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Traditional large cast iron couplings, used to connect shafts in large bore applications found in lumber, steel, rail, recycling, and paper industries, are manufactured from iron and are extremely heavy.
Large cast iron couplings have a bulky design that requires extra room in order to accommodate the oversized outside diameter of the unit. The sheer size of these antiquated couplings puts unnecessary stress on the shaft, and poses risk to damaging the shaft and associated components. In order to attain necessary torque for these applications, cast iron couplings encompass the use of a keyway leading to issues such as wallowing, backlash, fretting corrosion, and fatigue failure, commonly associated with keyways.
Whether your operation is surface, conventional or longwall mining, your machinery is constantly subjected to some of the harshest environments and torturous loads for which an engineer can design. To compensate, for many application designers forgo traditional keys and keyways which are subject to failure and rely upon splice and interference fits to mount critical components on rotating shafts.
Drum pulleys, especially head or tail pulleys, using traditional keyed connections introduce several compromises. Whenever a shaft is keyed, it must be oversized to account for the loss of effective cross section. This adds weight and cost not only to the shaft, but to every component on the shaft. Once assembled, keyways are susceptible to fretting, corrosion, and allow backlash. QD, XT, or taper-lock bushings do not transmit reversing bending moments and are susceptible to shaft fatigue failure originating at the keyways. Climax KLDs eliminate the need for keyways reducing downtime and loss of profit while allowing the use of smaller shafting and components. KLDs provide a longer life for both mine duty and engineered class conveyor pulleys.
One of the most commonly used pieces of heavy mining equipment is excavators or power shovels. Every major construction project requires their use. Tasks such as removing large objects, digging trenches, site grading, hauling, demolition, mining, snow removal, would be practically impossible without this machinery.
Jaw crushers used heavily in the mining industry, often incorporate keyways and/or expensive sweat or press fit connections. Using traditional keyed connections introduces several compromises. Whenever a shaft is keyed, it must be oversized to account for the loss of effective cross section. This adds weight and cost not only to the shaft, but to every component on the shaft. Keyways cause fretting corrosion, allow backlash, do not transmit bending moments or axial loads.