BMG works closely with engineers in the sugar industry, providing engineering solutions and technical services to enhance production efficiencies at every mill and refinery.
“BMG’s specialist services to the sugar sector include bearing and gearbox inspection, bearing and chain refurbishment, large size bearing assembly, alignment and balancing, as well as customised product design,” says Carlo Beukes, business unit manager, Power Transmission. “Our team of mobile technicians conducts breakdown and routine maintenance on site. It carries out troubleshooting at sugar mills and advises on possible productivity improvements to ensure the highest level of plant output and reliability.
“We launch new products and advanced systems to meet industry requirements that are constantly evolving. Important power transmission components for sugar mills and refineries include maintenance-free, heavy-duty engineering couplings – Timken Quick-Flex (QF) and Vulkan GBN heavy industrial couplings – designed for efficient performance, low maintenance and extended service life in harsh operating conditions. These components extend from light-duty, high-speed/low torque drives, to heavy-duty, low-speed/high torque variants.
“The overall features and benefits of these two couplings are similar, with one major difference – the QF coupling is ideal for shaft sizes up to 232 mm, while the GBN series accommodates bigger shaft sizes up to 600 mm. Through BMG’s assistance with accurate product selection, substantial savings can be made in reduced maintenance costs and minimal downtime.”
The primary purpose of a coupling is to transmit torque from a driving shaft to a driven shaft, and to accommodate shaft misalignment within the drive. Couplings also dampen vibration, torque fluctuations and torsional shock loads, even in arduous applications.
Timken Quick-Flex
Timken Quick-Flex couplings consist of two steel coupling hubs, which are attached to the drive and driven shaft. A urethane element wraps around the two hubs and provides a simple, yet effective, drive mechanism. The only spare part required, is a standby element that can be quickly changed when necessary.
Inserts, which are resistant to chemicals, are manufactured from different grades of urethane to suit various industries. The red insert is suitable for most high-speed applications with high levels of vibration, the stiffer blue insert is designed for higher torque applications and the black insert can withstand extremely high torque requirements, replacing grid and gear couplings.
An advantage of these flexible couplings over conventional units is direct replacement with virtually all comparable sized couplings. Quick-Flex couplings require no lubrication and are also easy to install and maintain. Due to the high torque capacity of this range, the selected QF solution is often smaller than the replaced coupling. This leads to a major weight-saving on the drive and also reduces stress on other components.
Once the two coupling hubs, insert and cover have been installed and aligned for the first time, the coupling hubs do not need to be moved again for the life of the equipment. Unlike standard jaw-type or gear couplings, there is no metal-to-metal contact between the hubs. This prevents any possible damage to the ironware during an element failure. The urethane insert can be easily changed, without moving the hubs or shafts and no re-alignment of components is necessary.
Vulkan Flexomax
The Vulkan Flexomax GBN maintenance-free couplings are suitable for applications that include low speed shafts of machinery driven by electric motors. For example, sugar mills, conveyor belts and tippers, as well as all machinery with high loads. These compact couplings allow for compensating axial, radial and angular misalignments and also protect the drivetrain from shock loads.
This range has a modular design that enables the integration of brake discs, pulleys, shear devices and spacer shafts within the coupling. Radial removability of the coupling elements is possible, without having to move the connected machinery. No lubrication is required during assembly or disassembly. Couplings are available in 16 sizes with nine designs and have customisable options to meet specific application requirements.
For more information contact Lauren Holloway, BMG, +27 11 620 7597, [email protected], www.bmgworld.net
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| www: | www.bmgworld.net |
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