Author: Magnus Bozovic

R+L Hydraulics GmbH presents couplings from the Spidex HighTemp and UltraTemp series, which have been specially developed for high-temperature applications. The flexible claw couplings are durable and resistant and are characterized by high temperature and hydrolysis resistance.

“Spidex flexible claw couplings offer reliable performance even under extreme conditions. They are the result of years of experience and continuous development,” says Detlef Peick, Business Development Manager at R+L Hydraulics. The exceptional temperature and hydrolysis resistance of the UltraTemp series enables it to be used at continuous operating temperatures of up to 180 °C – “a unique selling point in the industry”, says Peick. The three-part couplings are axially pluggable, fail-safe and maintenance-free, making them the ideal choice for demanding environments, for example in steelworks, lime kilns, drying plants and marine applications.

Thanks to the use of high-temperature resistant elastomer spiders, Spidex couplings are particularly durable and resistant to frequent temperature changes. This reduces downtimes and leads to longer maintenance intervals and higher system availability, which has both economic and ecological benefits. “The increased temperature resistance of our elastomer spiders makes it possible to use Spidex couplings reliably in processes with thermal processing steps,” explains Peick. “The ageing resistance of the HighTemp and UltraTemp spiders with frequent temperature changes contributes significantly to the longevity and reliability of the systems.”

Another advantage of Spidex couplings using UltraTemp spiders is their superior resistance to hydrolysis. This means that they can be used in humid environments, including seawater, and are therefore also suitable for marine applications and use in high humidity environments.

Depending on size and use, the couplings are designed for applications with up to 11,000 Nm nominal torque and a maximum torque of 22,000 Nm, which also makes them ideal for difficult tasks. “This superior performance, combined with excellent damping and the ability to compensate for high radial misalignment, sets new standards in the industry,” says Peick.

“R+L Hydraulics relies on transparent and comprehensible information on the temperature range in which the HighTemp and UltraTemp series can be used,” emphasizes Peick. “Some suppliers advertise with unclear information and the maximum temperature specifications are often misleading. Our customers can rest assured that our products reliably fulfill the promised properties.”

R+L Hydraulics, based in Werdohl in the Sauerland region of Germany, is a subsidiary of the US coupling specialist Lovejoy LLC; both companies are part of the Timken Company. In addition to Spidex couplings, R+L Hydraulics develops, produces and sells a wide range of components for fluid and drive technology, including other industrial couplings and hydraulic accessories such as bellhousings, damping elements, cooling bellhousings, heat exchangers, coolers and hydraulic tanks. The products are used in a wide variety of applications in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and vehicle construction, energy and environmental technology, in the steel industry and offshore technology as well as in special plant engineering applications.

Picture:

View of a flexible claw coupling from the Spidex 100 series from R+L Hydraulics with white UltraTemp spider for high-temperature applications

R+L Hydraulics GmbH presents cooler bellhousings of the KPV series. The cooler bellhousings feature a compact design and boast top cooling performance while withstanding high pressure peaks of up to 16 bar long term. Available in various designs, they are compatible in accordance with VDMA 24 561.

Cooler bellhousings are damping connecting elements between the electric motor and hydraulic pump in combination with an oil-air cooler. They are very popular within the oil hydraulics sector. Specialised in hydraulic components and power transmission products, R+L Hydraulics supplies compact coolers of the KPV series, providing the user with crucial benefits: “Our top priority in the development of this series was to the integrate a cooling element which withstands dynamic pressure loads without loss of cooling power,” says Patrick Laupitz, head of the domestic sales team at R+L Hydraulics. “According to the requirements of users and by means of dynamic fatigue strain tests, we have developed a prismatic cooling element which continually withstands pressure peaks of up to 16 bar.”

Prismatic cooling elements provide a high cooling performance in the KPV series. “R+L Hydraulics was the first manufacturer to equip catalogue cooler bellhousings with prismatic standard cooling elements,“ says Laupitz. “While the first cooler bellhousings available on the market were usually equipped with a finned tube as a heat exchanger, which – aside from the unsatisfactory cooling power – limited this mainly to leakage oil cooling, the application of prismatic cooling elements is state-of-the-art today.” The prismatic cooling elements allow the coolers to be installed into the mainly pressureless return line. “In certain configurations, however, pressure peaks can occur that cannot be determined with conventional pressure measuring devices,” explains Laupitz. “For example, this is often the case when a pressurised cylinder is relieved in milliseconds towards the return line by an electromagnetic valve. Due to inertia and friction, it is often impossible to protect the cooler from occurring pressure peaks, which has in the past led to occasional breakdowns of the heat exchanger due to recurring pressure peaks. This is now a thing of the past in the KPV series.“

Cooler bellhousings of the KPV series are available for manufactured motor sizes of 80 to 180l in noise-damping versions and can be combined with foot brackets. „Full interchangeability of the installation dimensions in accordance with VDMA 24 561 is another essential benefit“, says Laupitz, “in fact, not only according to the installation length but also to the attachment position of the foot bracket.“

Besides cooler bellhousings, R+L Hydraulics develops, manufactures and sells a wide range of components for fluid and power transmission products, including industrial couplings and hydraulic accessories such as torsional and jaw couplings, bellhousings, damping elements, heat exchangers, coolers and hydraulic tanks. The products are used in a wide variety of applications in mechanical engineering, ship and vehicle construction, in the steel industry and offshore technology as well as special applications in plant engineering.

