The latest model ETP Shaft Locking Devices from Zero-Max work via a self-contained hydraulic system and provide more key benefits than traditional mechanical wedge-style shaft locking devices, ensuring high performance, accuracy, and durability in today’s motion systems. They provide far superior timing, synchronization and adjustability features. Here’s how: Zero-Max’s ETP keyless locking devices are designed to provide specific phasing and timing solutions to synchronize machine components. The hydraulic mounting principle of the ETP Keyless shaft bushings expands inward on the shaft and outward to the hub, eliminating any axial movement during installation. In contrast, mechanical shaft locking devices utilize a tapered wedge principle that can cause the mounted component to “walk” along the shaft as the wedge is drawn in during installation. This movement can complicate accurate positioning of the mounted component. Use of the ETP ensures that accurate phasing, timing, and positioning requirements are met throughout the machine, resulting in smooth machine operation and precise processes being performed. ETP Keyless shaft bushings can be fastened, adjusted and removed with only a few actuating screws (or a single screw in some ETP models), and can be mounted/adjusted/removed hundreds to thousands of times (depending on size/model) making them ideal for applications where mountings and adjustments are frequent. Mechanical Shaft Locking Bushings are more limited in the number of mountings for the life of the bushing. The innovative hydraulic principle of the ETP results in high durability and long lifetime, with no loss of accuracy after repeated mountings. The ETP’s hydraulic design establishes a concentric mounting of the machine component to the shaft, meaning it has ultra-low runout (as low as 0.0002” TIR in some models), and allows for higher accuracy, better balance, and operation at higher speeds. This hydraulic design also provides a thinner wall thickness (ID/OD) of the bushing, meaning hubs do not have to be oversized to fit the application. The ETP is infinitely phase adjustable to time and synchronize machine components to one another and allows for timing adjustments between various processes or stations on a machine. The ETP bushing locks securely into position, making it a verifiable installation position for high product quality, and can also allow for higher machine operating speeds due to the accurate timing of components. For the accurate mounting of the ETP, one mounting screw equals one torque value, and the hydraulic mounting principle means consistent mounting pressure throughout the bushing. By comparison, most mechanical bushings require torquing at multiple locations. With multiple screw mechanical bushings, torquing at one screw location easily changes the result at an adjacent location with a loss of concentricity and accuracy.
ETP hydraulic-based keyless bushings precisely mount and dismount in seconds and offer hundreds to thousands of mounting cycles. The ETP shaft connection is infinitely phase adjustable for applications such as machine tools that require ultra-precise rotary timing and linear positioning, along with extremely low run-out. The single screw (or minimal mounting screws) of the ETP allows for fast, easy assembly, rapid re-positioning for phase adjustments for timing or product size changes, and saves time when machine changeovers are necessary, all which minimize costly downtime. The accuracy of the ETP is micrometer-level repeatable, ensuring high concentricity which is critical in automated machinery and slitter knife holders, as examples. Another ETP advantage is the elimination of keyways. Keyways can weaken shafts and experience wear on the keyways and keyseats, which can be a source of lost motion. The ETP shaft connections are a keyless design, providing a more robust, reliable, and precise connection. The ETP product line is just one exclusive line of Zero-Max motion control products. The company is a leading provider of motion control and power transmission solutions and is one of the industry’s most trusted coupling manufacturers. The company provides shaft couplings, right angle gear drives, in addition to other precision motion control components and Overhung Load Adaptors (OHLA). Zero-Max products are known throughout the world for their innovative designs, high quality, high performance and durability.
