Universal Joints Blog

Start Your Aerospace Prototyping with Belden Universal

Elevate Your Aerospace Projects with Belden Universal Joints

Are you in the process of developing or refreshing a groundbreaking aircraft platform? At Belden Universal, we are an AS9100 precision machine shop that specializes in crafting high-precision universal joints tailored to meet the rigorous demands of the aerospace industry. Our team of experienced design engineers and skilled machinists is dedicated to supporting your R&D efforts, from initial concept to full-scale production.

Your Partner in Aerospace Innovation

The 7 Best Ways to Break a Universal Joint

Living in an ideal world where our couplings never falter would be a dream. However, living in the daily reality of manufacturing, our u-joints occasionally throw us a curveball. We thought we’d have a little fun with this blog post and give you a few of the *best* ways to break them:

1. Too Much Torque

How to Deal with Extreme U-Joint Applications

Real-life industrial applications often deviate from the ideal scenario for a mechanical system. Rather than a temperate and dry environment, your application may be hot and humid. Instead of a dust-free, clean room, your u joint might be subjected to dirt, corrosive chemicals, or seawater.  If your application is particularly dirty, hot, corrosive, or unusual in some other way, this article discusses how to size, maintain, and extend the life of u-joints for extreme applications.

Surviving Dirt

‘Custom Universal Joint’ Doesn’t Need to Mean ‘Expensive’

“We’d like something off the shelf.” 
These are the words we hear most often in a first conversation with a design engineer or buyer when they find our universal joints online or through a distributor.  Whether it’s an AS9100 aerospace or defense project, a high-precision medical device application, or a joint for a simpler industrial machine, the first request is always for a standard, off-the-shelf u-joint.

Why might this be?

Manufacturing ‘common sense’ dictates that off-the-shelf will be more economical than custom, that you have to buy 10,000 pieces of something to get a good price.

At Belden Universal, that’s just not the case.

Resources To Help You Learn About U Joints

Are you trying to get smarter about universal joints but don’t know where to start? Belden Universal has created a curated collection of leading-edge educational content covering the wide variety of universal joints and customizations available to perfectly fit your engineering application.

Why Is Your U-Joint Failing?

At Belden Universal, we take pride in the expertise of our application engineers. We work with every customer to spec out the exact u joint needed for their unique application. If you’ve worked with less detail-oriented universal joint suppliers in the past, perhaps you’ve experienced unexpected u joint and driveshaft failures in your equipment.

Reasons For U-Joint Failure:

In our experience, universal joint failure typically arises from one of the following four failure modes, all of which can be mitigated by a well-selected and constructed U-joint for your specific use case.

Corrosion

Depending on the level of humidity in the environment, components can corrode over time, even without direct exposure to harsh substances.

When Precision Matters, Pick Belden U Joints

For critical applications, you need a universal joint designed to hold tight tolerances and adhere to stringent quality requirements. Belden Universal’s high-precision manufacturing processes ensure that each Belden u joint or drive shaft can perform optimally with long life and minimal backlash under challenging application conditions. Find your solution with our precision universal joints.

U-Joint Boots - We've Got You Covered!

Keeping universal joints fully lubricated reduces friction, wear, and heat generation and can significantly prolong the useful life of the assembly. If pre-lubrication, as in needle-bearing joints, or continuous lubrication with oil drips is not attainable, universal joints can be fitted with lubricant-retaining boots (also sometimes referred to as bellows). In addition to maintaining component lubrication, boots can prevent contaminants from entering and damaging the joint.

Custom U-Joints in High Complexity Mechanical Systems

Belden Universal relies on innovative approaches throughout its custom solution development, production, and operational processes. Progress through innovation is what sets Belden Universal apart from competitors. Our ability to deliver new solutions results in higher quality products, faster delivery times, and cost savings to you.

Quality & Compliance

Order products confidently knowing you’re working with a manufacturer that believes quality comes first.

Advantages of Internally Spring-Loaded High-Strength Drive Shaft

Leading global engineers and machine builders across a wide variety of sectors look to Belden Universal to solve their most difficult power transmission challenges. We provide various solutions from standard to custom for all sorts of challenging applications and environments. See if our internally spring-loaded high-strength drive shaft could help you solve your application challenges.

A Closer Look At Our Drive Shaft

The above image is partially exposed for a better view of the joint and its components.