The extreme environmental conditions in steel processing place high demands on the components used. The Quick-Flex elastomer couplings from Lovejoy, a Timken brand, ensure torque transmission when driving the roller tables in the hot rolling mill.

In steel processing, the molten pig iron obtained in the blast furnace is processed into crude steel in converters in the steelworks. The crude steel is then cast into slabs in continuous casting plants. These are then rolled and formed into coils. Roller conveyors or roller conveyors are used to transport the red-hot slabs, which are around 10 meters long and weigh 25 tons. Due to their high temperatures, the slabs must not come to a standstill, as this would damage the transporting rollers. The rolled material must therefore be constantly moved on the rollers until it has cooled down or the next processing step is imminent.

The reliability of the components plays a major role here: “If a coupling fails on the roller tables, you can continue working until the next planned stop, but you run the risk of damaging the roller,” says Detlef Peick, Business Development Manager for Couplings at R+L Hydraulics. “This ultimately results in longer downtimes or costs for replacing the roller during the subsequent repair. If you take the roller conveyor out of operation, you avoid damaging the roller, but then create a bottleneck for the rest of production, as the downstream part of the system cannot be used.”

R+L Hydraulics GmbH now also produces LK series torsion couplings in Werdohl in the Sauerland region. The drive technology and hydraulics specialist are a subsidiary of the US clutch manufacturer Lovejoy LLC, which has further expanded its European site with production in Germany. The torsion clutches in the LK series are ideal for use in mobile hydraulics: they are used in diesel, petrol or natural gas engines that drive one or more flange-mounted hydraulic pumps. Typical applications include excavators, vibratory rollers, loaders, cranes, passenger elevators, forklifts and tractors. The LK torsion coupling is a stable, two-part coupling consisting of an element or a flywheel adapter and a hub for shaft connection. The couplings are very torsional stiff and enable hydraulic pumps and similar units with low mass or inertia to be operated below the critical speed. They can be used in all motor-driven hydrostatic applications in the low to medium power range. LK torsion couplings are maintenance-free and are characterized by their low weight, high torsional stiffness, and long service life. Their performance spectrum covers the range from 125 to 6,000 Nm. The hubs can be modified in shape and length, and different flange positions are possible. Various series for standardized SAE flywheels and non-standardized flywheels are available. R+L Hydraulics offers application support and on-site assessment for the respective applications. www.rl-hydraulics.com.

Hydraulics GmbH has expanded its product portfolio to include measuring couplings. The new measuring couplings from the hydraulic and drive technology specialist are suitable for pressure testing, lubrication.

Lubrication, venting and oil removal in a wide range of mobile and stationary hydraulic applications in areas such as industry, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, marine, energy and environmental technology, mechanical engineering, automotive and rail vehicles.

Measuring couplings are suitable for both original equipment and retrofitting. S offer service personnel and users of hydraulic applications the simple and safe option of monitoring system pressure, bleeding the hydraulic system, analyzing the degree of contamination and taking representative fluid samples – both temporarily and permanently. Thanks to the integrated non-return valve, this work can be carried out at pressures of up to 630 bar without the system having to be shut down.

The measuring couplings are available in various materials such as stainless steel. They are suitable for all hydraulic and mineral oils; they can be equipped for other media on request. The seals are available in various designs and materials to meet a wide range of requirements and prevent oil leaks: seals made of nitrile rubber NBR are characterized by high resistance to mineral oils and are suitable for a temperature range from -30°C to +125°C; seals made of the fluor elastomer Viton have high thermal and chemical resistance and can be used from -25°C to +230°C.

Tailored to the respective application, the measuring couplings are available with differentthreads and in various designs, e.g. with a riser tube, union nut, as a bulkhead.

The range is supplemented by pressure gauges, measuring hoses, hose fittings and protection valves.

The range is supplemented by pressure gauges, measuring hoses, hose fittings and protection valves.

“We are delighted to have taken another forward-looking step as a full-range supplier of quality components for fluid and drive technology by expanding our product portfolio,” says Timo Weber, General Manager of R+L H Hydraulics GmbH. “The continuous expansion of our range of services represents an important component of the strategic business expansion in the Timken Group, in that we are always at the side of our demanding customers from a wide range of industries with new and individual product solutions and they can rely on R+L as a high-performance system partner in the long term.”

In addition to the new test couplings, R+L H Hydraulics develops, produces and distributes a wide range of components for fluid and drive technology, including

Industrial couplings and hydraulic accessories such as claw couplings, cooling pump and bellhousings, damping elements, aluminum tanks, heat exchangers and coolers. The products are used in a wide variety of applications in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and vehicle construction, energy and environmental technology, the steel industry and offshore technology as well as in special plant engineering applications.