Case Studies

By Andrew Logan
November 20, 2018 Category: Marine

The Great Lakes Towing Company and Logan Clutch Corporation officially signed a contract at ITS 2018 Marseille. This agreement allows the Companys new fleet of tugs to incorporate Logans advanced FlexaDrive hybrid power generation and propulsion systems. These tugs are Damen designed Stan Tugs 1907 ICE, built by Great Lakes Shipyard, as part of the companys fleet renewal program. We are excited to be a part of a team which will bring hybrid tug technology to the Great Lakes, says Andrew Logan, President of Logan Clutch. Congratulations to Great Lakes Shipyard for finding the funding for the project; MTU for the captains controls interface and Twin Disc for mechanical propulsion system with a new standard supply of modified components to optimize the Logan FlexaDrive hybrid system, he said. Also at the ceremony was Robert Zadkovich, Vice President, Business Development, at The Great Lakes Towing Company. Implementing the hybrid technology in a series of new-build tugs for our fleet also

By Andrew Logan
October 10, 2018 Category: Mobile

Logan FlexaDrive Series Description: The Logan FlexaDrive multiple pump drive system is a self-contained gearbox with integral flexible coupling, providing full engine power between your engine (power take-off) and transmission. Three (3) different models, offering from one (1) to five (5) pump towers, offer up to ten (10) PTO/PTI pump pads with bi-directional rotation for engines ranging from 200 HP (150 kW) to 5000 HP (3700kW) at a maximum 2600 RPM (modified standards available). Various step-up ratios are available for direct drive PTOs, with standard ratios offered from 1:1 to 1:1.25. Oil Field Applications: FlexaDrives are ideal for use in applications where they can be mounted between a diesel engine and Allison and Cat CX style transmission transmitting full engine power through to the transmission, while offering up to 160 HP (120 kW) per tower for hydraulic pumps and equipment. 2-position Pump Drive System For Engines Up to 1000 HP (745 kw) The Logan 2-Position Pump Drive

By Andrew Logan
September 20, 2018 Category: Marine, FlexaDrive, Bell Housing, Logan FlexaDrive HT, Hybrid Technology

Vessels are getting larger and more capable, but they are also becoming safer and more efficient. ITO editor John McCready interviewed Joe Starck, President of The Great Lakes Towing Company, and Andrew Logan, President and CEO of Logan Clutch Corporation, about a major program to transform the environmental impact of the towing industry. Vessels are getting larger and more capable, but they are also becoming safer and more efficient. ITO editor John McCready interviewed Joe Starck, President of The Great Lakes Towing Company, and Andrew Logan, President and CEO of Logan Clutch Corporation, about a major program to transform the environmental impact of the towing industry. International regulations, particularly those related to the release of carbon dioxide and combustion pollutants into the atmosphere, are driving the towing industry, and by extension its stakeholders, toward more fuel efficient, lower emission vessels. Hull design, alternative fuels, energy saving equipment and voyage

By Andrew Logan
April 13, 2018 Category: Direct PTO, Marine

Steering a commercial boat or large yacht can be similar to driving a heavy car with bad brakes. Its difficult to stop, and response to the rudder is slow. This poses no problem in the open sea, but it can be real challenge to maneuver the vessel in a congested marina or when docking. This is where a bow thruster comes in. A bow thruster consists of an open-ended tube that runs through the underwater sections of the hull near the bow and perpendicular to the keel. A propeller mounted at some point inside this tube can rotate in either direction. The helmsman selects the rotational direction and actuates the propeller. As a result, the bow thruster sucks a solid stream of water in one end of the tube and forces it out of the other, pushing the bow sideways and augmenting the rudder to make steering more responsive. Two Props are better than one Traditional single propeller systems generate thrust by accelerating water in the axis of the propeller shaft. However, the water discharged

By Andrew Logan
April 13, 2018 Category: Bell Housing, Water Blasting, Hydro Excavation / Vacuum / Water Jetting Equipment

Logan self-adjusting, hydraulically actuated Bell Housing Power Take-Off (PTO) clutches have been standard equipment on OEM marine and mobile equipment for over 18 years. Thousands of Logan units are in the field, operating on airport snow blowers, highway and airport marking and runway rubber removal equipment, and more recently trailor mounted waterblasting equipment. Logan vs. Mechanical PTOs The advantage of the Logan Clutch is its ability to engage and disengage the water jetter hydraulically, through push-button activation, eliminating the use of a mechanical hand lever or yoke type clutch engagement system, which dates back to the early 40s. Smooth, Logan softstart engagement eliminates clutch downtime due to over and under adjustment. And since the Logan clutch is self-adjusting, clutch engagement is smooth and consistent after hundreds of hours of use. The mechanical clutch requires the operator to hand engage a clutch, which opens up the opportunity for untrained operators

