International Industrial Power Supply and Repairs Made Simple
International business can be lucrative, but the logistics of getting the parts and repairs needed to satisfy your industrial power requirements and getting them quickly is not easy when abroad. Every country has their own set of importing hurdles and cultural challenges. Companies operating abroad therefore have to rely on experienced, international-savvy suppliers to keep their projects on track and profitable.
Here at K&L Clutch, we’re proud to provide unmatched experience supplying companies across the globe, including parts and service for cranes, draglines, crushers, and oil field and stationary Units. Here’s just a handful of regions that we supply:
Russia
Fueling Russia’s resurgence on the global scene over the past decade has been its enormous energy reserves. With the emergence of major projects like the Nord Stream pipeline coming online soon, Europe’s reliance on Russian energy seems likely to increase significantly in the near future.
Middle East
No introduction necessary — the Middle East is the world’s most infamous energy-producing region. And the bulk of work done in the region is done by western companies. The Middle East still has enormous untapped reserves, and while never-ending unrest makes investment there somewhat risky, it also creates new opportunities to build industrial infrastructures from the ground up.
South America
Our oft-overlooked neighbors to the south are poised for a major ascension on the global energy stage over the next few decades. Brazil is on the verge of an energy explosion thanks to major offshore discoveries and sustained sugarcane ethanol growth. Venezuela’s reserves and influence of the energy markets are also well-known.
From our headquarters smack dab in the middle of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, our international industrial power supply business has boomed over the past five years. We understand their peculiarities and the unique challenges that suppliers face in energy-producing regions across the globe, and we have unmatched experience navigating the international business scene in order to get companies the industrial parts and repairs they need to thrive.
Understanding Crane Anatomy
Heavy industrial cranes are filled with complicated, cutting edge machines and complicated, state-of-the-art parts, but at their core cranes are very simple machines. They leverage several basic laws of physics to make extraordinarily difficult tasks like lifting enormously heavy objects easy.
Each part of a crane serves a critical function — and a breakdown of any part can significantly delay a project and damage your company’s bottom line. So here at K&L Clutch, we’re a proud host of crane replacement parts, including crane boom extensions, crane jibs, and boom tips.
But first let’s take a look at some of the basic anatomy of your typical crane in order to better understand how they function:
Boom Crane Parts
The Boom: The boom is the most recognizable part of the crane — the long, strong “arm” that does the heavy lifting and makes challenging projects doable. Some cranes feature long fixed booms, while others use telescopic booms that add a greater degree of operational flexibility to the equipment.
The Jib: This lattice-like structure frees up the boom to extend fully and provide maximum lift range.
The Counterweights: Counterweights keep cranes from becoming unbalanced while hoisting heavy loads. You can usually spot them near the cab’s exterior. For example, the auto cranes on our mobile support trucks can be tasked with enormous loads of up to 5,000 pounds.
The Rotex Gear: This set of equipment allows the crane to rotate its apparatus — a critical function that enables the crane to move heavy objects to awkward or difficult-to-reach positions. Hook rollers can also be used to achieve this rotational function.
To learn more, take a look at our complete catalog of industrial replacement parts, or contact us for more information.
Pneumatic Clutches: Uses and Capabilities
Pneumatic clutches are very powerful and an excellent fit for the large industrial machines your company depends on for your toughest job-site challenges, including auto cranes and other construction vehicles. They offer a simple method for adjusting torque by providing excellent torque control, which is necessary for more heavy-duty vehicles and machines. While mechanical clutches usually have torque limiters that vary around 10 percent, pneumatic clutches typically limit torque variance to less than 5 percent — a significant difference. Pneumatic clutches are normally able to provide more speed and flexibility than mechanical clutches, for even larger machines.
To summarize: More torque. More power. More speed and flexibility. Sound good?
