Universal joints: Essential Guide for Conveyor Applications

Ruland Universal Joints made in the USA are designed to transmit torque between misaligned shafts, accommodating angular deviations and ensuring consistent power delivery.​

Ruland Manufacturing, a trusted name in precision components, offers universal joints that are meticulously crafted to meet the rigorous demands of numerous applications. Manufactured in the USA by Belden Universal, these joints are precision-machined and selectively heat-treated, ensuring reliability and optimal performance. ​

With a commitment to excellence, PIB Sales provides a comprehensive selection of USA-made universal joints suitable for various applications. Whether your needs involve single or double universal joints, friction universal joints, or needle bearing universal joints, PIB offers online ordering and expedited shipments from stock. Explore the full range of Ruland universal joints available through PIB Sales.

Construction and Materials

Standard Universal U-joints are manufactured from high-grade alloy steel for high strength and stainless steel for corrosion resistance. They are precision-machined,  heat-treated, offering ground components for tighter tolerances, better performance, and longer life than low-cost universal joints. Universal joints are available with or without keyways in bore sizes ranging from 3/16” to 2”, 5mm to 35mm, or machinable bores for custom applications. Inch to metric conversion couplings and step bores are available by special order. Boot covers are available to prolong the life of the U-joint. They are manufactured from heat-treated alloy steel, giving them better tensile strength and fatigue resistance. This allows them to handle both constant rotation and sudden torque reversals without risk of fracture or material deformation — conditions common in heavily loaded conveyors used in mining, steel processing, or continuous material handling.

Types of Universal Joints Available

Choosing the right type of universal joint is crucial to ensuring stable, low-vibration, and wear-resistant torque transmission across conveyor shafts. Different configurations offer different mechanical benefits depending on the level of shaft misalignment, required angular stability, and installation geometry. Below are the key types of joints typically used in conveyor applications.

Single and Double Universal Joints

A single joint configuration includes one yoke pair connected by a central cross. It is primarily designed to handle angular misalignment between two shafts. This setup is mechanically simple and compact, making it suitable for applications where shafts are offset in angle but remain in a consistent position.

Best used when:

• Shaft offset is purely angular (no parallel displacement)
  
• Low-to-moderate rotational speeds are involved
  
• Compact installation space is required
  

However, a single joint creates non-uniform angular velocity, meaning the driven shaft rotates faster and slower at certain angles of rotation. In precision conveyor systems, this can lead to product irregularities or mechanical resonance.

Double Universal Joints

To eliminate the uneven rotational speed that occurs with a single joint, double universal joints (used in pairs) are the preferred configuration. Each joint counteracts the angular distortion of the other, providing uniform output velocity even at higher shaft angles. This setup also enables compensation for parallel misalignment and shaft offset, making it ideal for conveyors with dynamic movement or multiple drive sections.

Advantages:

• Maintains constant velocity at the output
  
• Corrects both angular and axial misalignment
  
• Reduces vibration and torque fluctuation at higher speeds.

Custom Universal Joint Solutions

For conveyor systems with unique dimensional constraints, extreme torque values, or motion sequences that exceed the design scope of standard models, custom-built joints are available. These can include:

• Special flange interfaces (e.g., 10-bolt, face-key, or Hirth radial teeth)
  
• Non-standard shaft lengths or diameters
  
• Extended operating angles above 15°
  
• Telescopic or floating shaft sections
  

For example, in heavy rolling mill conveyors or oversized structural transfer lines, joints are often built with reinforced center crosses and splined couplings to handle high peak torque while accommodating rolling shifts or thermal expansion. Contact PIB for assistance where customization is required.

Selecting the Right Universal Joint

Choosing the correct universal joint is not just a matter of matching shaft sizes. It requires careful analysis of load dynamics, speed, misalignment, and physical integration constraints. The following procedure ensures the selected joint delivers both mechanical compatibility and long-term durability under real operating conditions.

Typical Applications for Universal Joints 

Universal joints are vital to motion control and torque transmission in countless industrial systems. Their ability to accommodate shaft misalignment, absorb shock loads, and maintain consistent rotation under extreme conditions makes them essential across a broad range of sectors.

