For cooling-tower applications, where there is a long distance between the driven and driver components, a carbon-fibre floating shaft can be an excellent lightweight solution. These types of couplings can be supplied in lengths greater than 10 metres, making it unnecessary to use heavy metallic couplings with bearing assemblies.
This particular coupling, recently supplied to a steel plant, is designed for a duty of 60 kW at 1600 rpm with a distance between the shaft ends of 2600 mm. Thanks to the carbon fibre spacer, the total weight of the coupling is below 26 kg.
In addition to cooling towers, these carbon-fibre couplings are often used in deep-well pumps and marine-propulsion drive lines.
