Description
EP6-32 Set Screw Oldham Coupling — 32 mm Three-Piece Slider Connector for Light Industrial Automation
The EP6-32 Oldham flexible coupling is the workhorse of the EP6 set-screw family for light-industrial automation. With a 32 mm outside diameter, 33 mm overall length, six catalogue bore options ranging from 8 mm through 14 mm (covering Φ10 mm, Φ12 mm, Φ14 mm motor shafts as well as the 1/2-inch imperial equivalent), and a rated torque of 5.5 N·m at 4 700 rpm continuous, the EP6-32 is the natural fit for the NEMA 23 servo motor / 12–16 mm ball-screw drive trains that anchor packaging, light-conveyor, and labelling machinery worldwide.
What distinguishes the EP6-32 from the smaller EP6 couplings is not the architecture — the same three-piece slider system applies — but the duty profile that it survives. At 5.5 N·m rated torque (11 N·m peak), the EP6-32 sits squarely in the band where a coupling failure is no longer a quality problem at a benchtop instrument but a downtime event on a production line. Selection therefore weights service life, ease of replacement, and consistency of supply more heavily than at smaller sizes.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | EP6-32 |
| Outside Diameter (ΦD) | 32 mm |
| Overall Length (L) | 33 mm |
| Bore Range (d1 / d2) | 8, 9.525, 10, 11, 12, 14 mm |
| Rated Torque | 5.5 N·m |
| Maximum Torque | 11 N·m |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 4 700 rpm |
| Moment of Inertia | 8.9 × 10⁻⁶ kg·m² |
| Static Torsional Stiffness | 260 N·m/rad |
| Parallel Misalignment | 2.4 mm |
| Angular Misalignment | 3.0° |
| Set-screw Thread | M6 |
| Wrench Tightening Torque | 7.0 N·m |
| Mass (max bore) | 46 g |
| Backlash | Zero |
Material Stack
Aluminum Hub Pair
Hubs are CNC-machined from anodised A2017-T4 aluminum alloy. The choice favours mass reduction over absolute strength — at 5.5 N·m duty there is more than enough section thickness to handle the torque, and the lighter hub reduces reflected inertia at the motor by roughly 35 % compared with an equivalent steel-hub design.
Glass-fibre-Reinforced POM Slider
For the EP6-32 we specify a 15 % glass-fibre-reinforced POM (GF-POM) as the catalogue standard. The fibres raise the slider’s flexural modulus by roughly 70 % over neat POM and lift the continuous service temperature ceiling toward +110 °C — directly relevant in tightly enclosed industrial drive cabinets where ambient can climb. Carbon-loaded POM is available where ESD-safe operation is needed.
M6 High-Tensile Set Screws
Two M6 SUS304 cup-point set screws per hub, separated by 90°, secure each shaft. The 7.0 N·m wrench torque specification develops more than enough pre-load to prevent slip even at peak 11 N·m duty, while a properly maintained set-screw line will not strip the aluminum hub through repeated service cycles.
Engineering Rationale
Industrial automation drive lines accumulate misalignment from three primary sources: weld-fabricated frames whose squareness drifts under load, bolted mounting plates whose flatness varies with tightening sequence, and thermal growth of housings during a working shift. Combined, those sources can easily exceed 1.5 mm of parallel offset between a motor face and the load bearing it feeds.
A rigid clamping coupling forces all that offset into the motor’s front bearing as a steady-state radial load, accelerating bearing failure. A jaw coupling absorbs the offset but transmits a position-dependent torque ripple that disturbs servo tuning. The EP6-32, by contrast, decouples the offset into pure slider translation: a 1.5 mm parallel offset is absorbed without measurable reaction on the motor bearing, without injecting a torsional spring into the servo loop, and without producing the secondary-harmonic torque ripple of a Cardan joint. The 2.4 mm catalogue allowance gives substantial headroom over typical industrial stack-ups.
For the closed-loop tuning engineer, the EP6-32 looks like a near-rigid 260 N·m/rad torsional link between motor and load. That stiffness places the first coupling resonance well above the bandwidth of typical servo loops, so velocity-loop gain can be raised without flushing out a parasitic compliance pole. For the line-rate maintenance engineer, the EP6-32 looks like a part that does not require periodic re-greasing and whose centre disc — should it ever need replacement after years of duty — can be swapped in the field without removing the motor.
Industry Applications
Packaging Machinery
Form-fill-seal carriage drives, cartoner indexers, and case-erector flap-drives. The 2.4 mm parallel tolerance accommodates the weld-fabricated frames typical of packaging OEMs.
️ Labelling & Marking Lines
Drive rollers and applicator-head traverses in pressure-sensitive labellers. Constant-velocity transmission keeps labels square to the container.
