For 75 years, the German company Stieber has been a leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of high-precision overrunning clutches and backstops, offering versatile solutions ranging from compact designs to high-torque, heavy-duty applications.
What is a freewheel?
In mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft.
An overdrive is sometimes mistakenly called a freewheel, but is otherwise unrelated.
Operating principles:
The inner and outer races are rotated relative to each other in one direction, while the other direction is not so torque transmission is possible.
There are several types of freewheels exists:
Roller-Type Freewheels
- Designed for decoupling drive elements, providing intermittent or overrunning motion between driving and driven components.
- Available in indexing designs for stepwise or variable-speed material conveyance.
- Also offered in self-centering versions for simplified integration.
- Key advantages include versatile application possibilities and high indexing accuracy.
- Torque capacity: 2.1 – 287,500 Nm
- Shaft diameter range: Ø6 – Ø250 mm
Sprag-Type Backstops
- Primarily used as anti-reverse devices, most effectively preventing reverse rotation of shafts.
- Offer excellent overrunning capability and high torque handling.
- Compatible with all types of lubrication.
- Torque capacity: 2.5 – 250,000 Nm
- Shaft diameter range: Ø8 – Ø300 mm
Contact us if you have any questions.
