Packaging

Shaft collars are one of the most common components found on packaging equipment due to their variety of standard sizes, styles, and materials. Ruland manufactures the widest in-stock range of set screw and clamp style shaft collars allowing designers to select and procure the right part quickly. Set screw shaft collars affix to the shaft through a single forged set screw requiring the material of the shaft to be softer than that of the screw. They are best used in light duty applications such as guiding or spacing where the collar will not need to be adjusted or repositioned.

Clamp style shaft collars are an advancement over set screw type because they do not mar the shaft, are infinitely adjustable, and have increased holding power. They wrap around the shaft allowing for even distribution of clamping forces for higher holding power and a precise fit. Ruland maintains tight face to bore perpendicularity (TIR of ≤ .002" or 0.05mm) which is critical when the collar is used to align components on a shaft or used as an axial stop such as on a cylinder. They are manufactured in one- and two-piece clamp styles. Two-piece Ruland shaft collars are mated throughout the manufacturing process to ensure a precise fit and can be serviced in-place.

Ruland manufactures shaft collars in 1215 lead-free steel with a black oxide or zinc plated finish, 303 and 316 stainless steel, high strength 2024 aluminum, and engineered plastic allowing packaging equipment designers to match application requirements to shaft collar performance. Bore sizes range from 1/8” to 6” or 3mm to 150mm.

Ruland offers two types of quick clamping shaft collars – with cam lever and with clamping lever – which require no tools for installation, adjustment, or removal. Quick clamping shaft collars with cam lever have an integral lever that sits flush with the outside diameter and is finger actuated. The design features a tension-adjustment screw that can be adjusted to tailor axial holding power to application needs. Quick clamping shaft collars with cam lever are one-piece clamp style and require shaft end access to install properly. They are best suited for light duty and low RPM applications where frequent change outs of items including media, guide rails, or other setup fixturing is required. Ruland manufactures handles in 6063 aluminum and bodies in 6061 aluminum with bore sizes from 1/4" (6mm) to 3” (75mm).

Quick clamping shaft collars with clamping lever feature a Ruland manufactured shaft collar combined with an adjustable clamping lever that replaces standard hardware. This creates a shaft collar with a ratcheting handle that can easily be installed, removed, or repositioned without tools. They have the benefits of traditional Ruland shaft collars such as not marring the shaft, tightly controlled face to bore perpendicularity (TIR of ≤ .002" or 0.05mm), and a fine burr-free finish allowing them to be used in a wide range of packaging applications. The shaft collar is offered in standard materials including: 1215 lead-free steel with a black oxide or zinc plated finish, 303 and 316 stainless steel, high strength 2024 aluminum, and engineered plastic. The lever is sourced from JW Winco and features a zinc plated handle with a stainless steel threaded stud and internal components.

Ruland rigid couplings are commonly used in packaging equipment for torque transmission or shaft to shaft connections. They are zero-backlash and have high torsional stiffness and torque capabilities making them an ideal solution for packaging equipment where motors are connected to a gearboxes, lead or ball screws, or conveyors. Ruland is the only manufacturer that precision hones straight bore rigid couplings to ensure bores are collinear for precise fit and greater torque transmission ability. Proprietary Nypatch® anti-vibration coating is used on clamp style hardware that allows for even seating of the screw, repeated screw installations, and prevents galling.

Ruland manufactures rigid couplings in set screw and clamp screw types. Set screw styles are best suited for lighter duty applications where vibration is limited to prevent hardware from coming loose during operation. Clamp style rigid couplings wrap evenly around the shaft for precise fit and increase torque capabilities. Two-piece styles can be serviced in-place and have a balanced design for reduced vibration. Ruland manufactures rigid couplings in 1215 lead-free steel with a black oxide finish, lightweight 2024 aluminum, and 303 stainless steel in bore sizes ranging from 1/8” (3mm) to 2” (50mm).

