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Five ways to avoid damage occurring on clutches

clutch

Enemac clutches, Desch clutches, Conax clutches, or whatever type of industrial clutch you operate, will typically run for a very long time and operate hundreds of thousands of cycles. However, it is important to be aware that these essential machinery components can become damaged and ruined if care is not taken and certain precautionary procedures are not regularly carried out.

To help ensure an industrial clutch lasts for the duration it are designed to last for, take a look at the following five fairly common ways an industrial clutch can become damaged and how to avoid it.

Ensure the clutch is aligned properly

As Machine Design writes in its guide on problems associated with electric clutches and brakes, one common problem can be associated with misalignment. Machine Design likens clutches and brakes to being similar to shafts and bearings, if they are incorrectly aligned, stresses and vibrations put on the industrial components can develop into major problems.

It is therefore important that when clutches and brakes are installed, they are correctly aligned.

Read the instructions!

It may sound obvious put as when operating any piece of equipment or handling industrial components, instructions should be read to ensure the parts are installed and handled properly.

As Machine Design advises, clutches and brakes are precision devices and for a trouble-free service, such precision-centred parts can easily have “special assembly, installation, or adjustment requirement you must not overlook.”

If, for example, you are replacing a Centrex clutch or a Planox clutch,  rather than just “slapping in a new one,” you should read the instructions in case there are any specific installation or assembly requirements for that particular model.

Avoid too much vibration

Whilst all industrial components undergo a degree of vibration, too much or a specific kind of vibration can prove problematic for an industrial clutch.

Environmental vibrations caused by equipment that lies adjacent to the clutch can create problems, especially if when the equipment having brakes or clutches with roller or ball bearings is inactive for long periods of time. Machine Design comes up with an easy solution – to turn the shafts on which the unit is mounted on periodically, perhaps once every four weeks.

The other type of excessive vibration that can cause problems for industrial clutches is the vibration caused from poor alignment, inaccurate assembly or uneven loads, which, if left undetected, will ultimately destroy the unit.

If you require the likes of an Enemac clutch, Desch clutch, Conax clutch, or any type of specialist clutch locating, get in touch with YB Components, specialists in supplying clutches for more than 20 years.