Standard Single Universal Joints

Ruland universal joints are available in single and double configurations with friction or needle bearings. Single U-joints consist of two yokes and a trunnion assembly to allow for use in confined spaces and angular misalignment up to 45°. Double U-joints consist of two yokes, two trunnion assemblies, and a center yoke to allow for larger gaps between shafts, parallel misalignment, and angular misalignment up to 90°. U-joints are manufactured from high-grade alloy steel for high strength and stainless steel for corrosion resistance. They are precision-machined, selectively heat-treated, and utilize ground components for tighter tolerances, better performance, and longer life than commodity-style universal joints. Universal joints are available with or without keyways in bore sizes ranging from 3/16” to 2”, 5mm to 35mm, or machinable bores for custom applications. Inch to metric conversion couplings and step bores are available by special order. Boot covers are available to prolong the life of the U-joint. Universal joints from Ruland are manufactured by Belden Universal in Illinois, USA.

Popular sizes include.

• Ruland MUS10-5-5-F, 5mm x 5mm Single Universal Joint, Friction Bearing, Steel, 9.4mm OD, 40.0mm Length.

• Or in stainless steel Ruland MUS10-5-5-SS, 5mm x 5mm Single Universal Joint, Friction Bearing, Stainless Steel, 9.4mm OD, 44.5mm Length.

Clamp Style Universal Joints share similar characteristics to standard single universal joints while providing additional benefits. The clamp screw design will not mar the shaft allowing for easier assembly, infinite adjustability, and use on all shaft types. It also evenly distributes compressive forces around the shaft for a more secure connection when compared to set screw types. Clamp-style universal joints are supplied with Ruland’s unique Nypatch® anti-vibration hardware. Nypatch® is a proprietary process that involves depositing a 360-degree coating of Nylon on several threads of the socket head cap screws. It allows for repeated screw installations, prevents screws from loosening during operation, and provides the necessary dissimilar material in stainless steel joints to reduce galling.

Ruland is a leading USA manufacturer of clamping technology and manufactures the clamp features, bores, and keyways in their Massachusetts, USA, factory. Clamp-style universal joints are offered in steel for high torque and stainless steel for corrosion resistance. They are available in straight bore sizes from 1/4″ to 1-1/4”. Clamp-style universal joints can be combined with a boot to protect the joint from contaminants in the operating environment. The boot can be packed with grease for infinite life, reducing maintenance on the universal joint, leading to more machine uptime.

Or available in Stainless steel Ruland USCL10-4-4-SS, 1/4″ x 1/4″ Single Universal Joint, Friction Bearing, Stainless Steel, Clamp, 0.620″ OD, 2.250″ Length

Visit PIB’s webstore, where you can buy clamp-style universal joints made in the USA.

Below are some of the most common applications where these joints deliver performance and reliability in daily operation:

Conveyor Systems

Used extensively across manufacturing, distribution, and processing facilities, conveyor drives often rely on universal joints to maintain synchronized rotation despite structural misalignments. Whether handling heavy bulk materials or precision components, joints must offer smooth power transfer without backlash or vibration, particularly in modular or multi-axis conveyor setups.

Metals Industry (Steel, Aluminum, Copper)

In rolling mills, slitters, coilers, and continuous casters, universal joints handle high torque transmission between motor drives and work rolls. Applications like temper mills, levelers, and payoff reels demand joint assemblies that can withstand extreme reversing loads and maintain alignment through thermal expansion or vibration.

Mining and Drilling Equipment

Underground and surface mining equipment utilizes universal joints in conveyors, crushers, drilling systems, and slurry pumps. These environments are harsh, contaminated, abrasive, and shock-loaded, making sealed, heavy-duty joint construction a necessity for uptime and safety.

Paper and Textile Processing

In calendar drives, cushion roll shafts, and process pump couplings, universal joints maintain rotary motion even when shafts shift due to heat or tension. Consistent speed and low angular velocity variation are key to protecting web quality in paper production or synchronized textile output.

Oil and Gas Systems

Applications such as mud pumps, drill drives, and offshore lifting systems use universal joints to handle torsional loads under misalignment and variable conditions. Joints must also resist exposure to fluids, pressure, and temperature extremes—conditions addressed through sealed, high-torque designs.

Rail and Transport Drives

From lift systems and transfer cars to structural handling drives in rail operations, universal joints manage heavy dynamic torque with flexibility. These joints absorb shock loads while preserving drive continuity over time, critical in applications with rolling stock, automated handling, or shifting track geometry.

Whether you’re upgrading an existing design or engineering a new industrial application, selecting the right universal joint can make a measurable difference in performance, reliability, and lifecycle cost. With precision machining, proven reliability, and multiple configuration options, Ruland-manufactured joints are trusted across industries for demanding power transmission needs.

At PIB Sales, we make it easy to get the right joint for your system — with technical support, fast availability, and a wide range of models in stock. Please contact us at [email protected] or visit us at www.pibsales.com.