Oldham Couplings

We offer oldham couplings.
•max speed: 4,500 rpm
•good misalignment capabilities; excellent parallel misalignment
•good torsional rigidity with acetal center disc
•little vibration dampening
•low to moderate inertia
the oldham coupling has the ability to accommodate a high level of parallel misalignment, since the center disc is made to slide over the tenons of the hubs. this lack of resistance (other couplings have a spring-like resistance to misalignment) results in low, and stable bearing loads. the second advantage is the ability to interchange the center disc. generally, two types of material are used, acetal to provide torsional stiffness and nylon to provide dampening, much like the jaw coupling. furthermore, the oldham coupling has the unique ability to act as a mechanical fuse. the tenons of the hubs will not interlock if the center disc fails and torque will cease to be transmitted. the oldham coupling’s aluminum hubs help to keep the inertia low.
while the oldham coupling works very well for parallel misalignment, it can only handle small amounts of angular misalignment and axial motion. too much angular misalignment will cause the coupling to lose its constant velocity characteristic and the coupling will literally fall apart with too much axial movement. also, while nylon material may be chosen to dampen vibrations, due to the sliding of the hubs and extremely soft characteristics of the nylon used, the coupling is not tight enough to be zero backlash. speed capability for all oldham couplings is also relatively limited, around 4500 rpm. additionally, the sliding of the tenons will eventually wear down the insert and replacement will be required