Use under vacuum conditions, applications in the food, cosmetics or pharmaceutical industries, specialised environmental conditions such as contact with seawater or chlorinated water, or filling and packaging applications in the food industry involving the relevant cleaning processes – all these requirements place high demands on a bespoke coupling solution.
Our options for the technical implementation of your specific requirements are virtually unlimited. Below you will find examples of customised adaptations and specially tailored solutions based on the conditions relevant to your application.
Hygiene-critical material flow in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries
A wide variety of conveyor systems are suitable for transporting bottles, cans or cartons in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. These include, for example, sliding belt, hinged belt or link chain conveyors. Thanks to their modular and flexible design, these conveyor systems link filling and packaging lines together.
When designing these systems, great emphasis is placed on ease of cleaning. This applies both to optimal accessibility and to the careful selection of materials to ensure they can withstand cyclical damp or wet cleaning processes.
In the drive train, the combination of a corrosion-protected or corrosion-resistant motor with the appropriate IP protection class and the Loewe GK ‘Torque’ series in a stainless steel version provides a coordinated, hygienic drive solution.
Loewe GK Torque
- Stainless steel 1.4301
- Lubricant-free, media-resistant polymer plain bearings
Analysers in process engineering
In modern process engineering, analysers specifically designed for this purpose continuously monitor the oxygen content in process gases. Precise and reliable measurement results enable the optimisation and fine-tuning of the respective production processes.
The Loewe GK from the Linear series proves to be the ideal partner for precise, linear measurement. It is designed as a stainless steel version with matched, conductive plain bearings.
Loewe GK Linear
- Stainless steel 1.4404
- Self-lubricating, conductive high-performance plain bearings
Compact dimensions and high displacement compensation in marine environments
Applications in the offshore sector, in shipbuilding or in underwater – so-called subsea – environments all have one thing in common: they come into contact with seawater. This means that the relevant machine and plant components must meet high standards in terms of their resistance to this medium.
Case Study:
Additional specific installation requirements
But that is not all: extremely tight installation conditions, combined with a high capacity for radial displacement compensation and high torque transmission, are further challenging requirements placed on the compensating coupling to be used in such applications, in addition to contact with seawater.
The compact Semiflex precision coupling, in a customised version, rises to this demanding challenge.
Duplex steel plus maintenance-free plain bearings designed for underwater applications
The material of this torsionally rigid compensating coupling is precisely tailored to the prevailing medium: a stainless austenitic-ferritic duplex steel. The individual coupling links also incorporate special self-lubricating high-performance plain bearings, optimised for underwater applications, thus rounding off the coupling package, which has been carefully tailored to the technical requirements.
Thanks to its slim design, the Semiflex fits perfectly into the limited installation space available whilst offering a high degree of radial displacement compensation of several millimetres.
Semiflex
- Size NKB 10.17/2
- Seawater-resistant duplex stainless steel
- The most compact design with additional, inwards-facing hubs
- Lubricant-free polymer plain bearings optimised for underwater applications
Suitable for use with the media in the drive systems of modern automatic swimming pool covers
Motorised swimming pool cover systems, as they are commonly known as automatic swimming pool covers, provide a reliable protective barrier at the touch of a button. In doing so, they ensure safety and help to maintain hygienic conditions. Furthermore, they contribute significantly to conserving the water’s heat and thus saving energy. The Controlflex, in its media-compatible version, is precisely adapted to these conditions, as it can come into contact with chlorinated pool water.
Controlflex
- Stainless steel 1.4404
Customisable mixing and kneading processes for the production of crisp baked goods
In the production of ready-to-sell, crisp crispbread products, this cereal product undergoes a multi-stage production process. One of these stages is the actual mixing and kneading process, during which the dough is brought to a homogeneous, bake-ready consistency. Individually adjustable mixing tools and height-adjustable discharge components, designed to accommodate varying dosing quantities, ensure a consistent and optimally balanced throughput in such a system. The Schmidt coupling supports the continuous mixing and conveying process with its variable adjustment capability whilst maintaining constant synchronisation. In accordance with the strict hygiene requirements for food processing machinery, the compact coupling features a smooth, easy-to-clean, corrosion-resistant nickel coating. The uniform and pore-free coating thickness achieved through chemical nickel plating offers excellent resistance to corrosion and wear.
Schmidt coupling
- Corrosion protection: chemically nickel-plated or stainless steel 1.4301
- Food-grade lubricants or lubricant-free, media-resistant polymer plain bearings, FDA-compliant
Compact modular belt conveyor systems in the food industry
Before pasta and other dough-based products are finally displayed on supermarket chilled shelves, ready for sale, they go through various manufacturing and packaging processes. These range from portioning and dosing processes to automated product handling. In the latter stage, the food products are distributed, grouped and then packaged ready for dispatch. For these sub-processes in the food industry, fully automatic and easy-to-clean modular belt conveyors ensure the precise transport of packaged or unpackaged foodstuffs.
Case Study:
Customised lifting processes in material-handling systems designed to be extremely space-efficient
With their modular design, they transport the products without slippage through curves and inclines. In the drive system of such modular conveyors, the pasta products are first lifted in the first segment – depending on the processing method – and then transported with high precision to the individual stations in continuous cyclic operation. Depending on the height of this initial radial lifting movement, precision couplings from the Semiflex and Schmidt-Kupplung series take over the precisely defined lifting process during operation in an extremely space-saving manner. In accordance with the hygiene regulations for these systems, the couplings are made of stainless steel and fitted with high-quality food-grade lubricant. For the hard-to-access installation spaces in these compactly designed and engineered conveyor systems, the compensating coupling is fitted with clamping hubs in a half-shell design.
Semiflex, Schmidt-Kupplung
- Size F 265, P 355
- Stainless steel 1.4301 or 1.4404
- Food-grade lubricants or lubricant-free, media-resistant polymer plain bearings, FDA-compliant
Wastewater treatment in the offshore sector
Bespoke wastewater treatment systems in the offshore sector or on board ships efficiently treat greywater, blackwater and oily bilge water. This is achieved through various process stages, ranging from mechanical pre-treatment to biological clarification and purification. Drive units for pumps, screens or lifting equipment require a precisely matched coupling solution in this context. The Loewe GK Torque axial-rigid flexible coupling is designed in stainless steel for these specific operating conditions and fitted with specially matched, media-resistant plain bearings.
Loewe GK Torque
- Stainless steel 1.4462
- Lubricant-free, media-resistant polymer plain bearings
Filling and dosing systems in the food industry
To ensure that liquid or paste-like products reach supermarket shelves ready for the end consumer, they pass through various production stages in food dosing systems. These systems are equipped with dynamically operating servo cylinders and operate at a high output rate. The dosing process is of great importance here, as the weight variations of the product in the final packaging must be kept constant across the entire production run with minimal tolerance.
Constant product changes in the filling system necessitate corresponding cleaning cycles.
For the precise linear drive of the dosing station, which is responsible for the fill quantity, the Loewe GK from the Linear series proves to be the ideal partner. In a stainless steel version with specially matched slide bushings, it withstands the constant cleaning processes and remains undisturbed even by the cleaning agents used.
Loewe GK Linear
- Stainless steel 1.4404
- Self-lubricating high-performance slide bearings, FDA-compliant