Patented Design Eliminates Fretting, Enhances Smoothness and Delivers Maintenance-Free Operation
CCTY, an engineering specialist and manufacturer of high-performance bearing products and assemblies, is bringing its innovative Square Ball Universal Joint to the heavy truck market after years of success in the construction industry. The patented Square Ball Universal Joint’s simplified design enables smoother rotation and maintenance-free operation to keep trucks on the road longer.
CCTY’s square ball is at the heart of the universal joint to achieve a simpler, stronger and consistently smoother solution for transferring torque through an angle, such as in steering shaft assemblies. While traditional universal joints can contain over 100 individual parts, the Square Ball Universal Joint consists of just eight components with only three components needed for torque transmission.
“Our Square Ball Universal Joint can be used on anything with a steering wheel and we’re seeing great potential for this assembly in the heavy truck market,” said John Sweetwood, product manager, CCTY. “It’s simple and thoughtful design addresses key customer issues, including fretting, smoother steering and eliminates maintenance.”
Consistently Smoother Rotation: When needle bearings are preloaded into a universal joint, they must pass a rocking angle test. If they do not, the part is typically scrapped. The Square Ball Universal Joint is comprised of two yokes and a square ball which do not require preloading in the assembly process. This results in consistent, smooth-moving joints in the customer’s production process, and a reduction in scrap.
Eliminates Fretting: Conventional universal joints used in heavy truck steering systems are subject to fretting and need to be replaced about every 250,000 miles. The design of the Square Ball Universal Joint has a large contact area between the bearing surfaces, so it will not fret – eliminating this common failure mode.
Eliminates Maintenance: CCTY’s Square Ball Universal Joint incorporates a boot seal design that holds grease near the bearing’s surfaces and protects moving components against contaminants. It boasts an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of 68.
“The technicians we talk with report that they tend to get about 250,000 miles out of their current steering universal joints, which means they’re replacing them approximately four times in a truck’s expected lifespan,” said Sweetwood. “Our Square Ball Universal Joint enables the steering shaft assembly to be maintenance free. When required maintenance responsibility is removed from the end user, there is an increase in reliability and decrease in warranty issues.”
CCTY is currently working with a large European truck manufacturer to design and manufacture a standardized Square Ball Universal Joint for its fleet. Given 90% of the parts that CCTY manufactures are customized, the solution will be uniquely designed specifically to the application’s specs. CCTY is also engaging with leading OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in the heavy truck industry to explore Square Ball Universal Joint applications and further validate the design’s benefits and durability through additional testing.
For more information, visit www.cctygroup.com/square-ball-universal-joint-tm.
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