Exhibitions & Events

Freewheels are familiar to everyone who has ever ridden a bicycle. They enable cyclists to roll downhill without pedalling. Just how indispensable these mechanical elements are, especially in conveyor technique, will be demonstrated by Thomas Heubach of RINGSPANN GmbH of Bad Homburg in the Peter-Dietz Auditorium at the TU Clausthal (Robert-Koch-Str. 32) on 15 June at 15:00. Anyone interested in this subject is cordially invited to attend. Admission is free of charge.

Freewheels are a type of self-activating clutch. Their distinctive feature is that they either disengage or transmit torque, depending on the direction of rotation. Thus they can be used as backstops, overrunning clutches or indexing freewheels. They perform these functions automatically in a wide range of machines. No mechanical or hydraulic actuating device of the kind found in clutches or brakes, for example, is required.

Freewheels are indispensable elements in the design of machinery and machine systems and in the aviation industry. A number of engineering solutions cannot be realized economically without freewheels. As a self-activating drive-system component, the freewheel is the element of choice in conventional solutions as it offers significant advantages in terms of reliability, cost-effectiveness and automation.

The presentation will show how these advantages can be realized. RINGSPANN has over 50 years of experience in the development, production and marketing of freewheels. RINGSPANN freewheels are produced in several different countries and distributed through a global network of subsidiaries and sales partners.

The Bezirksgruppe Harz represents the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e. V. (German Engineering Association, VDI)) in the West Harz region. With facilities at the TU Clausthal, the association offers students opportunities for further training and advancement beyond the limits of the university curriculum. In addition to the seminar prize, it also offers fields trips to institutions outside the academic sphere. It supports the local team of Clausthal Students and Young Engineers, who are active locally and also represent the Clausthal name at the national level. 

Presentations offered within the framework of the Mechanical Engineering Colloquium are open to members as well as other interested individuals from the greater Harz region. The Bezirksgruppe Harz also serves as a point of contact for schools when it comes to promoting interest in technology among prospective future engineers. 

Further information can be obtained from Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Thoden (tel.: 05323 72-3506 or e-mail at bg-harz@tu-clausthal.de.