What are the Practical Uses of Oldham Couplers in Various Machines?

[farhad_mech]

hello
our prof talked about oldham coupler and showed us some animations of how it works,
but didn't mention about where and in which machines it is is used,
anybody knows some practical uses of oldham coupler and some examples
of machines this coupler is used in?

thanks

 

[ank_gl]

its an oldie. it works in labs now.lolz...

Practical use? What do you observe when you see it? Its a coupling for parallel shafts at some radial distance

 

[farhad_mech]

thanks for answer.i know "Its a coupling for parallel shafts at some radial distance",i want to know name of some machines that use it,searching in google i found that it is used in cnc machines,is there any specific other machines that use this couplig?
you said it works in labs now,you mean toadays oldham coupler is not used anymore?

 

[ank_gl]

i found that it is used in cnc machines

can you show us a link?

you said it works in labs now,you mean toadays oldham coupler is not used anymore?

I won't say anymore, but I haven't seen it so far other than my kinematics lab as an inversion of a 4 bar chain.
It isn't practical anymore for today's world. First, its a lower pair, has sooo much frictional loss, second, it is suitable for very small radial distances, there are better(efficient as well as cheap) options.

 

[farhad_mech]

here is the link:
http://www.jeffree.co.uk/pages/taigcncpt1.htm

you said "there are better(efficient as well as cheap) options."
do you know some of them?

 

[FredGarvin]

These couplers are used all over, especially in pump applications.

Look at companys like Lovejoy.

 

[Q_Goest]

It isn't practical anymore for today's world. First, its a lower pair, has sooo much frictional loss, second, it is suitable for very small radial distances, there are better(efficient as well as cheap) options.

I'd have to disagree with that. They're used extensively for coupling electric motors to pumps, especially centrifugal pumps. I use a type of this coupling for connecting the drive shafts of two pumps together, so there are a lot of uses.

Generally, they're used when there are two shafts that need to be connected, and the shafts are both fully supported by bearings. If the shafts were directly coupled (ie: locked together as a single shaft) then any misalignment would create huge loads on the bearings which would wear out prematurely. So the coupling allows for some misalignment between fixed shafts so there won't be excessive loads created on the bearings.

 

[ank_gl]

Generally, they're used when there are two shafts that need to be connected, and the shafts are both fully supported by bearings. If the shafts were directly coupled (ie: locked together as a single shaft) then any misalignment would create huge loads on the bearings which would wear out prematurely. So the coupling allows for some misalignment between fixed shafts so there won't be excessive loads created on the bearings.

hmm, nice solution.

 

[farhad_mech]

thank you so much Q_Goest and FredGarvin,i think i have my answer now.

 

[ank_gl]

yeah me too, thanks q_goest & fred