ABSTRACT
I. SELECTION FACTORS Flexible couplings are a vital part of a mechanical power transmission system. Unfortunately, many system designers treat flexible couplings as if they were just pieces of hardware. The amount of time spent in selecting a coupling and determining how it interacts with a system should be a function not only of the cost of the equipment but also of how much downtime it will take to replace the coupling or repair a failure. In some cases the process may take only a little time and be based on past experience; however, on sophisticated systems it may require complex calculations, computer modeling, finite element analysis (PEA), and possibly even testing.
