WPT Power’s market-leading Power Grip clutch products perform in many rugged applications worldwide. One of those, perhaps the most demanding application, is turning Grinding Mills.
The Power Grip Grinding Mill Clutch provides a smooth and efficient engagement for these weighty loads. A calculated slip time provides a soft start function, which is crucial as it is very forgiving on the rest of the costly drivetrain. Another key factor of the Power Grip is to ease the load and amp draw upon startup of the mill motor, and often, when compared to other shaft-to-shaft clutch designs such as the constricting drum style, the Power Grip can offer energy savings due to the total installed shaft weight being much less in some instances. This is achieved by having a much greater friction lining area due to the multi-plate style arrangement, rather than bulky drums with minimal friction contact. The added benefit of reduced shaft mass is that the pinion, motor, or gearbox bearings will experience less overhung load, potentially resulting in a longer service life and lower lubrication consumption, leading to additional ongoing cost savings.
The Power Grip range also offers sites with multiple mills the ability to rationalize spares. Most sizes are available in various plate configurations, allowing standard key wear components to be used for multiple mills. Other designs on the market also can’t be rebuilt while keeping the drums/hubs in place, disrupting the shaft alignment and often a complicated disassembly process. The Power Grip can be serviced on the shaft in most cases without disturbing the shaft alignment. In addition, WPT Power offers another option: split friction material and a split air tube, making shaft mounting installations and servicing even easier. Pair this together with the innovation of WPT Power’s extended tooth hub and the optional Wave Springs (Wave Springs available for 36” and under, 36” + remain coil), making the Power Grip Clutch by far the best choice when it comes to upfront purchase, ongoing maintenance and adds flow-on benefits to other key mill driveline components. WPT Power offers sizing up to 60” and can cater to mills requiring an axial locking device or without, and we have the ability to span different shaft gaps while keeping the clutch element standard.
To find out more please see our latest Power Grip catalog or get in touch with one of the very responsive team members.