Torque Inc., a Mach III distributor, had to supply a clutch for a customer’s testing assembly that connected to an automotive gearbox housed within a climate-controlled chamber. The objective was to model a vehicle’s inclination using gearing at different operating temperatures under both high speed/low torque and low speed/high torque conditions.

The Trouble with Torque Testing

Initially, Torque’s customer had sourced a competing manufacturer’s clutch and found that the recorded data was not as granular as they had wanted. The data was also inaccurate due to the clutch sticking and slipping. After Torque consulted us, we provided a custom clutch that overcame these challenges.

The C6A4R-001 clutch features two separate cylinders — one small and one large — to satisfy the required torque range of 30:1. Depending on which end of the torque spectrum a customer desires, the air supply can connect to either the small or large cylinder. Additionally, the sticking and slipping of the old clutch was no longer an issue, thanks to our clutch’s low-friction coefficient linings. In terms of torque capacity, the C6A4R-001 small cylinder achieves 3,048 lb-in. at 80 psi, and the large cylinder achieves 9,078 lb-in. at 80 psi.

A Second Clutch with More Torque

Months later, the same Torque customer decided to conduct more testing at a greater torque capacity, requiring that the same testing rig be retrofitted with a new clutch. We designed a second clutch — the CAA4K-001 — with the same length (215 millimeters) and bore size (75 millimeters) so it fit into the testing assembly without modification. The CAA4K-001’s torque capacity is as follows:

Small cylinder: 4,460 lbs-in. at 80 psi

Large cylinder: 17,730 lbs-in. at 80 psi

Additionally, learn how Mach III assisted a pharmaceutical equipment manufacturer after they broke four belts while testing a new machine they had designed for a customer:

The issue involved a section of the conveyor where packaged pharmaceutical products accumulated against a hard stop. From there, a suction device was supposed to lift the products to another station for transport. However, whenever the products reached this hard stop, friction between the pharmaceuticals and the rollers created a spike in torque, causing the 20-millimeter textured belt that drove the rollers to break. This belt was driven by a pulley that connected to the output shaft on the gearbox.

https://www.machiii.com/custom-torque-limiter-eliminates-damaged-belts-in-pharmaceutical-manufacturing-equipment/