Let’s take a look at how they work:
Clutches, whether pneumatic, mechanical, or hydraulic, work by both locking two separate rotating parts together and unlocking them. This action can bring energy from one source to another, or take that energy away. The most common example is in a standard car, where the clutch is used to sync up the engine with the transmission in order to accelerate the vehicle. The clutch can then be used to un-sync the engine and transmission so that the vehicle can switch to another gear or slow to a stop without stalling the engine. The engine keeps spinning on its own until the clutch re-syncs it with the transmission, and so forth. Most smaller vehicles use mechanical clutches, but pneumatic clutches offer some amazing advantages for many machines and situations.
Pneumatics is the branch of technology that concerns the way gases can be used for mechanical purposes. In most pneumatic machinery, the gas used is the simplest of gases — clean air. In other words, pneumatics usually describes the use of air to move things. Unlike mechanical clutches (where solid moving parts do all the work), pneumatic clutches employ tightly compressed air to transfer energy from one moving part of a machine to another.
For example — you know those air tubes at the bank drive-through? Those use pneumatics in a similar, albeit much simpler, way. At the bank drive-through, when you put a check into the container and send it off, compressed air quickly shoots through the tube and pushes the container all the way to the bank teller.
When a pneumatic clutch is disengaged, compressed air quickly shoots through the shaft, toward the throw-out bearing, which opens the clutch and un-syncs the two rotating parts (like engine and transmission). When a pneumatic clutch is re-engaged, the air is bled out. A set of springs then release, reattaching the two rotating parts. Then it’s time to get moving again.
To learn more about pneumatic clutches, contact one of our industrial clutch experts. We proudly service and provide quality parts for pneumatic clutches, including Oil States pneumatic clutches.
Torque Converters, Single Stage vs. Three Stage
Here at K&L Clutch, we’re proud to offer a comprehensive line of torque converters for a broad variety of industries, from some of America’s leading industrial clutch manufacturers, including:
– Twin Disc Torque Converters
– Allison Torque Converters
– Manitowoc Torque Converters
– Clark Torque Converters
But not all torque converters are the same. For example, let’s take a look at the differences between single-stage torque converters and three-stage torque converters:
Single Stage Torque Converters
The beauty of single-stage torque converters is their tough, reliable simplicity. Each converter consists basically of three elements: the turbine, the stator, and the impeller. Single-stage torque converters come in two types of housing — stationary and rotating. Depending on the model, single-stage torque converters boast a variety of capabilities: Sumpless single-stage converters with PTO drives are ideal for applications with power-shift transmissions and driving auxiliary hydraulic pumps. High-torque ration converters with stationary housing feature extraordinary hoisting and lowering capabilities. Type Four hydraulic converters are designed specifically for the oil and gas industry.
Three Stage Torque Converters
Three-stage torque converters employ three rings of turbine blades, as well as two sets of reactor or stator blades. The effect of this design is increased torque — up to five times the amount of engine output torque, in fact, when the engine is at stall. Depending on the specific design, three-stage torque converters are rated for a range of engines, including 335 hp at 2400 rpm, 420 hp at 2200 rpm, and 580 hp at 2,200 rpm. Three-stage torque converters also come with both stationary and rotating housing.
At our Hurst, Texas headquarters in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, we’ve got torque converters in stock and ready to ship. Contact our industrial torque converter specialists for more information.
Repair Transmission and Torque Converters and Return to Productivity
The profit losses start mounting as soon as your transmission fails out in the field. When it happens (and it happens to just about everyone), you need transmission replacement and repair parts, and you need them fast.
In other words, you need a well-stocked partner who’s ready and waiting to help your project get moving again.
At our headquarters in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, we stock an unmatched range of mission-critical torque converters, pneumatic clutches, mechanical clutches, and accessories. Our comprehensive catalog of industrial clutch repair and replacement parts includes:
- Allison Parts — A wide range of replacement parts from the 96-year-old industrial clutch, transmission, and torque converter leader, including the TC400/500 Master Clutch and the TCD800 Master Clutch.
- Clark Parts — Replacement parts for the tough, long-lasting Clark 43-16.1 AKOCPG torque converter.
