Turbomachinery Symposium: Riverhawk releases new shaft clamp, stud tensioner

Riverhawk Company (New Hartford, NY) displayed its recently released internal expanding shaft clamp and external stud tensioner during this year's Turbomachinery Symposium in Houston last week. The Texas A&M Turbomachinery Laboratory sponsored the symposium, marking the show's 29th year.

Riverhawk's Internal Expanding Shaft Clamp (IESC) provides mechanically actuated clamp pressure for high torque capacity on a variety of applications, including compressor impellers, pump impellers or gears, said Tim Lashinger, marketing representative for the company.

Quick and simple to install, Lashinger said, the IESC allows the shaft and shaft element to be designed with cylindrical, slip fits. When the internal wedges are driven together against the ramped collet, the IESC accomplishes a tight mating.

This drives the shaft surface into direct high-pressure contact with the bore. Intervening parts, which can cause run out, aren't required between the bore and the shaft, nor are stress rising key ways or splines required for torque transmission. And, Lashinger said, simple joint surfaces minimize manufacturing costs.

Particularly well suited for impeller applications, Lashinger said, Riverhawk—a company focusing on hydraulic shaft joining technologies—can design and build its new IESC to meet users' specific needs.

Riverhawk, he said, also offers a full range of standard and custom stud tensioners, including its new External Stud Tensioner (EST). Stud tensioning, Lashinger said, seems to be today's preferred method of tightening bolted connections. Stud tensioning eliminates the inaccuracies associated with torquing, such as surface finish, coatings, lubricants, coefficient of friction, etc.

According to Lashinger, Riverhawk's tensioners offer flexibility and versatility with modular designs that use a wide range of stud sizes and a minimum number of parts. With the EST or other Riverhawk tensioners, the stud can be accurately tensioned to the required load, and any number of these tensioners can be linked together to simultaneously provide a smooth uniform load on the connection and a "fast, easy connection," he said.

For more information about these new Riverhawk products, contact Lashinger, 315-768-1848, fax 315-768-4941, tim.lashinger@riverhawk.com.

By April C. Murelio
Managing Editor, Power Online