Oldham Couplings

An Oldham coupling is a compact, three-piece mechanical connector for parallel shafts, featuring two outer hubs with slots and a central floating disc with perpendicular tongues that slide in these slots, allowing it to transmit torque while absorbing significant lateral (parallel) misalignment without backlash, commonly used in printing, packaging, and semiconductor machines for smooth, backlash-free power transfer. 

How it works:

Three Parts: It has two end hubs (connected to shafts) and a middle floating disc (coupler).

Tongue & Groove: Each hub has a slot; the center disc has a tongue on one side fitting into a slot on one hub, and another tongue on the opposite side fitting into the other hub's slot, with the tongues at 90 degrees.

Sliding Motion: As shafts rotate, the tongues slide within their respective slots, allowing the center disc to move laterally (sideways), accommodating misalignment.

Power Transmission: Power is transmitted through the sliding action, ensuring smooth, constant-velocity power transfer even with parallel shaft offset. 

Key Features:

High Misalignment: Excellent for significant parallel (lateral) misalignment.

Zero Backlash: Provides backlash-free, precise motion, crucial for accurate positioning.

Compact & Easy: Simple design, easy to assemble, and compact.

Wear Element: The center disc is a wear part, requiring periodic replacement in high-use applications. 

Common Uses:

Automation & Robotics

Printing & Packaging Machines

Semiconductor Manufacturing

Scroll Compressors (to prevent orbiting scroll rotation).