Couplings : Torque Limiting Couplings
Couplings are mechanical fasteners, usually used to join two pieces of a shaft together for the purpose of driving rotating equipment. A torque limiting coupling is specifically designed to protect the structural integrity of the shaft if an overtorque condition is experienced. Torque limiting couplings come in two primary variations - 1) disconnect couplings that use a shear pin or other method to mechanically disconnect the two shafts if the torque limit is reached, and 2) torque limiting couplings that use a friction plate or other slip mechanism to allow one shaft to run faster than the other. In the case of a slip mechanism, the friction caused by the slip is released as excess heat.