Ruland beam couplings are manufactured from a single piece of aluminum or stainless steel with multiple spiral (helical) cuts allowing for a zero-backlash coupling with higher accuracy and better overall misalignment capabilities than traditional single beam couplings. They are manufactured in 4-beam style for increased misalignment and 6-beam style for higher torque and torsional stiffness capabilities. Beam couplings are best suited for light duty packaging applications such as encoders, belt driven conveyors, and motor to ball screw connections. They have more windup than other styles of flexible couplings giving beam couplings dampening capabilities that are useful in lower torque applications with frequent starts and stops. Beam couplings are manufactured in our Marlborough, Massachusetts factory in bore sizes ranging from 3/32” to 3/4" or 3mm to 20mm.

Zero-backlash jaw couplings are a three piece assembly comprised of two aluminum hubs mated together by a center polyurethane element called the “spider.” This multiple piece design allows for a highly customizable coupling that can easily combine clamp or set screw hubs with inch, metric, keyed, and keyless bores. Zero-backlash jaw couplings have a balanced design for reduced vibration at speeds of up to 8,000 RPM. Ruland offers spiders in three durometers – 98 Shore A for high torque and torsional stiffness, 92 Shore A for a balance of stiffness and compliance, and 85 Shore A for high levels of dampening – allowing packaging equipment manufacturers the ability to specify the performance that best meets application requirements. Zero-backlash jaw couplings are manufactured in our Marlborough, Massachusetts factory with bore sizes ranging from 1/8” to 1-1/4” or 3mm to 32mm.

Adjustable handles are a mechanical component designed to replace standard metric or inch hardware in packaging equipment where the use of tools is not desired or convenient. They are most commonly used to adjust the width and/or height of conveyor rail mounts, sensors, and sealers in cartoning, VFS, and labeling equipment. Additionally, handles can be used to keep plexiglass guards in-place during operation while offering an easy solution to remove them when the machine has been safely locked out.

Handles are an assembly comprised of a handle, spring, serration, inlay, and threaded stud or threaded hole. Users simply turn the handle by hand to loosen and tighten, significantly reducing the time it takes to reposition components on a shaft. The handles are available with glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic for lightweight and powder coated zinc steel for corrosion resistance and durability. They come in black which is suitable to most industrial applications and orange for safety or easy identification. Inserts are available in steel for high holding power and stainless steel for increased corrosion resistance. The variety of standard stock options offered allows packaging equipment designers flexibility to select the right part for the application. It is common to see the same conveyor with multiple handle styles. They are sourced from JW Winco and stocked in our Marlborough, Massachusetts factory.

Modular mounting systems are a series of components that fit together to make adjustable sensor mounts, adjustable conveyor rail mounts and other adjustable assemblies. Traditionally, the designer must select these components individually and combine them to make a complete system. This is time consuming and leads to a lack of standardization that may be confusing or undesirable for customers. Ruland has greatly simplified this process by offering predesigned systems for the most common applications. They have some degree of flexibility such as allowing users to select tubes with or without scale and how many adjustable levers they want to use, but the options are intentionally limited to speed up the design process. If users want to start from scratch, Ruland has put together a quick tutorial on how to select the various components to ensure they fit together. All modular mounting system components are sourced from JW Winco and stocked in our Marlborough, Massachusetts factory.

Vibration isolation mounts and rubber bumpers are cylindrical and have a metallic core encased in a rubber jacket with threaded components that allow them to be connected to many different types of equipment or flat surfaces. Vibration isolation mounts have a threaded stud or tapped hole on both flat ends to connect two parts of a machine together. They as ideally suited as shock or vibration isolators sandwiched between two machine components or surfaces. Rubber bumpers have a threaded stud or tapped hole on one end and a rubber jacket over the other to act as end stops or mounting feet. The rubber jackets have 55 shore A durometer for a balance of shock absorption and rigidity. The metallic cores are made from 304 stainless steel for high corrosion resistance and can be used in washdown applications. The zinc-plated steel cores have higher strength and are ideal for general purpose use. All vibration isolation mounts and rubber bumpers are sourced from JW Winco and stocked in our Marlborough, Massachusetts factory.