the
elements results in uneven loading of the cou-
pling, causing the detent segments and the
bearings to wear at different rates. In the worst
case, this can result in destruction of the cou-
pling during a disengagement event. With all
torque modules set to the same value, the dis-
engagement torque can be calculated by add-
ing the disengagement force settings and multi-
plying by the radius of the segments from the
central rotational axis of the coupling.
Adjustable spanner wrench
A spanner wrench is required to adjust the
disengagement torque of traditional ball-
detent safety couplings (Fig. 58). Even though
the adjustment nuts have fine threads, a rela-
tively large amount of torque (depending on
coupling size) is necessary to move them, as
a result of the spring force.
DIN 1816 adjustable spanner wrenches are
fairly readily available, and are frequently also
04.12.2014 09:43:57
 88 Safety coupling accessories
Fig. 58: supplied by safety coupling manufacturers as
Conventional an accessory product. These wrenches have an
spanner wrench
for adjusting safety
enlarged or extended handle to permit precise,
couplings simple movement of the adjustment nut.
Face spanner wrench
To adjust the disengagement torque of safety
element couplings, face spanner wrenches are
required (Fig. 59). As is the case with the ad-
justable spanner wrench, these tools should
also be selected according to the size of the
coupling, because the torque needed to adjust
the ball-detent safety elements increases as
disengagement force increases. Manufactur-
ers typically supply these as accessory items
as well.
Fig. 59:
Face spanner wrench
for adjusting a ball-
detent safety element
R+W_2014_eng.indd 88-89
Engagement and disengagement tool 89
Actuation plate
Another accessory component for safety ele-
ment couplings is an actuation plate. This is
necessary if the coupling is to be monitored For monitoring
with a switch or sensor, in order to take the the coupling
point-by-point movement of the plungers and
carry it into a continuous circle. This move-
ment can be recorded with proximity and
limit switches, as covered previously. It also
enables the simultaneous re-engagement of
all the ball-detent safety elements.
Engagement and disengagement
tool
During maintenance or refurbishment of a
machine, it can occasionally be beneficial to
be able to freely turn the drive train in the
unloaded state or to perform a no-load test
run of the drive unit. In order to enable such a
procedure, manufacturers offer engagement
Fig. 60:
Device for manual
engagement and
disengagement of
individual ball-detent
safety elements
04.12.2014 09:43:58
 90 Safety coupling accessories
Disengagement
and disengagement tools (Fig. 60). Through
the use of these tools, the ball-detent safety
of individual element of a coupling can be individually
ball-detent disengaged without torque being applied
safety elements to the drive train. This can also simplify the
engagement operation for safety element cou-
plings in large sizes, as well as facilitate a
complete functional test of the safety cou-
pling.
R+W_2014_eng.indd 90-91
91
Prospects
“Industry 4.0” – the term stands for the fourth
industrial revolution – it outlines conceptual
guidelines that are intended to bring about
fully networked products, machines, produc-
tion centers and companies, with the ultimate
goal being the perfect information technology
connection of various companies to one an-
other.
Mechanical safety couplings can play an im-
portant role here and help to more completely
record the status of machines. Because safety
couplings are monitored with proximity
switches, they already supply information
about the operating state of the machine. Be-
cause of their positioning along critical points
of a system, the integration of additional sen- Integration
sors, e.g. for temperature or relative humidity of additional
measurements, is a possibility for safety cou- sensors
plings as well as servo couplings without an
overload safety function. In this way, the cou-
plings become sensor modules, rendering ex-
ternal sensors unnecessary. In addition, strain
gauges or load level sensors that provide in-
formation about the need for maintenance or
the wear condition can also be installed.
Because the fields of application for back-
lash-free ball-detent safety couplings have
been continually expanded by industry devel-
opments in recent years, coupling technology
can contribute in many ways to the concepts
of Industry 4.0. This expansion of possible Expansion of
uses is based mainly on the expansion of the torque
the disengagement torque ranges in which range, at the
these can be employed. With disengagement bottom …
torques starting at 0.01 Nm, it is possible to
protect very sensitive machines from overload,
thus making it possible to optimize designs of
04.12.2014 09:43:59
 92 Prospects
machines and plants, save on installation
space, and reduce wear. Because of the rapid
actuation times and the uncomplicated reset-
ting, mechanical safety couplings with torque
values in the range of hundredths of a newton
meter are highly valuable instruments. There-
fore, the application of the backlash-free ball-
detent principle stands out in areas where
only improvised protection against overloads
or no protection at all were used previously.
The advantage: Components no longer have
to be oversized or designed as predetermined
breaking points in order to enable reliable
operation.
The case is similar as disengagement torque
… and the top values are extended upward. Backlash-free
safety element couplings increase the possi-
bilities for employing the ball-detent princi-
ple far beyond the former limits. In order to
mechanically protect from overload in the
heavy-duty range, shear pin couplings have
primarily been used in the past. These cou-
plings use pins for positive-lock torque trans-
mission. In the event of an overload, these
pins shear at a predetermined breaking point,
resulting in a disengagement of the transmis-
sion. The shear torque for the coupling can be
determined with the defined cross-section of
the predetermined breaking point and the
material strength. To restore operation of the
coupling after overload, the pin remnants
must be removed, the coupling realigned, and
a new pin installed. Direct access to the cou-
pling is therefore necessary. Due to variations
in the strength of the pin material, the toler-
ance range of the disengagement torque of
these couplings is quite a bit larger (30%)
than with ball-detent couplings. Therefore,
shear pin couplings with higher safety factors
R+W_2014_eng.indd 92-93
Prospects 93
are generally used and require larger sizing in
the drive line. When restoring operation of
shear pin couplings, pins from the same batch
should be used in order to ensure minimal
variation in the disengagement torque. This is
not always feasible in practice, which can
result in relatively large variations of the dis-
engagement torque over the service life of a
coupling.
High torque, safety element couplings enable
efficient drive line design with a precision of Design
+/-5% in overload torque. Their restoration of according to
operation after overload, which is fast and re- requirement
quires no spare parts, represents a big advan-
tage over the shear pin coupling. In addition
to applications where mechanical overload
protection is already used, newly developed
ball-detent and ball-detent module couplings
also open up completely new application
areas for mechanical safety couplings. Designs
with automatic re-engagement, for example, Automatic
make it possible to equip machines with me- re-engagement
chanical overload protection in areas where
extreme difficulty of access had ruled out the
possibility of their implementation previ-
ously. However, even with a readily accessi-
ble safety coupling, designs with automatic
re-engagement enable the fastest possible re-
sumption of operation, especially in the heavy-
duty range. Every minute that can be spared
in getting the system back into operation
more quickly is of great importance, because
systems frequently operate 24 hours per day
and backlogs can no longer be made up for.
In many other areas of use, safety cou-
plings operating according to the ball-detent Expanding
principle are conceivable as an ideal mechan- range of
ical overload protection. Applications for applications
which there are currently no possibilities of
04.12.2014 09:43:59
 94 Prospects