- Manitowoc Parts — The Manitowoc 90513K1—a Fairlead Sheave with tapered roller bearings for the Twin Disc Manitowoc 4600 Set torque converter.
- Rockford Powertrain Parts — Rugged, reliable mechanical clutch replacement parts for Rockford Powertrain PTOs.
- Twin Disc Parts — An unmatched range of proven, mission-critical Twin Disc replacement and repair parts, including torque converters and mechanical clutches. Altogether, we stock more than 16 models of Twin Disc transmission parts.
- Torque Fluid — Five-gallon buckets of Twin Disc three-stage torque fluid, the lifeblood of any high-performance industrial machine.
Furthermore, the highly-trained experts running our on-site machine shop can craft customized solutions around your company’s unique needs. So we don’t just stock solutions — we create them. And thanks to our central location and nimble fleet of mobile repair teams, we can get you the parts you need in no time at all.
Contact us for more information. We’ll get your project back up and running in no time.
Investment Pays: Three Ways to Save With K&L Clutch Parts
1. Longer Life
The longer industrial transmission and clutch components last, the more you’ll save on your project’s bottom line.
For example, our torque converters are tough, durable, and long-lasting, meaning you’ll spend less on equipment repairs and replacement parts, and more on investments that are actually profitable. But beyond their own integrity, our industrial torque converters actually extend the life of heavy equipment engines and transmissions themselves, thanks to smooth operation at optimum efficiency speed ranges, and shock protection from load and equipment damage.
Because transmissions are only as good as the sum of their parts, and if one piece of the chain is not pulling it’s weight, undue strain will be placed on other transmission parts not designed to handle it. We offer a full line of top, tough industrial torque converters, including:
An investment in high-level equipment now will reap significant savings over the long haul compared to inferior, unreliable parts.
2. More efficient work
Optimized performance matters on the job. Sure — you could save money initially by digging a mile-long ditch with a couple of picks and shovels, but imagine how much you’d lose over the long-term when the job takes three months instead of three days.
Invest now in equipment (and parts) that make your jobs quick and more efficient. Save later by doing new jobs. At K&L Clutch, we have all the replacement parts and equipment you need for heavy industrial machinery like:
- Cranes
- Draglines
- Drilling Rigs
- Mud Pumps
- Rock Crushers
- Tub Grinders
- Dredge Pump Drives
- Stationary Power Units
- Marine Units
3. Better Service = Less Downtime
Time spent not working is time spent pouring money down the drain. Especially on big jobs, where an enormous investment in equipment and manpower is sitting idle while that inferior transmission part someone bought is down for the count, you just can’t afford to spend much time sitting around waiting for a fix. It’s a team effort, after all, and every piece of machinery needs to be working at max potential in order to maximize profitability.
Our service department is unmatched when it comes to getting major projects back up and running, for two reasons:
1. We’re mobile
We’ll come meet you in the field just about anywhere in the world. Our service trucks are fully loaded, and capable of responding to just about any challenge out in the field — 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. This flexibility makes it easy for you to keep operations running as long as possible, as well as ensures that repairs or replacement part installations are done correctly.
2. We’re fully stocked
At our warehouse and machine shop in North Texas, we maintain a comprehensive stock of top-quality replacement parts, so you shouldn’t need to wait for a back-ordered part to arrive to get the fix you need. But beyond clutch and transmission replacement parts, our expert machinists give us the ability to come up with customized solutions on the fly. You never know what unexpected challenges you might face in the field — we can respond to just about any need, get your project back up and running, and help you maintain a healthy bottom line.
Client Case Study: Norfolk Dredging
Here at K&L Clutch, we don’t just supply our clients with critical industrial transmission parts like pneumatic clutches and torque converters. We keep companies drilling, digging, dredging, and doing the work that powers the world.
In other words, our goals exist to make it easier for companies to achieve their’s.
