GMN Bearing USA.

GMN FE 8000 Sprag Clutch

GMN FE 8000 Sprag Clutch

RPM Shouldn’t be a Limiting Factor

Our high torque capacity FE 8000 sprag clutch is unlike any other clutch of its kind on the market today. Here is what sets it apart:

A. Our sprags have a unique design.

• Sprags will engage at any speed, has no RPM limits.
• Sprags have a constant clamping angle for increased reliable engagement.

B. More torque.

• Our FE 8000 has almost double the torque capacity than the leading competitor.

C. Single cage design.

• More sprags, per clutch, than any other clutch on the market.

No RPM Limits: How it Works

• When idle, no torque is being transmitted, the sprag assembly is rotating.
• With other clutch brands, when the clutch is operating too fast the centrifugal force causes the sprags to lay down and lift off the shaft. That’s why you will see an RPM limit on their clutches.
• BUT with the GMN FE 8000 sprag clutch, we don’t have that problem.
• Our cam sprags are designed with a unique geometrical shape that actually uses the centrifugal forces in their favor! When centrifugal forces increase, our sprags stand up on the shaft, which produces a constant contact on the shaft at any speed (RPM). Therefore our FE 8000 has no limiting speed issues.
• We know there is a “wildcard” when we talk about RPM and that’s lubrication.
• So book 20 min on our engineer’s calendar and he’ll walk you through all the “geeky” details including system requirements, lead times, and pricing.

Clamping & The Engagement Curve

The unique geometric design of the cam sprag produces a constant engagement curve.

A specific clamping angle (αa, αi) results when the sprags are in contact with the mating parts. This part of the engagement curve is called the operating zone.

Nominal Torque

For optimal torque transmission there are three key components:

1. Stiffness of sprags, shaft and housing for minimal deflection
2. Gap height requirements need to be met so the sprags aren’t standing up too much before engagement
3. The line contact for Hertzian pressure needs to be tight

The rules for gap height and Hertzian pressure are:

• Nominal torque: Gap height 8.490 mm OR Hertzian pressure of 4,200 MPa
• Max. torque: Gap height 8.600 mm OR Hertzian pressure of 4,600 MPa