Rodriguez delivers the largest stainless steel drive unit in the company's history

Rodriguez also supplies its stainless steel ball rotary connections in custom designs – currently, for example, for a cleanroom application in the semiconductor industry.

The drive unit for a special vacuum application consists of an internally toothed stainless steel ball rotary coupling with dimensions 1,230 x 1,091 x 27.5 mm, including mounting plate and drive gear. Rodriguez supplies this assembly as part of its custom system solutions (Value Added Products) from a single source. Thanks to a two-layer cleanroom packaging, the drive unit meets the strict requirements of the semiconductor industry.

"The special bearing used is particularly noteworthy because it is actually somewhat too thin for a ball rotary coupling. On one hand, this resulted from the delicate construction of the machine in which the bearing unit is installed. On the other hand, we were able to comply with the weight restrictions specified by the customer," explains Ulrich Schroth, Head of the Value Added Products division at Rodriguez. "The ball rotary coupling is made of hardened, corrosion-resistant stainless steel 1.4034 and features hardened gear flanks that provide increased protection against wear. Ceramic rolling bodies enable minimal lubrication with a special vacuum grease. This allows the bearing unit to be easily installed in ultra-high vacuum." Not least, a customer-specific bearing clearance ensures that the special requirements of the application are met.

The custom system solution is delivered in a two-layer cleanroom packaging. This means that Rodriguez applies an initial packaging in the cleanroom. Subsequently, a standard second packaging is added. Upon delivery, the top/standard packaging is removed, and the second packaging is then removed in the customer's cleanroom. This ensures that no contamination or foreign particles occur during transport, which could later negatively impact the application.