Oldham Couplings for Printing Applications
Ruland oldham couplings are a three-piece assembly with a balanced, high RPM design comprised of two anodized aluminum or stainless steel hubs and a center disk. Designers can choose between acetal, Nylon, and PEEK center disks to balance torsional rigidity, torque, and environmental compliance. Ruland uses a proprietary machining process to ensure smooth interaction between the oldham coupling hub tenons and disk allowing for the longest service life in the industry. Oldham couplings accommodate significantly more parallel misalignment (up to 10% of the outer diameter) than any other Ruland servo coupling.
Due to their three-piece design oldham couplings be easily assembled and taken apart. This makes them ideal in printing applications with rollers that are frequently changed and replaced. Operators need only remove the center disk before separating shafts, saving significant time when compared to one-piece couplings that require tools to remove and install. If coupling failure occurs the center disk will act as a torque limiter by breaking cleanly and ceasing power transmission, potentially protecting expensive machine components. In this event operators can quickly and easily replace the relatively inexpensive disk to quickly return to normal operation.
Bore sizes are available from 1/8” to 1-1/8” and 3mm to 30mm. Oldham coupling hubs are available in clamp and set screw styles with or without keyways, allowing designers to mix and match hubs to fit different shaft types. All oldham couplings have a balanced, zero-backlash design for reduced vibration and precision operation.
