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The extreme environmental conditions in steel processing place high demands on the components used. The Quick-Flex elastomer couplings from Lovejoy, a Timken brand, ensure torque transmission when driving the roller tables in the hot rolling mill.

In steel processing, the molten pig iron obtained in the blast furnace is processed into crude steel in converters in the steelworks. The crude steel is then cast into slabs in continuous casting plants. These are then rolled and formed into coils. Roller conveyors or roller conveyors are used to transport the red-hot slabs, which are around 10 meters long and weigh 25 tons. Due to their high temperatures, the slabs must not come to a standstill, as this would damage the transporting rollers. The rolled material must therefore be constantly moved on the rollers until it has cooled down or the next processing step is imminent.

The reliability of the components plays a major role here: “If a coupling fails on the roller tables, you can continue working until the next planned stop, but you run the risk of damaging the roller,” says Detlef Peick, Business Development Manager for Couplings at R+L Hydraulics. “This ultimately results in longer downtimes or costs for replacing the roller during the subsequent repair. If you take the roller conveyor out of operation, you avoid damaging the roller, but then create a bottleneck for the rest of production, as the downstream part of the system cannot be used.”

R+L Hydraulics GmbH now also produces LK series torsion couplings in Werdohl in the Sauerland region. The drive technology and hydraulics specialist are a subsidiary of the US clutch manufacturer Lovejoy LLC, which has further expanded its European site with production in Germany. The torsion clutches in the LK series are ideal for use in mobile hydraulics: they are used in diesel, petrol or natural gas engines that drive one or more flange-mounted hydraulic pumps. Typical applications include excavators, vibratory rollers, loaders, cranes, passenger elevators, forklifts and tractors. The LK torsion coupling is a stable, two-part coupling consisting of an element or a flywheel adapter and a hub for shaft connection. The couplings are very torsional stiff and enable hydraulic pumps and similar units with low mass or inertia to be operated below the critical speed. They can be used in all motor-driven hydrostatic applications in the low to medium power range. LK torsion couplings are maintenance-free and are characterized by their low weight, high torsional stiffness, and long service life. Their performance spectrum covers the range from 125 to 6,000 Nm. The hubs can be modified in shape and length, and different flange positions are possible. Various series for standardized SAE flywheels and non-standardized flywheels are available. R+L Hydraulics offers application support and on-site assessment for the respective applications. www.rl-hydraulics.com.

Hydraulics GmbH has expanded its product portfolio to include measuring couplings. The new measuring couplings from the hydraulic and drive technology specialist are suitable for pressure testing, lubrication.

Lubrication, venting and oil removal in a wide range of mobile and stationary hydraulic applications in areas such as industry, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, marine, energy and environmental technology, mechanical engineering, automotive and rail vehicles.

Measuring couplings are suitable for both original equipment and retrofitting. S offer service personnel and users of hydraulic applications the simple and safe option of monitoring system pressure, bleeding the hydraulic system, analyzing the degree of contamination and taking representative fluid samples – both temporarily and permanently. Thanks to the integrated non-return valve, this work can be carried out at pressures of up to 630 bar without the system having to be shut down.

The measuring couplings are available in various materials such as stainless steel. They are suitable for all hydraulic and mineral oils; they can be equipped for other media on request. The seals are available in various designs and materials to meet a wide range of requirements and prevent oil leaks: seals made of nitrile rubber NBR are characterized by high resistance to mineral oils and are suitable for a temperature range from -30°C to +125°C; seals made of the fluor elastomer Viton have high thermal and chemical resistance and can be used from -25°C to +230°C.

Tailored to the respective application, the measuring couplings are available with differentthreads and in various designs, e.g. with a riser tube, union nut, as a bulkhead.

The range is supplemented by pressure gauges, measuring hoses, hose fittings and protection valves.

The range is supplemented by pressure gauges, measuring hoses, hose fittings and protection valves.

“We are delighted to have taken another forward-looking step as a full-range supplier of quality components for fluid and drive technology by expanding our product portfolio,” says Timo Weber, General Manager of R+L H Hydraulics GmbH. “The continuous expansion of our range of services represents an important component of the strategic business expansion in the Timken Group, in that we are always at the side of our demanding customers from a wide range of industries with new and individual product solutions and they can rely on R+L as a high-performance system partner in the long term.”

In addition to the new test couplings, R+L H Hydraulics develops, produces and distributes a wide range of components for fluid and drive technology, including

Industrial couplings and hydraulic accessories such as claw couplings, cooling pump and bellhousings, damping elements, aluminum tanks, heat exchangers and coolers. The products are used in a wide variety of applications in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and vehicle construction, energy and environmental technology, the steel industry and offshore technology as well as in special plant engineering applications.