Conveyor & Material-Handling
Drive-roller shafts on small-belt and roller conveyors, accumulation tables, and intra-process transports. POM dampens the impact load when boxes hit hard stops.
Screw-driving & Assembly Stations
Tightening-spindle drives in automotive fastener installation cells, where bidirectional duty and momentary torque excursions are the norm.
Agricultural Sorting & Grading
Camera-sorter and optical-grader drive shafts in fresh-produce packing houses. POM tolerates the high-humidity wash-down environments of post-harvest lines.
LED & PCB Production Equipment
Conveyor-belt drives in SMT reflow ovens, AOI inspection stations, and depaneller infeeds. ESD-safe carbon-filled slider variants address electronics-assembly cleanliness rules.
Why Choose Ever-power for the EP6-32
Quality Documentation Pack
Every EP6-32 production batch ships with traceable material certifications, dimensional inspection records, and conformity statements covering ISO 9001:2015, RoHS, REACH, and on-request CE documentation. For aerospace and medical OEMs, supplemental PPAP-style first-article reports can be supplied.
Customisation Options
Beyond the catalogue bore set (8, 9.525, 10, 11, 12, 14 mm), Ever-power produces mixed bores, keyway-broached bores, D-cut bores, and oversized OD variants. ESD-safe slider, glass-filled slider, food-grade slider, and stainless hub variants are all standard custom-build options with documented lead times.
Production Capacity & Logistics
Monthly EP6-32 production capacity exceeds 30 000 pieces across the full bore matrix. For OEMs running JIT or Kanban replenishment, Ever-power can hold a customer-specific buffer. Sea-freight to North America, Europe, and Australasia is standard; air-freight is available for emergency builds. Technical-desk response is committed to 24 hours.
Customer Reviews & Case Studies
★★★★★
France — Cosmetic Packaging OEM
Used in: Carriage drive of a perfume-bottle filling-and-capping monobloc machine.
Feedback: “We had been replacing jaw couplings every 12 months on average across 24 carriages. The EP6-32 has now run 22 months without a single replacement, and our pre-shift inspection time has dropped because the maintenance crew no longer needs to listen for the developing jaw-rumble that signalled elastomer fatigue.”
★★★★★
Brazil — Fresh-Produce Sorting Line
Used in: Drive shaft of an optical-camera grader for citrus sorting; 16-hour daily duty cycle.
Feedback: “Operating environment is high-humidity, washdown twice per shift. The EP6-32 has been a clear upgrade — no rust paths around the set-screw seats, and the POM disc has survived two seasons of fruit acidity exposure with no measurable wear. Documentation pack made our food-safety audit straightforward.”
★★★★☆
Poland — PCB Production Equipment
Used in: Conveyor drive of an SMT reflow oven entry section.
Feedback: “Carbon-filled ESD-safe slider variant was supplied within the quoted lead time. The coupling has performed exactly as specified through 18 months of three-shift production. Knock one star only because the carbon-filled slider made the assembly slightly stiffer to break-in than the standard POM — minor commissioning detail.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the EP6-32 compare to a similarly-sized jaw coupling?
A jaw coupling of equivalent OD typically rates 6–10 N·m and tolerates ~0.4 mm parallel offset — somewhat higher torque but six-fold less misalignment tolerance, and with positive backlash. The EP6-32 trades a small amount of peak-torque headroom for substantially better lash control and offset capacity.
Is there an ESD-safe variant for electronics-line use?
Yes. A carbon-filled POM slider provides a surface resistivity in the 10⁴–10⁶ Ω/sq range, suitable for ESD-controlled environments such as SMT, semiconductor back-end, and Class 8/9 cleanroom installations. Specify “ESD-EP6-32” at order entry.
Can I use the EP6-32 in a vertical-axis lift application?
Yes — the EP6-32 is a positive-torque transmission with no axial creep. Vertical-axis use is fully supported, including for load-holding applications where the motor brake engages at standstill.
What is the warranty period?
Standard manufacturing warranty is 24 months from shipping date against material and workmanship defects, when operated within specification. Extended warranty terms are available for OEM partnership agreements.
Do you provide assembly-fit kits for retrofit projects?
Yes. For retrofit programmes replacing competitor couplings (jaw, beam, or bellows), Ever-power can supply a kit comprising the EP6-32, an adapter sleeve where shaft diameters differ, a torque-wrench seal label, and a printed installation procedure in English. Specify “retrofit kit” with the customer’s existing coupling part number.
Specify the EP6-32 for Your Next Build
Light-industrial OEMs across Europe, the Americas, and Asia rely on the EP6-32 for the bulk of their NEMA 23 / 12–16 mm ball-screw drive lines. Browse Ever-power’s comprehensive Oldham coupling range, read more about our global manufacturing footprint, or move directly to a tailored quotation below.
