Friction clutch in disc mower

Profile

• What was needed: iglidur plain bearings
• Requirements: smooth running behaviour at up to 1300 revolutions per minute, robustness against aggressive substances such as fertiliser, space-saving solution
• Industry: Agriculture
• Success for the customer: the friction clutch enables significantly better radial run-out, the plain bearing delivers what it promises: low wear, good running properties, no corrosion and resistance to dust and dirt

Application video - Bronze manus 2013

Problem

Due to the changes in agriculture, the demands on machinery and equipment for cultivating farmland are constantly increasing. As a supplier of drive systems for agricultural machinery, GKN Walterscheid GmbH is constantly working on adapting its products to meet these requirements. In this project, an existing combined overload clutch (combination of friction clutch and freewheel clutch) was revised. This is used in a disc mower to limit short-term torque peaks.
The problem arises from the demand for higher speeds of up to 1300 revolutions per minute. The standard design of the friction freewheel clutch is relatively prone to play, which leads to uneven operating characteristics at high speeds. As these clutches have already been used in many applications, it was important for GKN Walterscheid GmbH to create a solution with a new bearing concept that enables a 1:1 replacement of the old clutch.
As the application in agriculture takes place under the most adverse conditions and the components are exposed to substances such as fertilisers, a robust solution had to be found. Added to this are high temperatures, especially in conjunction with a friction clutch.

Solution

The aim was to solve the problem by means of a completely new bearing concept in the clutch. Various interfaces were combined in order to improve the operating characteristics of the clutch to today's standard. In order to be able to remain in the same installation space with these measures, a particularly space-saving bearing was sought. As initial experience with iglidur plain bearings had already been gained in previous development projects, a suitable bearing was quickly found. Thanks to the good support and fast delivery of sample parts, the project was quickly brought to a successful conclusion.
The problem that arose during development is partly due to the relatively high temperatures that can prevail during use as well as the high gliding speeds. After an initial test with plain bearings made of the material iglidur Z, however, there was much delight, because the friction clutch now enables significantly better radial run-out. And the iglidur bearing also delivers what it promises: low wear, good operating characteristics, no corrosion and resistance to dust and dirt.

Awards ceremony at the Hannover Messe 2013