WPT Power is actively operating in lots of different applications across multiple markets. One requirement that pops up from time to time is for live shaft PTO’s. On these occasions, customers have been requesting a product that connects via the SAE diesel engine housing, like you would normally, but without a clutch function.
Using the same foundation as their Power Take-Offs, either the standard PTO range or the market-leading Pilotless® models, WPT Power can cater to this demand by starting with a bare shaft unit, which provides the ability to furnish the PTO with a torsionally flexible coupling that adapts directly to the flywheel, completing the drive package.
For volume projects, WPT Power can look to supply the coupling fitted or provide the PTO with a bare shaft ready to accept the coupling on the standard tapered shaft end that would normally accept the clutch pack. That way, a standard product is still being utilized.
Torsional flexible couplings have shock-absorbing capabilities and dampen vibration transmission from the combustion engine to the driven equipment. They’re commonly used on pumps, compressors, and generator applications.
One additional benefit of this concept, rather than direct mounting off the flywheel, is having a dedicated set of bearings in the PTO housing to unload the crankshaft. This point is particularly worth highlighting when WPT’s Pilotless® format is employed. It can unload the crankshaft completely and potentially eliminate the need for any jack shaft, as the load can be directly taken off the PTO’s output shaft.
The Pilotless® design, as the name suggests, eliminates the pilot bearing, which is a wear or potential failure point. It will offer longer operational life, faster fitting, and crankshaft load protection if sideloaded. The Pilotless® design has up to 70% more side load capacity over the original series PTO’s with the use of spherical roller main bearings over cup and cone tapered rollers. The Pilotless® also offers these benefits in applications where side-load kits are being implemented.
This is another example of where WPT Power can offer flexibility and a tailored solution in the marketplace. Another example of this flexibility was an OEM project that adapted a Type 1 style PTO, which would typically be pneumatic or hydraulic, to house a flexible coupling that would interface with an electric motor for a rock crusher application.
If you are an OEM or end user with an existing application or concept that could benefit from live shaft PTO, please reach out to WPT Power’s Customer Service or call at 940-761-1971.