Ameridrives Modified Amerigear Couplings for European Steel Rod Mill

A steel mill in the Midwestern U.S. needed replacement gear couplings for its rod mill. The mill was built in Europe and utilizes more than 50 couplings that have non-standard bolt circle diameters (BCDs). The mill operators were having difficulty sourcing replacement and spare couplings in the U.S. since the European gear couplings do not meet AGMA standard exposed or shrouded bolting patterns. Ordering spares from the European OEM was costly and required long lead times.

In response to the problem, Ameridrives designed a version of its popular Amerigear coupling with a modified flange that can be drilled to match multiple European manufacturer’s BCDs. Since the new couplings utilize a standard (in stock) Amerigear sleeve and barrel size, Ameridrives can hold the same short lead times as its standard AGMA couplings with only a modest upcharge.

The modified Amerigear couplings allow a customer to replace just a worn flex half as opposed to a complete coupling. The Amerigear design, proven in the metal mill industry for decades, offers higher misalignment, torque, and max bore ratings than European equivalent couplings.

Fully-crowned gear teeth provide operational benefits including maximum load carrying capacity with minimum size, maximum reliability and long life. Optimum separation of gear meshes permits high parallel offset capacity. Units feature accurately machined medium carbon steel hubs and sleeves. Positive-type O-ring seals keep lubricant in and contaminants out. Seals are enshrouded to prevent damage.