AquaMaKKs is Newest Addition to Wichita Clutch Product Family
Wichita Clutch manufactures a full line of heavy-duty hydraulic, air-actuated and water-cooled clutches and brakes for critical applications in some of the world’s most demanding environments. The firm is the anchor of the Heavy-Duty Clutch and Brake Division of Altra Industrial Motion, the global leader in power transmission for heavy-duty industrial pneumatic and hydraulically actuated clutches and brakes.
AquaMaKKs Water-Cooled Clutches and Brakes
Wichita’s newest product, the Aqua- MaKKs, was just introduced in 2008 with its first installations on off-shore platforms.
AquaMaKKs water-cooled clutches and brakes feature superior heat-dissipating copper wear plates that are optimized for heavy-duty continuous slip tension applications in the oil and gas industry and marine deck machinery.
Air, hydraulic, or spring-set actuated, AquaMakks products are ideally suited for tension control in traditional style draworks control systems, for integration into electronic drilling systems and for accurate tension control of positioning and mooring winches that require high heat dissipation.
Designed with a series of alternating friction discs and water jackets, Aqua- MaKKs transmits torque by applying axial force from the pneumatic, hydraulic, or spring-set actuator which provides accurate torque control for constant tensioning.
Designed with fewer parts for simple installation and maintenance, including a shim design that makes it easy to maintain and adjust for wear, AquaMaKKs is a perfect solution for field retrofits, rebuilds or new OEM applications. Adjustment for wear is easily accomplished by removing shims without any unit disassembly.
“We began the initial design work in 2004, using engineers from all three of the Altra Heavy-Duty Clutch/Brake Group, so this was truly a global design project,” said Richard Mayberry, Wichita Engineering Manager. “Using full 3D solid modeling and Finite Element Analysis, we incorporated Altra’s Voice of the Customer concept and took into consideration the different requirements of the European and Asian markets, which may have different concerns than the oil driller here in Texas.
“So we took what we knew well – the water jackets and copper plates of our Kopper Kool series – and designed a more simplified, more robust device that outperforms the other products in its class, especially with thermal horsepower absorption.”
The units are built with premium materials and finishes with built-in corrosion protection ideal for marine deck environments. No optional salt water corrosion protection is required. Water jackets made from composite materials allow cooling with salt water without risk of corrosion. The patented water jacket design ensures high heat absorption and torque stability, allowing for greater heat dissipation over similar sized units.
In addition, the unique mounting pattern enables direct replacement to Wichita or competitors’ units, requiring no design changes for the customer. Wichita standard and HICO friction materials are available, with the optional HICO friction material providing up to 50% higher torque. Provisions are also available for electronic wear monitoring.
Wichita also offers custom engineered solutions for adding accessories such as deck mount assemblies, water connection kits, shaft assemblies or covers.
To view the AquaMaKKs product feature flash movie, visit www.wichitaclutch.com.