By Logan Clutch
April 11, 2018 Category: Mobile, Snowblowing

Logan self-adjusting Bell Housing PTO clutches have been standard equipment on all Oshkosh H-Series Blowers manufactured since 2005. Hundreds of Logan units are in the field, operating at a high level of excellence and readiness for major U.S. Airports such as Chicago OHare, Boston Logan, Cleveland-Hopkins, Buffalo Airport, and more. The Logan Advantage: The advantage of the Logan clutch is its ability to engage the snow blower drivetrain hydraulically (for factory blower trucks), and pneumatically (for pre-2005 H-Series field retrofits). This eliminates the use of a mechanical hand lever or yoke type clutch engagement system, which requires frequent mechanical adjustments many times during snow removal conditions, which leads to downtime and inconsistent operation. For example, mechanical clutches that were improperly adjusted, often led to disc wear and eventual clutch failure requiring the truck to be taken out of commission, requiring many hours to pull the blower trucks drivetrain

By Andrew Logan
January 16, 2018 Category: General, Marine

Fishing for Salmon in Alaskas Bristol Bay can be a challenge all by itself. This area is a Sport Fisher-mans paradise so the area is filled with commercial as well as pleasure fishing boats during the season. Being able to maneuver fast in these waters is a plus. Steve Tutt has owned many Jet Propulsion fishing boats and has made a name for himself in this area of the world. Steve has found that Jet Propulsion fishing boats idea for the conditions found in the Bay. One thing Steve found out that fishing in crowded waters can be a bit of an issue with Jet Propulsion. Controlling the Jet Boat and nets in neutral position can be a problem since the boat tends to circle. It would be easy to snag a line or another fishermans net. Steve began looking for solutions to see what could be done. His efforts first lead him to the option of retrofit-ting one of his boats with a Marine Gear. Although possible the cost would be in the 6K to 8K range plus the cost to retrofit. Besides that the weight

By Logan Clutch
January 16, 2018 Category: General, Mobile

A major harbor tug operator in the US had a need to up-grade some of its old Detroit Diesel driven Gensets. This operator has the hydraulic requirements for the boat and deck winches provided by two hydraulic pumps mounted on the front of two redundant Gensets. (This is an alternate solution to main engine mounted hydraulic pumps and allows for the hydraulic systems to be run at the dock and without the mains being operated.) In normal operation, one genset provided all of the ships power. The second genset provided all of the ships hydraulic requirements. In an emergency where additional electricity or additional hydraulic pump flow was required, the second unit could be used to provide additional resources. In the event of a failure, one genset could provide enough electricity and hydraulic flow for the boat to still operate until the first unit could be repaired, keeping a valuable piece of equipment operating and providing revenue. The clutch allowed the pump not being used to be

By Andrew Logan
January 16, 2018 Category: General, Mobile

Logan was the partner with LightningHybrids of Loveland CO on a recently brought to market round-town delivery truck. The system is particularly well suited to heavy stop start duty trucks saving up to 40% of the fuel. LightningHybrids had the unique idea of a hydraulic hybrid. Energy is stored in a hydraulic accumulator and used during acceleration. LightningHybrids demanded a long and reliable duty cycle with performance that didnt change over time. Additionally they need a part that would offer all the value at a price that could be sold to a price sensitive fleet owner for retrofit into existing equipment. In the prototype stage LightningHybrids found that the Logan Units could work as required. Ever demanding they, investigated competitors but in the end returned to the Logan product because of Engineering support, manufacturing capacity and proven performance at a value price point. The Logan S35 was heavily modified to fit into the existing envelope. Logan Engineers worked

By Logan Clutch
January 16, 2018 Category: General

The Challenge To develop a unit that can go through an oil pipeline that is capable of doing measurements and still be strong enough to carry a cable through the pipe-line. Besides the pipeline being limited in space there are sometimes small obstructions to past through larger welds and dirt in spots. The customer solution was to build a Robot to do this work. Inside the robot there would be an electrical motor connected to a gearbox. That gearbox is connected to 2 axles. On each axle there are 2 clutches (4 clutches in total) and when there is an obstruction in the line there can be a peak load on one of the axles. A second later the other axle will help and the torque will be divided on each axle The peak load is only for a short moment, usually less than 5 seconds to pass the obstruction. If longer the electrical power drops in half to a safety mode. This means the torque to the clutch or the unit will never be above specifications. The start and stop of the unit is always without