WG Drum Shape Gear Coupling

The WG Drum Shape Gear Coupling is a high-rigidity, compact crowned-tooth gear coupling with a built-in lubrication port, available in Type I (WG1–WG24) and Type II (WG1–WG14), spanning 24 sizes from 710 N·m to 1,250,000 N·m at up to 7500 RPM per JB/T8854.2 and JB/ZQ4186. With Y, J1, and Z1 bore options and a design that forms the foundation of the WGP, WGC, WGZ, and WGT brake/vertical coupling family, it is the preferred base coupling for mining, steel, power generation, and cement drives requiring high torque density and field-maintainable lubrication.

WG Drum Shape Gear Coupling — Type I & Type II

High-rigidity, compact crowned-tooth gear coupling with built-in lubrication port. The foundation of the WG family — 24 sizes, two construction types, massive torque range, and Z1 taper bore option.

Torque Range
0.71 – 1250 KN·m

Max Speed
Up to 7500 RPM

Sizes
24 (WG1 – WG24)

Outer Dia.
122 – 1060 mm

Types
Type I & Type II

Bore Options
Y / J1 / Z1

Product Overview

The WG drum shape gear coupling is a heavy-duty, high-rigidity crowned-tooth gear coupling built for the most demanding horizontal shaft drive applications in mining, steel, power generation, cement, and bulk material handling. It is the base coupling of the WG family — sharing its core gear mesh geometry with the WGP (brake disc), WGC (vertical installation), WGZ (brake drum), and WGT (intermediate shaft) variants.

What sets the WG apart from other drum shape gear coupling series is its combination of two distinct construction types, a wide 24-size range spanning three orders of magnitude in torque capacity, and a built-in lubrication port that enables field re-lubrication without coupling disassembly.

WG drum shape gear coupling Type I assembled view showing outer sleeve and lubrication port

Technical Definition and Working Principle

What Makes the WG a Drum Shape Coupling

The WG is a moveable rigid coupling that transmits torque through two crowned (barrel-shaped) gear meshes — one on each side of the coupling. Each coupling half consists of a hub with external crowned teeth and a sleeve with internal straight teeth. Torque flows: shaft → hub (crowned external teeth) → sleeve (straight internal teeth) → opposite hub → opposite shaft.

The crown radius machined into each external tooth profile is the defining technical feature that distinguishes the WG from a straight-tooth gear coupling. In a straight-tooth design, torque is transmitted through a line contact running the full tooth width — when shaft angular misalignment is present, this contact shifts to the tooth edge, generating stress concentrations that cause accelerated wear.

The WG's built-in lubrication port on the outer sleeve is a practical engineering detail that separates it from couplings requiring partial disassembly for lubrication. Grease or oil is injected directly into the gear mesh space through the nipple port with the coupling stationary — no sleeve removal required.

Type I vs Type II Construction

The WG is offered in two structural variants for WG1 through WG14: Type I features a single continuous outer sleeve, while Type II incorporates an inner bore collar with longer hub engagement length for applications requiring greater bore depth or higher interference fit area.

  • Type I (WG1–WG24): Standard single outer sleeve configuration. The outer sleeve spans both hubs continuously, providing a compact overall length B. This is the most widely used configuration for standard horizontal industrial drives.
  • Type II (WG1–WG14): Features a split or flanged sleeve arrangement with an additional B1 hub engagement length. The Type II provides greater axial retention of each hub within the sleeve and is preferred in applications with frequent torque reversals, higher vibration, or elevated shock loading where the additional B1 engagement reduces the risk of hub axial displacement.

For WG15 through WG24 — the largest sizes — only Type I is available, as the outer dimensions make the Type II split construction impractical. These large sizes serve the heaviest mining and steel mill applications.

Comparison with Other Coupling Types

Feature WG (this product) Jaw Coupling Disc Coupling Rigid Flange
Torque Range 0.71–1250 KN·m Low–Medium Medium High
Angular Misalignment 1.0–1.5 deg per mesh Up to 1 deg Up to 1 deg Near zero
Shock Load Tolerance Excellent Good (elastomer) Poor Transmitted fully
Z1 Taper Bore Yes — standard option Limited No No
Built-in Lubrication Port Yes — standard No (no lube) No No
Axial Displacement Yes (built-in) Limited Yes No
Two Construction Types Yes — Type I & Type II No No No

WG vs WGP vs WGC vs WGZ vs WGT — Which Variant Is Right for You?

All five WG-family variants share the WG crowned gear mesh as their core transmission element. The choice between them depends on your application's braking requirements, shaft orientation, and shaft spacing.

