Function principle Shredders are constructed with multiple blades that shred the residual crops. In principle, they have a motor that rotates the motor shaft which is fixed with a pulley, and the shaft with blades is fixed with a reducer pulley, with the result that the shaft speed is doubled. When the shaft rotates at a high speed, the blades also rotate at the same speed. The blades shred the material into very fine particles. These shredders are available in various models for use in manual, electric, or tractor applications.

Requirements As the shaft blades of shredders operate at high speeds, it is of foremost importance that the shaft with blades attached does not slip. For this reason, a perfect torque-transmitting connection from shaft to pulley plays a vital role in the functional efficiency of these shredders. The following case story is an example to illustrate this key requirement. One of the leading manufacturers of shredding machines had been repeatedly confronted with claims from customers who criticized that the shredding results were not as expected and that even several passes were necessary to cut unpredictably strong residues. Upon investigation of the problem, the technical team of the shredder manufacturer found out that the shaft to pulley connection slipped so that the required torque could not be transmitted. RINGFEDER POWER TRANSMISSION was then contacted to find a solution.

RINGFEDER – The Problem Solver An absolute backlash-free connection is a primary requirement in this application. RINGFEDER® Locking Assemblies are friction-locked shaft-hub connections manufactured according to the highest quality standards. They are suitable for the precise fastening of pulleys that hold the rotor shaft with minimal clearance. Locking Assemblies are installed between the pulleys and the motor/blade shafts. By tightening the clamping screws, the inner and outer rings press themselves onto the contact surfaces of the components to be connected, thus creating a friction-fit press connection. This not only allows for the highest torques to be reliably transmitted without slip, but also for axial, radial, and bending loads.

Once again, RINGFEDER POWER TRANSMISSION has successfully solved a customer’s application problem. With the outstanding benefits of the locking assemblies invented by the specialist, the shredder manufacturer not only has optimized the operational reliability of the shredding machines but has also fully satisfied its clients.

Locking Assemblies with high reliability Keyed connections have been the traditional method to fix rotating shafts to power transmission components, but demands in terms of reliability and transmission of high torques due to tough and difficult to remove farm residues are increasing. RINGFEDER Locking Assemblies have usurped the place of a keyed connection in this most demanding application. Locking assemblies take a very different approach to torque transmission. They feature a pair of double-tapered thrust rings that, when tightened, expand radially to create a compression fit between a shaft and its mating component, locking them together.

Unlike keyways, which concentrate stresses along a single line of contact, locking assemblies distribute torque-transmission stresses evenly over 360° of contact. This uniform stress distribution eliminates the wear and maintenance costs associated with keyways and delivers a highly reliable connection.

Other application areas Simple and quick assembly and disassembly, complete freedom from maintenance and wear, absolutely backlash-free power transmission: RINGFEDER Locking Assemblies are friction-locked shaft-hub connections manufactured according to the highest quality standards. They are suitable for the precise fastening of all types of hubs, e.g., toothed gears, running wheels and chain sprockets, levers, cam discs, belt and brake discs, slip-on gears, couplings, flanges, or on shafts and axles.

Compared to external clamping connections, e.g., shrink discs, locking assemblies are installed between a shaft and a hub. By tightening the clamping screws, inner and outer rings press themselves onto the contact surfaces of the components to be connected, thus creating a friction-fit press connection. This allows not only for the highest torques but also for axial and radial as well as bending loads to be transmitted reliably. Keyless RINGFEDER® Locking Assemblies are the superior alternative to conventional shrink-fits, wedge, keyway, or polygonal connections and offer outstanding concentricity and resistance to alternating torsion. Our locking assemblies are available to users in various standard designs and sizes, and we also offer customized solutions.

Ringfeder blog.ringfeder.com/locking-assemblies

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