Just take a look at Norfolk Dredging — a company we’re proud to support, especially in the most demanding work environments. According to Building and Construction Northeast Magazine:
One of the company’s most recent triumphs, for example, was the Hubline Project for Algonquin Gas Transmission Co. — a 29-mile long, 30-inch steel pipeline installed under Massachusetts Bay. It is the longest undersea gas line in New England, and was built to carry natural gas for local and regional markets. [...]
Complicating matters was the location of the work, the company adds. “The uniqueness of this restoration project is that Norfolk Dredging Co. had to perform this work some five miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, in the middle of winter, digging to depths of 120 feet over an active high-pressure gas pipeline, while working under a rigidly defined time frame for completion,” it says. Nevertheless, the work was completed on time and without incident.
No excuses. They just got the job done.
We’ve been working with crane and dragline companies like Norfolk Dredging for more than 30 years — and this company typifies the sort of relationships we aim to build with our clients.
The key is customer service, because professional service capabilities can make the difference between project profitability and failure — especially since so many industries we work with are hard at work around the clock in hostile work environments.
In the end, customer service is a state of mind. From our headquarters in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, this mission revolves around a series of service capabilities:
- Fully-equipped service trucks that come to you.
- 24/7, round-the-clock readiness.
- Expert technicians and staff.
- An innovative in-house machine shop that provides customized solutions to unique challenges.
- A comprehensive catalog, including parts from companies like Twin Disc, Clark, Allison, Rockford, and Oil States.
- Same-day shipping.
- An ideal location just nine miles from Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport
- The willingness to go anywhere in the world we’re needed, and the experience to do so effectively.
Fantastic Fully-Equipped Field Service Truck Capabilities
Time is money when you’re out in the field, and even a small breakdown can be crippling to your project’s finances. When you need service, you need it then and there—not in three to five shipping days needed to get the right tools for the fix (or even the three to five hours it takes an ill-equipped company to get the industrial transmission part into the right place):
Our field service trucks are carefully designed to respond to the complex and ever-evolving needs for job-sites in industries like oil, gas, mining and construction. Our trucks will come to you—24/7, wherever you’re working—and they’ll come armed and ready to get the job done.
Let’s take a closer look at what they carry:
A 5,000-Pound-Capacity Auto Crane
A heavy-duty Auto Crane makes it much easier to respond to demanding industrial power service needs, and gives us the flexibility and accuracy needed to do fixes in hard-to-reach places.
Why? Reach and lifting abilities matter. If we just showed up with the right tools and replacement parts, but no way to easily position them to where they need to be, additional time and manpower would be wasted trying get everything in the right place.
The cranes feature rack-and-pinion rotation systems—resulting in the high torque needed for heavy lifting and positioning—and rotational cylinders guarded by flow controls and load-holding valves, which boost safety and operational precision. All together, this makes repairing or replacing equipment like torque converters, mechanical clutches and pneumatic clutches simple.
In other words, the 5,000-pound Auto Cranes on our trucks make sure they arrive ready to work.
Complete, Customized Tool Capabilities
There’s nothing more dismaying than a service provider showing up unprepared or unable to do the job. From the heaviest-duty appliances to the smallest hand tools, we’ll arrive with everything needed to install and service the wide range of units we sell.
In fact, at our headquarters in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, we thrive on coming up with customized solutions to unusual and unexpected problems. Our tool sets reflect these diverse, nimble solutions capabilities.
Machine Shop Support and Talent
In the end, what’s on our truck is only as good as the people that arrive with it. And thanks to our extensive support experience, our technicians are simply the best in the business. Headquartered just nine miles from DWF International Airport in the town of Hurst, we’re also ideally located to get them to jobs all over the country.
Furthermore, as with our tool sets, our North Texas machine shop and service center gives us the backing needed to solve problems specific to your job’s unique needs and situation. We’ll get you back up and running in no time.
Contact one of industrial clutch and transmission service specialists for more information.
Three Keys to Excellent Industrial Equipment Service
24-Hour Field Service & Troubleshooting
Time spent not working is money poured down the drain, so the ability to respond instantly as soon as a breakdown happens is critical. Nonstop service capabilities can make the difference between project profitability and failure — especially since so many industries we work with are hard at work around the clock. From our service center and machine shop in North Texas, we can respond at any time a need arises.