Fig. 61:
400 000 m above
The company behind this book
Range of application sea level
areas for ball-detent
torque limiters R+W Antriebselemente GmbH
Alexander-Wiegand-Str. 8
63911 Klingenberg
Germany
Phone: +499372/9864-0
8000 m below
sea level
Fax: +499372/9864-20
www.rw-kupplungen.de

There is almost no other field where just the right amount

use will also be addressed in the future
through further developments by innovative
coupling manufacturers. Even now, the appli-
cation spectrum for ball-detent safety cou-
plings and safety element couplings ranges
from 8000 meters below sea level up to
400 000 meters above sea level.
of DRIVE is so important as in drive technology. This is
why this term is so central to our core disciplines: R+W is
Dynamic, Reliable, Innovative, Versatile and Expanding.
With wholly-owned subsidiaries in the USA, China and
Italy as well as 60 agencies in over 50 countries, R+W is
always close to its customers – wherever they may be. Our
product line of high-quality precision and safety couplings,
as well as our line shafts in lengths up to 8 meters, cover
not only current standards but go beyond with great inno-
vative potential to set new standards. R+W sets the tempo
for the entire field.
R+W has received certification from TÜV SÜD for safety
couplings in its SK, SL and ST model series. This certifi-
cation tested the couplings for wear,
functionality, accuracy and safety.
This makes safety couplings from
R+W the very first and only safety
couplings with TÜV certification.
Not only are our products reliable, but so are our partner-
ships with our customers. After all, every individual R+W
employee knows that quality is a result of his or her per-
sonal commitment, and that customer dialogue is the basis
for the work.
We are proud of every innovation with which we can
improve the efficiency and operational safety of your appli-
cations – to us that’s what it’s all about.

R+W_2014_eng.indd 94-95 04.12.2014 09:43:59

R+W_2014_eng.indd 96 04.12.2014 09:44:00