An Introduction To The Gear Coupling

Gear Coupling is used to join two rotating shafts together to allow efficient transmission of electric power. The shafts are accurately aligned at the time of installation but during the course of operation and time, the alignment gets disturbed due to several reasons. The reasons for the misalignment of shaft includes thermal expansion, setting of foundation, wearing out of parts, shaft deflection, improper maintenance, etc. A Gear Coupling is perfect equipment that is used to compensate and minimize the misalignment occurring during operation. Hence, the Gear Coupling is used in a variety of applications in the drive technology field.

The Gear Coupling not only connects the two shafts together but also compensates for the misalignment of the connecting shafts. Hence, it is important to purchase the Gear Coupling only from a reputed Gear Coupling Manufacturer. The three types of misalignments that it accommodates include:

• Radial misalignment- It occurs when the axes of connected shafts are parallel but not in similar straight line;
• Axial misalignment- It occurs when the two connecting shafts intersect at the coupling’s centre point and not in the similar straight line;
• Combined radial and axial misalignment- It occurs when the axes of the connected shafts are not parallel and do not intersect;

About The Gear Coupling

It features two hubs having external teeth engaging internal teeth and sleeve (either one or two-piece). The teeth can be either straight or curved (crowned). The selection of the teeth can be based on the type of the application. For example, curved teeth are better in applications requiring over ½ inch of flexibility. The Gear Coupling is most commonly used for applications with large and medium type equipment. It is one of the most power-dense types of coupling that is used in the heavy duty applications.

Maintenance And Life Of The Gear Couplings:

The Gear Coupling requires periodic lubrication every 1 to 2 years depending upon the type of lubrication and work duty. It can have a long service life of about 3 to 5 years; however, in some applications, it can range up to 5 to 10 years. It can be maintained by good lubrication techniques and reasonable alignment. Many of the Gear Couplings also feature a sleeve, which is made up of plastic such as high molecular weight plastic and nylon. Due to the sleeves, these Gear Couplings do not require lubrication. But as they have lower torque capacity as compared to the steel couplings, they are mostly used on the small pumps.

Author represents this article on the behalf of New Janta Engg. Works & Fabricators, deals in industrial equipment namely slag crusher plant, industrial fans Gear Boxes, Coupling,etc.