Bespoke grid coupling saves 10,000-tonne press pump 04 February 2013

Sheffield Forgemasters Engineering (SFEL) is reporting success with a bespoke grid coupling, designed and manufactured for a very large water pump by Altra Industrial Couplings.

David Bartholomew, engineering manager at SFEL, explains that production of the coupling to match the original unit's footprint avoided a costly re-engineering project on the pump, which was coming to the end of its operational life.

SFEL is the manufacturing arm of Sheffield Forgemasters International, which specialises in steel production and machining for global supply. Its production facilities include a 10,000-ton press pump, which is capable of moving more than 6,500 litres of water every minute.

Bartholomew points out that to keep such a large pump flowing, a coupling is required to transfer the 6,000hp produced by the motor at speeds of between 70 and 83rpm, with the usual shock loading and vibration problems.

Grid couplings provide a good solution, as the metal grid that connects the hubs to the shaft allows for small amounts of movement, which smooth out torque spikes and minimise the negative effects of misalignment.

"The outside diameter of the coupling is 1,620mm and its width is approximately 650mm," states Bartholomew.

"While some manufacturers could meet the load requirements for the project, none could offer a grid coupling which met these dimensions," he continues.

"The original coupling was manufactured by Bibby, now part of Altra, so we asked if its coupling division would be able to help with a replacement. It was able to use the original design to manufacture a bespoke coupling which matched our criteria exactly."

Bibby was one of the original pioneers of grid coupling technology and has long heritage in large, high-performance, flexible couplings.

Using the design for the pump's original coupling, which was manufactured in the 1970s, as a starting point, Altra engineers were able to use the company's advanced manufacturing facilities to produce a matching new grid coupling.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Altra Industrial Motion
Bibby Transmissions

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