Performance and safety of the new cardan GKN Walterscheid

It is called Ultra Plus and it is the new cardan shaft developed by the German company GKN Walterscheid (the headquarters are based in Lohmar, a city in the Land of Rhineland-Westphalia) to raise the bar in the performance of durability, operativity and security. The German brand has introduced many innovations on this system. Starting from the new cruises - that will soon become a must on all GKN Walterscheid cardan shafts - equipped with multilayer seals recognizable from their turquoise color, which can significantly improve the performance of the machinery particularly when used together with innovative lubricants. Thanks to this particular construction solution, the Lohmar company has managed to extend the cardan joints’life over time, with a progressive reduction of wear and of maintenance interventions. Fat loss is also reduced, while the grease fitting on the bottom of the bearing bush makes greasing easier. The redesign of the German technicians involved the two semi-protections (shaped in such a way as to be able to work without one of the anti-rotation chains), and the protection sleeve that facilitate assembly/disassembly and maintenance operations (the protection sleeves on the tool side can be removed and opened with a few movements and provide an automatic 360° locking). Another innovation is the 50° constant speed wide angle joint (model P450), which can be used where the angle of inclination of 50° is not exceeded. Conceived to be used for large constant angles, and for operating without any lubricant losses (it has an encapsulated structure), the constant speed wide angle joint adapts to high revolutions, it is silent and not subjected to any maintenance interventions since it exploits a completely closed balance system. Among the other Ultra Plus system strongest points, there are the friction disc torque limiters (K90TF and K90/4TF) with their easier maintenance procedures, while the cup springs allow the automatic compensation of the wear to obtain a constant torque and a high level of job security.