Factor in time zone changes, and this flexibility becomes even more vital—when work breaks down in the middle of the day in the Middle East, you shouldn’t have to wait until the normal business day starts up again in Dallas to get technical support and troubleshooting advice.
Fully Equipped Field Service Trucks
Our field service trucks come armed and ready to work, which means we can respond to all sorts of industrial power service needs (without you having to come to us). Equipped with everything from a 5,000-pound-capacity auto crane to a full arsenal of hand tools, this includes replacement parts and fixes for equipment like:
- Cranes
- Draglines
- Drilling rigs
- Mud pumps
- Rock crushers
- Tub grinders
- Dredge pump drives
- Stationary power units
- Marine units
Special Applications & Engineering
We’ve been responding to mission-critical client service needs for nearly 30 years. And with such extensive experience in the industry, it can seem at times like we’ve seen just about every possible service situation before. More than likely, if something can go wrong, we’ve already developed a solution for the problem. And with an unmatched inventory of parts and products like industrial pneumatic clutches and torque converters, readily available at our Dallas headquarters, there’s a good chance we already have a part ready for a simple fix.
But new techniques and new industrial power technologies across high-performance industries means new problems can arise at just about any time—and sometimes there just won’t be a part already manufactured to make the fix. In these situations, innovation and the ability to create unprecedented solutions are key.
Our special applications and engineering teams and factory-trained technicians do this better than anyone. Backed by our in-house manufacturing and production facility, they’ll be ready with customized solutions for your mission-specific problems when you need them.
Give one of our industrial power service experts a call about your service needs—we’ll get you back up and running in no time.
VC-Style and CB-Style Air Clutches: The Basics
At KL Clutch, we’re proud to provide both VC-style and CB-style pneumatic clutches — the sort rugged enough for peak, reliable performance out in the oilfields, and flexible enough to be provide pneumatic clutch solutions across a variety of other industrial applications.
Both are constricting-type clutches featuring Oil State’s ELASTA-FLEX drum clutch elements—a flexible, fabric-reinforced inflatable elastomeric tube that expands radially inward—designed for severe, demanding clutch applications. When the tube constricts, it pushes the friction shoes against an outer cylindrical drum surface, which makes it easy to accurately determine and control element torque capacity.
Let’s take a look at the unique capabilities of each:
VC-type pneumatic clutches: Better heat dissipation. Higher torque capabilities. Increased longevity.
VC elements were principally designed for severe, high-torque, high-thermal capacity clutching in heavy machinery with high starting loads. In other words: toughness, toughness, toughness.
By design, torque gets transmitted via torque bars from the side plates to the friction shoes. They work well for a few reasons: A well-ventilated construction improves heat dissipation from the friction shoes and cooling airflow. And the clutches boast high torque ratings, which makes it easy to use smaller diameter units (better for lowering contact velocity on high-speed applications). Because of what’s required of them, VC-style air clutches are in are in many ways considered to be the most trusty, tough styles of drum clutches.
A VC-style clutch might especially come in handy (compared to less efficient conventional clutches) if you’ve faced repeated clutch failures resulting from extensive slippage and high starting loads.
CB-type pneumatic clutches: torsional resilience and flexibility
CB-style air clutches, meanwhile, are most noted for their flexibility. Designed for power transmission in oilfield machinery, the CB elements work best in high-speed, medium-torque applications—especially those where high heat generation (as seen in VC applications) is less of a problem. CB torque also gets transmitted through a sort of flexible neoprene side wall and cord actuating tube, which lets minor, naturally occurring shaft misalignment happen without causing larger problems. The neoprene tube automatically tightens up when friction surfaces wear, providing constant compensation.
Out in the oilfield, the CB-types fit a more broad array of applications than VC types, including engine, slush pump, and PTO applications.
Contact our industrial clutch specialists to get a better idea of which pneumatic clutch suits your needs.