Feature WG WGP WGC WGZ WGT
Full Name Standard drum gear coupling With brake disc (flat disc) Vertical installation type With brake drum (cylindrical) With intermediate sleeve (spacer)
Standard JB/T8854.2 / JB/ZQ4186 JB/T7001 JB/T7002-93 JB/T7003-93 JB/T7004
Braking Feature None Flat brake disc for caliper brakes None Cylindrical drum for shoe brakes None
Shaft Orientation Horizontal Horizontal Vertical — purpose designed Horizontal Horizontal
Intermediate Shaft No No No No Yes — for distant shafts
Number of Sizes 24 (WG1–WG24) 14 (WGP1–WGP14) 14 (WGC1–WGC14) 14 (WGZ1–WGZ14) 24 (WGT1–WGT24)
Lubrication Port Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Choose When... Standard horizontal drive, no braking needed Caliper braking required (e.g. crane hoists, VFD drives) Vertical shaft drive (pumps, fans, agitators) Shoe brake system required (hoists, cranes) Motor and gearbox are far apart, or axle withdrawal needed

Specifications & Size Matrix — WG1 to WG24

All specifications are from the WG product catalogue per JB/T8854.2 and JB/ZQ4186. Dimensions in millimetres. Where two values appear for C and weight, the first is Type I and the second is Type II. WG15–WG24 are Type I only.

WG drum shape gear coupling dimensional drawing showing Type I and Type II, D, D1, D2, D3, D4, B, B1, F, C dimensions

WG1 – WG12 Specifications (Type I and Type II)

Type Torque
(N·m)
Speed
(rpm)
Shaft Bore d1,d2,dz
(mm)
Y J1, Z1 D D1 D2 D3 D4 B B1 F Inertia I
(Kg·m²)
Inertia II
(Kg·m²)
Weight I
(Kg)
Weight II
(Kg)
WG1 710 7500 12–42 32–112 –/44/84 122 115 98 88 60 116 100 30 0.008 0.0063 5.6 4.86
WG2 1250 6700 22–56 52–112 –/60/84 150 145 118 108 77 136 104 30 0.021 0.016 9.78 7.48
WG3 2500 6300 22–63 52–142 –/60/107 170 165 140 125 90 160 108 30 0.047 0.033 16.7 12.2
WG4 4500 5600 30–80 82–172 –/84/132 200 195 160 145 112 180 116 30 0.098 0.073 25.6 19.6
WG5 7100 5300 30–90 82–172 –/84/132 225 215 180 168 128 200 126 30 0.175 0.126 35 26.1
WG6 10000 5000 32–100 82–212 –/107/167 245 230 200 185 145 224 134 30 0.295 0.213 51.6 38
WG7 14000 4500 32–110 82–212 –/107/167 272 265 230 210 160 244 148 30 0.53 0.35 68.6 45
WG8 20000 4250 55–125 112–212 –/107/167 290 272 245 225 176 272 162 30 0.71 0.46 79.5 55.8
WG9 25000 4000 65–140 142–252 107/202 315 305 265 245 190 280 176 30 1.05 0.77 106.5 80.5
WG10 40000 3550 75–160 142–302 107/242 355 340 300 280 225 330 196 30 1.87 1.54 158.8 121.8
WG11 56000 3000 85–180 172–302 132/242 412 385 345 325 256 360 224 40 3.66 2.77 214 167
WG12 80000 2800 120–200 212–352 167/282 440 435 375 360 288 414 250 40 6.39 4.75 302 142

WG13 – WG24 Specifications (Type I Only)

Type Torque
(N·m)
Speed
(rpm)
Bore Range
(mm)
Y Range D D2 D4 B F Inertia I
(Kg·m²)
Weight I
(Kg)
WG13 112000 2500 140–220 252–352 490 425 320 470 50 10.44 390
WG14 160000 2300 160–260 302–410 545 462 362 530 50 17.46 522
WG15 224000 2100 160–270 302–470 580 488 400 560 50 24.91 677
WG16 280000 1900 180–300 302–470 650 560 440 600 50 43.22 939
WG17 355000 1800 200–320 352–470 690 600 460 650 50 56.27 1041
WG18 450000 1700 220–360 352–550 750 650 510 700 60 88.17 1381
WG19 560000 1600 240–380 410–550 775 690 535 745 60 108.8 1526
WG20 710000 1500 260–400 410–650 825 730 580 785 60 164.4 2081
WG21 800000 1300 280–440 470–650 925 825 620 810 60 242.7 2460
WG22 900000 950 320–460 470–650 950 850 665 820 60 297 2775
WG23 1000000 900 360–500 550–650 1030 900 710 880 60 384.8 3148
WG24 1250000 850 380–520 550–800 1060 925 730 900 70 477.8 3766

Note: Torque values are in N·m (divide by 1000 for KN·m). Y column shows the bore length range for Y type shaft holes. J1/Z1 bore lengths are longer — refer to catalogue table C1/C2 values. Type II data applies to WG1–WG14 only.

