Bearing-less rotating cylinder clutch developed to order

Working closely with its customer, Sun Test Systems, Matrix International has designed and manufactured a special bearing-less rotating cylinder clutch for use on Sun's advanced multi-axis rolling road for testing trucks and buses. The new clutch design allows repeated safe loading and unloading of today's heavier, more powerful vehicles onto the innovative rig that projects a cinema style display for the operator, recreating more realistic and higher-speed driving patterns.

Sun Test Systems BV, based in the Netherlands, is a European market leader in advanced multi-axis test systems for trucks and buses. The company's products allow manufacturers to conduct what are essentially 'indoor test drives' under reproducible and controllable conditions. This facility enables manufacturers to satisfy themselves that their vehicles comply with all quality and safety requirements in a risk-free environment.

One of Sun Test Systems recent projects involved the supply of an advanced rolling road for a major truck manufacturer. The application was demanding due to the high-torque, high-speed operation of the rolling road; these factors dictated the use of a special clutch, one sufficiently versatile to handle many different vehicles and test sequences. The function of the clutch is to engage and disengage a roller drive to allow vehicles to drive on and off the rolling road. In addition, by enabling the rollers to be held fast while different vehicles are loaded and unloaded, the clutch also takes the load burden off the test equipment.

Previous designs used a pressure-applied tooth clutch; this relied on a large central bearing, which proved difficult to update in order to handle torque up to 5000Nm at higher running speeds of up to 2650rpm. A collaborative design initiative was undertaken to solve the problem, resulting in the customer suggesting a non-bearing version.

Engineers from Matrix took up the challenge. Each of the products in the comprehensive Matrix OEM range has the facility to be configured to meet the specific requirements of a particular application. This application experience was put to good use to design and manufacture an innovative rotating cylinder, spring-applied clutch. The clutch was subsequently supplied via the Matrix agent in Netherlands, Renold Continental, based in Amsterdam, and successfully integrated into the rolling road, meeting all the demands placed upon it for high torque, high speed and longer operating life.