Power Transmission

Brakes and clutches stop and control the movement or speed of motors in rotary applications such as horizontal conveyors, gates, and packing machines. Brakes slow or stop forward and backward movement. Clutches disengage the drive shaft of an attached motor, so workers can pause rotation of conveyor belts and other industrial equipment without turning the machinery or motor off. Torque limiters protect machinery from damage due to unexpected mechanical overload.

Gearing is used to transmit motion and change the speed and direction of rotation in drive systems. Gears are used to alter the speed or torque of an object without slipping. They usually have teeth parallel to the bore, such as with spur or straight-cut gears, or at an angle to the bore, such as bevel gears. Gear racks are straight and transmit forward and backward motion in a straight line, and can be cut or combined to any length.

Linear motion products are used in conveyors and assembly operations to provide movement in a straight line, including rolling elements in a raceway or guide rail. They also keep parts and machinery moving and aligned. Movement can be forward or backward and either vertical or horizontal. Actuators, ball screws, and nuts convert rotating movement, such as that coming from a motor, to movement in a straight line. Bearing guides, guide rails, shafts, and carriages (slides) align components to reduce friction and provide smooth, precise movement. Magnetic capping headsets apply caps to small bottles. Sleeve bearings, and mounted and unmounted linear bearings, reduce wear caused by friction and evenly distribute loads for use with heavy loads. Screws are used with screw jacks, presses, and linear actuators at low-to-moderate speeds under heavy loads.

Power transmission chains and sprockets work together in a chain drive system to convert the electrical energy generated by a motor to mechanical energy used to power conveyors and other industrial machinery. Idler sprockets are used to take up slack in long chains or in applications with high vibration, such as robotic arms and conveyors. Roller chains are used for horizontal and vertical applications. Leaf chains are designed for lifting applications. Chain links are used to extend the length of a chain or replace worn or damaged links. Clevis connectors are used to anchor the end of a loaf chain to a clevis.

Shaft couplings, collars, and universal joints are parts that connect equipment to transmit power and help protect against shock, vibration, misalignment, backlash, and overload. Jaw couplings, sleeve couplings, and tire couplings do not require lubrication and are commonly used on electric motor applications, such as gearboxes, conveyors, and medical equipment. Motion control couplings provide good rigidity in moderate- to high-torque applications like servomotors, robots, and machine tools. Oldham couplings maintain constant velocity with low bearing loads and are ideal for applications with high parallel misalignment. Rigid couplings allow minimal backlash between shafts of the same dimension and are suitable for continuous-motion applications. Shaft collars, adapters, and keyed shafts hold bearings, sprockets, and gears to shafts and other components and can act as mechanical stops. Universal joints transmit torque between rotating shafts that are at an angle to each other.

Speed reducers are mechanical devices that help drive systems maintain optimal speed and torque for the application. Also known as gearboxes and gear drives, they lower the speed of rotation of the input shaft by a certain ratio and increase the power transmitted to the output shaft by the same ratio. Ratio multipliers increase the speed reduction and torque supplied by a speed reducer by a certain ratio and are suitable for parallel setups. Mounting bases, torque arms, and flange couplings are accessories used with speed reducers. They are often used in applications where the speed reducer will not be directly attached to the drive mechanism.

Vibrators are mechanical devices that generate vibration to speed the flow of materials through bins, hoppers, screens, drums, and bags. They are also used to consolidate concrete and unjam parts on conveyors and in chutes. Industrial vibrators are commonly used in food processing facilities, pharmaceutical plants, chemical plants, farming operations, automotive parts production, and mining operations. Electric vibrators are fully enclosed and can be used inside or outside, in dust, dirt, rain, or snow. Pneumatic or air-powered vibrators are suitable for continuous-duty applications to move fine, granular, and dense materials. Hydraulic vibrators are ideal for heavy-duty, dirty jobs in wet, muddy, or dusty conditions. Accessories include mounting brackets, plates, and pins to help properly install vibrators on any power transmission application.