Custom Bore, Type Selection & Shaft Fit Available

Need a specific Y, J1, or Z1 bore diameter not listed in the standard range, a custom keyway, or Type II construction for a larger size? Our engineering team evaluates custom requests and provides solutions. Contact us.

WG drum shape gear coupling close-up showing lubrication port and crowned tooth profile

Technical Advantages — Why Crowned Tooth Outperforms Straight Tooth

Longer Service Life Under Shock Loads

Crusher and mill drives experience torsional shock peaks of 2–4× nominal torque during material ingestion and blockage events. The WG's crowned tooth distributes these peaks as a Hertzian contact patch rather than concentrating them at a tooth edge — significantly reducing peak tooth stress under shock loading.

Reduced Bearing Loads

A misaligned straight-tooth coupling generates cyclic bending moments at 2× running frequency, loading motor and gearbox bearings with parasitic radial forces that accelerate bearing fatigue. The WG's crowned tooth self-centres under load, generating substantially lower parasitic radial force transmission.

Lower Maintenance Frequency — With Built-In Lubrication Port

The WG's lubrication port is more than a convenience — it fundamentally changes the maintenance workflow. Re-lubrication requires only the injection of fresh grease through the port with the coupling stationary — no guards to remove, no sleeve to pull, no shaft disassembly. This directly translates to shorter planned maintenance windows and fewer unplanned outages from lubrication-related failures.

Suitable for High-Speed Applications

WG1 is rated to 7500 RPM — the highest speed in the drum shape gear coupling family — making it suitable for direct 2-pole motor coupling on 50 Hz supplies. The crowned tooth profile generates significantly less heat at speed by avoiding the scrubbing action of edge-loaded straight teeth under misalignment.

Manufacturing & Quality Assurance

Manufacturing Process

WG couplings are manufactured from forged alloy steel blanks — 42CrMo4 for WG8 and above, 45# carbon steel for smaller sizes. The crowned external tooth profiles are CNC hobbed to DIN Class 7 accuracy or better, with tooth flanks carburised and quenched to 58–62 HRC surface hardness.

The lubrication port is drilled and tapped after all machining is complete, with thread-form verified for compatibility with standard grease nipple specifications. All bores are finish-machined to H7 or js6 tolerance after heat treatment.

Quality Control Flow

STEP 1
Incoming Material & Chemistry Verification

STEP 2
CNC Hobbing & Bore Machining

STEP 3
Carburising & Quench Hardening

STEP 4
CMM Inspection, Tooth Profile & Hardness

STEP 5
Lubrication Port Fitting, Painting & Pack

Certifications

ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification covers all WG manufacturing operations from raw material receipt through to finished goods dispatch. CE marking applies to applicable sizes. Products manufactured to JB/T8854.2 and JB/ZQ4186.

RP gear coupling factory showing CNC machining of WG drum shape gear coupling components

Why Source Your WG Couplings from RP?

English-Speaking Engineering Team

Our engineers communicate in technical English, review drivetrain drawings, verify coupling size selection, and validate bore and keyway specifications against customer shaft data sheets.

Flexible MOQ from Single Units

WG couplings are available from a single piece. Standard sizes ship within 15–20 working days ex-works; custom bore configurations add 5–10 working days. Volume pricing applies for orders of 5 or more identical units.

Full WG Family — One Supplier

As the manufacturer of the complete WG family — WG, WGP, WGC, WGZ, and WGT — RP can supply all variants from a single source. If your project requires WG couplings for standard drives and WGT for distributed drive arrangements, we manufacture and supply the complete mix from one order.

Factory Direct — Full Traceability

Application Case Studies

Case 1: Iron Ore Conveyor Drive Standardisation — Pilbara, WA

Customer Profile: A large iron ore producer operating a 47 km overland conveyor system with 12 drive stations using various coupling brands accumulated over 15 years.

Challenge: The mixed coupling inventory was creating a spares management problem — different coupling brands required different lubricants, different re-lubrication tools, and different maintenance procedures. Coupling failures were occurring at unpredictable intervals across the fleet.

