The novelty of a square ball can raise a few eyebrows. When it smoothly oscillates in a universal joint, mechanical engineers want more details.
CCTY Bearing Company has released an overview of the Square Ball Universal JointTM. The white paper compares it to a conventional u-joint while detailing:
- Design
- Assembly
- Seals and Grease
- Fretting
The Square Ball Universal Joint outperforms a conventional u-joint in a broad range of applications; the white paper focuses primarily on steering applications in commercial and autonomous vehicles.
The smooth rotation and simplified design increases reliability and performance needed for steering. The benefits include:
- More consistent and lower starting torque values that range between 0-0.025 N·m at operating angles of 0-25 degrees.
- Precise movement transfer and minimized tolerance stackup due to fewer parts.
- Larger grease volumes which are more resistant to contaminant saturation.
- Elimination of line fretting leading to premature part failure resulting in vehicle down time and service repair costs.
- An external seal free of frictional wear.
>>>See the Square Ball Universal Joint in motion.<<<
The conventional u-joint has been virtually unchanged for 100 years. By incorporating a square ball, the revamped design is smoother and stronger than its outdated predecessor. Test results are forthcoming and will be shared in later this year.