Short Flex

and
Spacer Shaft
Tolerances
Is there really a need for both?
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 Flexible Coupling
A flexible coupling has two flex planes
(points of power transmission.)
1 2

The shafts can only change their relative

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position at the two points of power transmission.

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 Coupling Examples
How many flex points? (points of
power transmission)
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 Misalignment Magnified

What happens to the coupling

when we have misalignment?
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SHEAR?

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 Misalignment Magnified

NO, Its a FLEXIBLE coupling, so it will

deform to accommodate the
misalignment.
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This creates 2 ANGLES at each power of

transmission point.
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 Misalignment Magnified

What about OFFSET? Where

does that come from?
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For Short Flex Tolerances, the OFFSET is

defined at coupling center.
This creates 2 ANGLES at each power of
transmission point. www.ludeca.com
 Shaft Measurement

Regardless of coupling type and

length, the tools are measuring the
relative positions of shaft centerlines
of rotation.
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 Shaft Measurement

We are simply selecting how the tool

expresses the misalignment to see if
we have too much misalignment at the
points of power transmission.
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 Defining Tolerances
Short Flex Tolerances
Short flex tolerances express the misalignment as an
Angle between the shaft centerlines and as the Offset
between the shaft centerlines calculated at coupling
center.

4 or less
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Calculated offset at
coupling center
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 Defining Tolerances
Spacer Tolerances
Spacer tolerances express the misalignment at each
flex plane.
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 Defining Tolerances
Notes:
Spacer and Short Flex Tolerances both measure
the relative rotational centerline misalignment but
express it in different terms.
Short flex tolerances were developed many years
ago to safely simplify the alignment tolerances of
close coupled (4 or less) machines.
Short flex tolerances are a derivative of spacer
tolerances.
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 Example of both Tolerances
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 Tolerances
What tolerances do I use?

Short Flex?

Spacer?
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 Short Flex
Short Flex tolerances have been over-
generalized to cover all types and lengths of
couplings.
As the distance between flex planes
increases, the possibility of aligning to short
flex tolerances severely decreases when it
should actually become easier.
That Express Alignment has now become a
lengthy, tedious process!
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Lets examine this further

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 Spacer Coupling Effect

What is happening to
the angle?
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 Spacer Coupling Effect
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 Spacer Tolerances
Expressed at EACH FLEX PLANE
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 Short Flex Only
Short Flex tolerances
need to satisfy a given
Angularity AND Offset
at the coupling center.

Short Flex tols

have us
correcting the
two alignments
in the best
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condition!

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 Conclusion

Short Flex 4 coupling or less

Spacer more than 4

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 Conclusion

Unless more Overtime is your goal,

make sure you know that having both
short flex and spacer shaft tolerances
will make the job easier!
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 Thank you!!
2008 LUDECA, INC.

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