What is Coupling?
Couplings are mechanical devices that connect the end of their contiguous parts or objects. Discontinuation of shafts is not allowed during operations while rotation controlling couplings are available. Coupling is disconnected when the rotation limit exceeds.
This mechanical instrument’s requirement, selection, installation and maintenance is reduced in the conservation of coupling time, cost and core. If the shafts are equivalent, power can be conveyed by various gear arrangements or drive. The transmission of power is connected properly only if the couplings are in a straight line.
Uses of Couplings
The name itself suggests the word, the coupling is a mechanical part that connects two shafts together to transmit power. The transmission of power is done from the drive side to the driven side while absorbing the mounting errors.
There are many uses of couplings and are used in machinery for several purposes.
- It changes the vibration
- Protects against overload
- Transmission of shock load is reduced
- Misalignment of shaft
- Connection and disconnection of shafts
1. It changes vibrations
The factors influencing rotor vibrations owing to coupling type and shaft speed increase that improve the design and control of a rotor dynamic system. Apart from the misalignment of spinning components, the coupling must adjust for any conceivable accidental vibrations when conveying torque from the driving to the driven pieces of machinery.
2. Protection against overload
A number of devices are combined to overcome the damage caused by a rotation overload. A mechanical device, which is also referred to as a vertical spacer or vertical pin, can have a reduced piece on a common pitch circle. When the rotation overload takes place, the reduced piece will cut and disconnect the turbine from the driven equipment.
3. Transmission of shock load is reduced
If the shafts are perfectly aligned, machines do not vibrate, and the shafts never move, coupling the driving and driven shafts would be straightforward. A flexible coupling, on the other hand, can accommodate the defects and dynamics that are inherent in most power transmission systems.
4. Connection and disconnection of shafts
There is limited misalignment only when the couplings are flexible and connect the driver and driven shaft with relatively close ends. Allowances must sometimes be made for greater misalignment or when the ends of the driver and driven shafts must be separated by a significant distance.
Requirements of a Good Coupling Set-up
The uses of couplings are in various mechanical instruments, although; its requirement is to accomplish effective and consistent operations of the coupling system.
· The couplings are easy to connect as well as disconnect
· The power transmission from one shaft to another should be without any losses.
· The shafts should be held in perfect position.
· The transmission of shock load should be reduced from one shaft to another.
· No projecting parts should be there.
Coupling maintenance and failure
A working coupling should match all the required conditions such as optimum efficiency, performance, environmental as well as service factors. If all these uses of couplings meet at a point, there will be no issue arising in the selection of a coupling.
· Cleaning of coupling at regular intervals
· Checking and changing the lubrication of couplings. Sometimes, lubrication is required annually while some require frequent use due to adverse environment or more usage of the application.
· Documentation of maintenance performed by the couplings.
· Visual examinations should be mandatory.
However, if any of these requirements are not met, it can lead the coupling to fail prematurely by causing any inconvenience. It can even lead to major financial loss or personal injury.
- Selection of coupling is much later in the design process.
- Selection of the wrong type of coupling for application.
- Failure in correcting misalignment.
- Absence of deliberation in the windup.
- Performance of processes beyond competencies.
