High-Gain Couplings.

What are High-Gain Couplings?

High-gain couplings are flexible shaft couplings built around a single, one-piece moulded rubber core that transmits torque while absorbing vibration and taking up shaft misalignment between a motor and a driven component. That moulded core is what sets them apart: it flexes to smooth out running, so they behave as vibration damping couplings rather than a stiff, solid link. Accu stocks the NBK high-gain range across more than 1,200 configurations, giving design and automation engineers a precise fit for servo and stepper drive systems.

How High-Gain Flexible Shaft Couplings Work

A high-gain coupling clamps onto two shafts through aluminium hubs, with the moulded rubber core bridging the gap between them. As the drive shaft turns, the core transmits torque to the driven shaft while its elasticity absorbs vibration and accommodates small angular, parallel or axial misalignment. Because the core is one integral moulded piece rather than a separate insert, there is nothing to drop out or replace during fitting.

Take a positioning stage driven by a stepper motor: a high-gain flexible shaft coupling links the motor to a ball screw, damping the step-by-step pulses so the stage runs smoothly and the encoder reads cleanly. Hubs use clamping-style fixing, with set-screw options across parts of the range, for a secure grip on the shaft.

Materials High-Gain Flexible Shaft Couplings Are Made From

High-gain couplings pair a lightweight metal hub with a moulded elastomer core. Accu supplies them in the following materials:

• Aluminium - (Grade 2017): the hub material, a strong yet light aluminium grade in a natural finish that keeps rotational inertia low.
• Rubber: the one-piece moulded core that transmits torque, damps vibration and takes up misalignment.

Sizes and Types of High-Gain Couplings Available

High-gain couplings are available with outer diameters from 15 to 68 mm and bore diameters from 3 to 35 mm, so the range covers everything from compact encoder drives to larger motion assemblies. Bores include imperial equivalents such as 6.35 mm, 9.525 mm and 12.7 mm. Matched or mismatched bore pairs let you join two shafts of different diameters.

Body styles cover standard, short and long types, giving you room to work within a tight axial envelope or bridge a longer gap between shaft ends. Hubs use clamping-style fixing, with set-screw options across parts of the range. Where an application needs a stiffer all-metal option in place of a rubber core, a slotted-body spiral beam coupling is worth comparing.

FAQs

Q: How is a high-gain coupling different from a jaw coupling?

A: A high-gain coupling has a single, integral moulded rubber core, whereas a jaw coupling is a three-part assembly with a replaceable spider element between two hubs.

Q: What are high-gain couplings used for?

A: They suit servo and stepper drive systems, encoders, ball screws, actuators and positioning stages where vibration damping, smooth running and misalignment tolerance matter.

Q: Do high-gain couplings absorb vibration?

A: Yes; the moulded rubber core is designed to dampen vibration and smooth torque transmission between a motor and driven shaft.

Q: What bore and outer-diameter sizes are high-gain couplings available in?

A: Outer diameters from 15 to 68 mm and bore diameters from 3 to 35 mm, including imperial-equivalent bores, with matched and mismatched bore pairs.

Q: How do you choose the right high-gain coupling for a servo or stepper application?

A: Match the bore pair to your motor and driven shafts, then check the outer diameter against your space envelope and confirm the body type (standard, short or long) suits the fit.

Q: What material are high-gain couplings made from?

A: The hubs are aluminium (Grade 2017) in a natural finish, paired with a one-piece moulded rubber core.

Bespoke High-Gain Couplings Manufacture.

High precision, bespoke manufacture of High-Gain Couplings to customer specification. State of the art facilities specialising in both small batch prototyping and large scale manufacture.