If you need to replace the shaft couplings on your cooling tower, you may want to consider looking at carbon fibre shaft couplings. This material offers unique advantages that make it particularly appealing compared to shafts made of other types of metal. Here is a look at some of the benefits to consider.

1. Easy installation

Many carbon fibre couplings feature a convenient design that simplifies installation by allowing you to just slip the shaft in place. Additionally, thanks to the strength and flexibility of carbon fibre, these couplings are able to be longer than couplings made from other materials. That eliminates the need for intermediate couplings or bearings, and in addition to making installation easier, that can save your crew time on assembly.

2. Floating designs

As indicated above, carbon fibre couplings can be longer than couplings made of other metals. That makes this option ideal for cooling fans where the motor and load are relatively far apart from each other. However, in these cases, you may want to opt for a floating design.

With a floating design, you can bridge an even longer distance and easily deal with misalignment. Essentially, a floating carbon fibre coupling features steel discs separated by a fabricated spacer shaft, and this can bridge the gap if the two parts being connected aren't lined up perfectly. Depending on the design you select, it may be able to mitigate a few centimetres of misalignment or more.

3. Lightweight

Carbon fibre is significantly lighter weight than steel, which can make installation easier as well. In particular, you can often install new carbon fibre couplings with human power alone. In these cases, you don't need to worry about using a heavy duty lifting machine or a crane. Additionally, once you have installed the carbon fibre coupling, its relative lightweight nature puts relatively less stress on your cooling tower motor and bearings.

4. Strong

In spite of being lightweight, carbon fibre is known for its strength. In a cooling tower, this is especially important as the coupler needs to be able to withstand the vibrations of the motor. Every coupler has a maximum operating speed, and this is the speed at which the spacer will begin to bend due to over excessive centripetal force in the coupler. Generally, carbon fibre couplers of the same weight and thickness tend to have a greater operating speed if they are made of carbon fibre.