Solution: We supplied 12× WG10 couplings (40,000 N·m, 150 mm bore, Type I) across all 12 drive stations, standardising the entire fleet to a single coupling family with identical maintenance procedures and a single lubricant specification.

Result: In the 30 months since standardisation, total coupling failures across all 12 drives fell from an average of 8–10 per year to zero. The maintenance team reduced coupling-related spares inventory by 67%.

Case 2: Cement Mill Main Drive — Queensland

Customer Profile: A cement manufacturer operating a 3.5 m diameter ball mill with a 2250 kW main drive.

Challenge: The existing disc-pack coupling had failed three times in 18 months due to disc fatigue from combined angular and axial misalignment caused by kiln thermal growth. Each failure resulted in 48 hours of unplanned downtime.

Solution: We supplied a WG15 coupling (224,000 N·m, 240 mm bore, Type I). The WG15's crowned tooth profile handles 0.7 degrees of misalignment continuously without stress concentration — well within the coupling's rated angular tolerance.

Result: The WG15 has operated for 26 months without failure or intervention beyond scheduled lubrication. The estimated saving from three avoided replacement outages represents a significant operational benefit.

Case 3: Steel Rolling Mill Upgrade — NSW

Customer Profile: An integrated steel mill performing a major refurbishment of a 5-stand hot strip rolling mill, requiring new couplings on all stands.

Challenge: The existing straight-tooth gear couplings on stands 3–5 were experiencing tooth spalling every 6–8 months due to severe torque reversals from the rolling pass cycle. The customer required a solution demonstrating a minimum 3-year service life.

Solution: We supplied 6× WG17 couplings (355,000 N·m, 280 mm bore, Type I) — one driving and one non-driving for each of the three stands — with custom keyways matched to the customer's spindle drawing.

Result: All six WG17 couplings completed 28 months of continuous production without tooth failure or unplanned replacement. The 3-year service life target was met with margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a WG drum shape gear coupling?

The WG is a high-rigidity, compact crowned-tooth gear coupling with a built-in lubrication port. It is available in Type I (WG1–WG24) and Type II (WG1–WG14), covering 24 sizes from 710 N·m (0.71 KN·m) to 1,250,000 N·m (1,250 KN·m) at up to 7500 RPM.

What is the difference between WG Type I and Type II?

Both Type I and II share the same outer diameter, torque rating, and shaft bore options. Type I has a single continuous outer sleeve. Type II adds an inner bore collar with a longer hub engagement length — increasing the effective bore engagement area for applications that require higher interference fit or greater bore depth for keys.

How does the WG lubrication port work?

The WG has a standard grease nipple port on the outer sleeve that allows EP-grade grease or gear oil injection directly into the tooth mesh space without disassembly. Re-lubrication can be performed with the machine stationary during a brief planned stop.

What is the difference between WG and GIICLZ couplings?

Both are crowned-tooth gear couplings. The WG has an integral lubrication port and two construction types (I and II); it is the base of the WG family including brake and vertical variants. The GIICLZ has an intermediate shaft spacer between two coupling halves and uses a different sleeve assembly design — suited to applications requiring larger shaft separation.

Can I get a WGP, WGC, WGZ, or WGT in the same sizes as WG?

WGP, WGC, WGZ, and WGT share many sizes with the WG base series but have size-specific limits. WGP, WGC, and WGZ are available up to 14 sizes due to the additional brake or vertical installation components. WGT is available in its own size range for distributed drive applications.

What is the angular misalignment tolerance of the WG coupling?

The WG accommodates angular misalignment of 1.0 to 1.5 degrees per tooth mesh. With two meshes in the WG design, the total system can tolerate up to approximately 3 degrees of combined angular offset — the same as the GIICLZ series.

Get Your WG Coupling Specified and Quoted

Send us your torque requirement, shaft dimensions, required construction type (I or II), and application details. Our engineering team confirms the right WG size and provides a competitive factory-direct quotation within one business day.

Reply within 24 hours
|
English-speaking engineering team
|
sales@netherlandsdrive.com

RP Techniek BV (EVER-POWER Netherlands Branch)

Mail:

polman.rob@rptechniek.nl
harmens.paul@rptechniek.nl
sales@netherlandsdrive.com

Professional production Speed Reducer, Worm Gearbox, Sprocket, Rack, Gear, Roller Chain, V-Belt Pulley, Motor, PTO Drive Shaft, Chain CC600, Taper Bushes Manufacturer and Supplier.

Blogs Updated