Stainless drive technology

Motor drive trains must also be protected in demanding sectors such as medical, chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage technology. All components must be easy to clean, rust-free and, if possible, heat and/or acid resistant.

ENEMAC, the drive specialist from Kleinwallstadt (Germany), has specialized in this area for over 40 years. A total of nine coupling types made of A2 or A4 stainless steels are available to the user in these demanding areas.

The manufacturer offers four different torque limiters in stainless steel, each with keyway connection for safeguarding indirect drives.

Torques from 2 to 900 Nm can be protected. The disengagement torque can be continuously adjusted for all types. They feature 360° synchronous engagement with one detent point per revolution. The coupling re-engages automatically and without disassembly/reassembly, or can be slowly restarted. On customer request, couplings with several detent points can also be supplied.

The types ECG_ES and ECR are very compact and equipped with a narrow bearing position. The ECI_ES type, on the other hand, offers a wide bearing position. The type ECE_ES is designed for flange mounting. All safety coupling variants are provided with lifetime lubrication in accordance with NSF registration and can be used between 243 K and 473 K.

Furthermore, ENEMAC offers the slipping clutch ECS_ES with narrow bearing position for use at disengagement torques up to 18,000 Nm and in a temperature range between 258 K and 363 K.

In the field of metal bellows couplings, the types EWC with easy-to-fit clamping hub and the EWR with split half-shell hub are available. Both can be used at 233 K to 623 K and cover a nominal torque range up to 1200 Nm. In order to comply with stringent hygiene regulations, the manufacturer dispenses with conventional bonding methods and joins the parts using a special micro-plasma welding process. The EWR type is also particularly suitable for systems that are difficult to access and where the input and output units are rigid or cannot be moved in the axial direction. Type EWC is available in different lengths with 2 or 4 corrugated bellows. In general, ENEMAC shaft couplings are backlash-free compensating elements for the angular transmission of torques with high torsional stiffness at low mass moment of inertia and can be used at up to 20,000 min^-1.

The EWLC is also available as a spacer coupling in hygienic design. This can be used up to 623 K and can bridge a distance of up to 3 m with an intermediate tube of variable length made of stainless steel. It is often also possible to use the EWLC as a backlash-free connecting, cardan or synchronous shaft. It is available for nominal torques up to 1200 Nm and is backlash-free and torsionally stiff at up to 6000 min^-1.

An elastomer coupling is also available with type EWJ. It is equipped with an easy-to-fit clamping hub and can be used at up to 363 K with nominal torques of up to 500 Nm. It is particularly suitable for high speeds up to 29,000 rpm.

Many safety couplings in the standard range are also available as corrosion-protected variants for less demanding circumstances.