Latest posts from KTR Couplings UK

What is a Durometer?

A durometer is an instrument used to measure the hardness of a material, and this is defined on the basis of the materials resistance to permanent indentation. A ball or diamond pyramid is pressed into the material at various pressures, however this technique proved inaccurate for softer materials such as elastomers. As the indentation was measured in-situ, the indentation would remain on the surface of metals but not the softer materials.

At KTR, we have been focusing our attentions to renewable energy sources. The promise of a clean solution to fossil fuels is most commonly associated with wind power and solar energy but it's been suggested that biogas could actually be the way forward. Could this less publicised form of renewable energy be the future of sustainable energy in the UK?

At KTR our products link us to anaerobic digestion - a biomass to biogas process - therefore we want to discuss this as a possible future addition to the UK's renewable energy efforts.

Renewable and sustainable energy sources are becoming increasingly popular as more people become aware of their advantages and benefits to the environment. Further wind energy projects are proposed for Scotland, however one particular location that may soon feature 11 wind turbines is being criticised by American businessman, Donald Trump.

The Scottish government refused to comment on Trump's criticism's, but Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister, who is for these plans responded by saying that once the renewable energy plant is up and running, more jobs will be created and even Donald Trump will be on board.

Within the last year, utility-scale installations of wind turbines have changed from 1.5 megawatts to 2.5 megawatts, so that each standard tower now generates enough electricity for 240 more homes than was possible in 2008. However, the 2.5-megawatt turbines still have traditional gearing mechanisms, and wind industry innovators want to evolve from standard gearbox systems to the simplicity of direct drives.

The industry is trying to scale up the technology, to cut costs and improve reliability, so now experts are considering a future of direct drive wind turbines. This means replacing traditional gearboxes and high-speed generators with bigger low-speed generators that don't require geared transmission.

Injection moulding is one of the prime processes for producing plastic products due to the speed of the process and the ability to produce large numbers of identical products, anything from high precision engineering components to disposable consumer goods.

Typically, thermoplastics are used in the process, and materials such as Nylon PA, Polycarbonate PC, PP and GPPS are most commonly used. Plastics are increasingly being used instead of conventional materials because of their high durability properties, but this is not a new concept, as it came into existence in 1872.

When considering bellhousings for industrial applications, nylon is not traditionally the material of choice. When aligning large motors to pump shafts, stronger materials such as aluminium and cast-iron tend to be the first port of call in the selection process. However, in some instances the characteristics of combining nylon and aluminium can be ideal.

As sound emissions of hydraulic units are becoming more and more important, in accordance with changing UK and EC directives, selecting the right bellhousing will undoubtedly involve great consideration for damping properties and sound control.

KTR's has an extensive product portfolio, but is not the only thing that makes up our identity. KTR has a customised demand for tailor made solutions of which there are 10,000 new developments ordered by customers every year. Of this growing trend, many become industrial standard.

After the success of the torque-measuring shaft Datsflex, KTR's customer base expressed an interest in the testing of the devices for speed monitoring. In 2005 this was presented amongst the other KTR measuring systems and called "Monitex KTR". This was developed specifically for Rotex and Rotex GS couplings. In addition to continuous speed measuring, continuous coupling monitoring is able to detect and avoid wear and damages on the drive. The coupling is scanned by a by a non-contact light barrier to calculate the compression and wear of the spider, without having to disassemble the drive unit.

It has been proposed that an undersea electricity grid will be built to connect Scotland and Ireland within the next 10 years. In recent news, the UK is set to see another dip back into recession and it is thought that this proposed grid will provide a major economic boost - creating jobs, revenue and securing our green energy future.

Ministers from Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland are going to press Westminster and Brussels on the issue so that plans can be put in motion to allow the construction to begin. Extensive research over two years shows that these areas have the most powerful offshore renewable energy sources in Europe. For example, Scotland has a quarter of the continents wind and tidal resource, and around a tenth of its potential wave power. This is a great potential project for Scotland and will allow further development their exporting capabilities and bring revenues back into the country.

Radex steel lamina couplings had been part of KTR's production programme since 1990. This coupling design had been revised continuously, specifically when Dr. Norbert Partmann became head of the engineering department. Dr Partmann had been working for a manufacturer of wind power stations for many years and so he was in a position to contribute his experiences with this product range. In 2002, Radex-N was introduced which was a steel lamina coupling designed particularly for wind power stations. It was a backlash-free, maintenance-free all-steel coupling with laminas made from highly stiff spring steel having an extremely high torsional stiffness. The first coupling of that kind was assembled near Gronau in autumn 2000.

And how KTR Couplings are at the forefront of this new technology.

What is 3D Printing?

The first 3D printers came onto the industry market in the mid 1990s, but Charles W. Hull first created the technology in the mid-1980s. 3D printers have the ability to build objects out of various materials from scratch using CAD files and 3D scanners. The layers of objects are printed as per the CAD (Computer Aided Design) file provided, which act as a blueprint for the object.