Ruland Introduces New Bellows Couplings with Enhanced Misalignment Capabilities

Ruland Manufacturing continues to expand its motion control coupling product line by introducing bellows couplings with increased misalignment capabilities. These new bellows couplings complement Ruland’s existing high-stiffness line by offering equivalent torque with greater misalignment flexibility.

Ruland's bellows couplings are lightweight, have low inertia, and can reach speeds up to 10,000 rpm due to the combination of anodized aluminum hubs and stainless-steel bellows. The thin walls of the bellows flex easily while remaining rigid under torsional loads, allowing the coupling to accommodate all forms of misalignment. The new increased misalignment style features more convolutions than the high-stiffness style, meeting the desired misalignment requirements.

"Designers who require a high-torque, high-misalignment coupling can now come to Ruland if a bellows coupling is their preferred choice," says Bill Hewitson, president of Ruland Manufacturing. "Our rigorous design and physical testing process ensures these couplings exceed market standards. This marks the second expansion of our bellows coupling line in 2024 and reinforces why Ruland is the first choice for OEM coupling designers and our distribution partners.”

The new bellows couplings with increased misalignment are available in clamp style designs, with or without keyways, in bore sizes from 3/16 in (4 mm) to 3/4 in (20 mm). A planned increase to 1-1/4 in (32 mm) will be available before the end of 2024. Ruland manufactures bellows couplings from meticulously selected North American bar stock in the ISO 9001:2015 certified advanced manufacturing facility in Marlborough, MA. The couplings are RoHS3, REACH, and Conflict Minerals compliant.

Summary:

•    Increased misalignment due to more convolutions than high-stiffness styles

•    Reduced vibration at speeds up to 10,000 rpm because of a balanced design

•    Low inertia for use in precision systems due to the use of high-grade lightweight 2024-T351 aluminum

•    Ratings validated through thorough physical testing

•    Carefully manufactured in Ruland’s advanced manufacturing facility in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA