Accurate, zero backlash bellows couplings

Ruland Manufacturing says that the new size allows machine designers and builders to benefit from larger bore sizes and increased torque and torsional stiffness capabilities. Many machine designers prefer to specify bellows couplings in servo driven systems due to their high accuracy and repeatability, says Ruland, and this size expansion now allows for bore sizes of up to 32 mm in a clamp style design with or without keyways.

Ruland bellows couplings are an assembly of two hubs and a thin-walled metallic bellows. The hubs are manufactured from aluminium for light weight and low inertia and are joined together by a thin walled stainless steel bellows This allows the coupling to remain flexible under high torsional loads. Bellows couplings can accommodate all forms of misalignment says Ruland, and size for size have the greatest torque and torsional stiffness capability in the company’s servo coupling product line up.

The increased range gives bellows couplings consistent outer diameters and bore sizes with other Ruland servo couplings including disc, jaw, and Oldham couplings. They are said to be the most accurate of the Ruland manufactured servo couplings and are well suited for linear applications commonly found in printing, semiconductor, solar and robotics. They are zero-backlash and have no moving parts for a long maintenance-free life. Ruland manufactures bellows couplings with a balanced design for reduced vibration at operating speeds of up to 10,000 rpm. They are available in inch, metric, and inch to metric bore sizes, with or without keyways from 1/8 inch to 1-1/4 inch and from 3 mm to 32 mm. Non-standard designs such as special bore sizes, custom bore tolerances, and stainless steel hubs are available upon request.