Preventing Misalignment

Flexible Couplings

A shaft coupling is a cylinder device that connects two shafts together in order to transmit power. They are found in many different types of machinery such as power transmissions, drive shafts, generators, wheels, pumps, line shafts, construction equipment, automotive engines, and many more. There are many different types of shaft couplings that are used based upon the type of machine and how much power and movement the shafts need to be capable of. A few types are rigid couplings, sleeve couplings, clamp or split-muff couplings, flexible couplings, diaphragm couplings, disc couplings, gear couplings, oldham couplings and jaw couplings among many others. They are an essential part of many machines in order for them to work properly.
Sometimes the shafts on these machines can become misaligned after some use because of improper installation, movement and vibration, use and any other reason. To fix this issue a flexible shaft coupling can be used to ensure a secure connection between the two shafts. A flexible coupling can be used when the misalignment is in range of one to five degrees. Anything beyond that could potentially be beyond repair. Most commonly flexible shaft couplings are found made out of either stainless steel or aluminum. Stainless steel protects from corrosion and can increase the movement of force capacity. Aluminum is still a strong alternative and it is also less expensive. Replacing a broken shaft coupling with a flexible one can save many companies time and money as well as the hassle of replacing an entire machine. Flexible shaft couplings are also very good at absorbing any vibrations that might be taking place and still firmly hold the shafts together properly. This is why they are used directly in automobile drivelines because so much vibration constantly takes place throughout that area.