Carbon Fiber Shaft Couplings

QUIET • SMOOTH • RELIABLE

(Not Suitable for High RPMs)

"...is limited/not capable of high RPM service due to the design, materials of construction and coupling characteristics. Two important attributes of high speed couplings are lightweight and low inertia. If the coupling is to be accelerated from zero to 10,000 or 15,000 RPM, the torque required to reach those speeds quickly is substantial if inertia is allowed to be high. High speed machines are sensitive to overhung weights too. Everything is built for speed, which means small, light and precise." 

Lovejoy Coupling Handbook, pg 57

 BAC utilizes its 40 years of composite (carbon fiber) design, analysis and test experience to create unique, lightweight, high strength carbon fiber shaft couplings. We can tailor our designs to meet your specific requirements (critical speed, ultimate torque, torsional stiffness) resulting in a final product with greatly reduced angular velocities and the lowest M.O.I. These combined features create the safest operational environment.

The BAC carbon fiber, self-contained flex couplings have the highest torque capacity per outside diameter of any coupling system. The patented, self-contained flex disc pack transmits torque through the surface of a pilot pressure plate. This efficiently transmits the torque through to an ultra high strength carbon fiber laminate which is integrated into the flex disc pack. This combination results in a compact, small diameter with an extremely high torque capability...all of this in an ultra lightweight package.

Utilizing our proprietary resin matrix in our carbon fiber shaft technology, we manufacture shaft couplings with inherent vibration dampening characteristics which eliminate N.V.H. (Noise Vibration Harmonics) of the drive train and drive motor systems of your machine without using rubber or elastomeric devices which historically result in excessive T.I.R. and imbalance vibrations.

Separating us from all of our competitors, BAC consistently produces THE lightest weight, highest quality, and most reliable composite products with no exceptions. Throughout our 40+ years of specialized work, BAC has mastered various designs and applications that have withstood many challenging operating conditions while impressively maintaining ZERO field service failures. For these reasons, no other carbon fiber manufacturer can come close to making this claim.

Due to the ultra-lightweight materials of construction (carbon fiber composite, etc.) precise method of manufacture and high torque density design, all BAC shaft couplings have a near ZERO T.I.R. resulting in a perfectly balanced coupling which far exceeds all AGMA 9000 Guidelines for the highest RPM applications. BAC shaft couplings are so perfectly balanced (precision construction) that AGMA 9000 requirements are not applicable. A true revolution in coupling design and manufacturing.  This results in the smoothest, quietest, safest drive line coupling systems possible.

Utilizing BAC's 40+ years of composite engineering design experience, we have custom laminate designs that result in ultra high axial stiffness/weight ratios which result in torque shafts that can span much longer distances than all other shafts. This unique characteristic can eliminate, in certain applications, a center support bearing arrangement/hardware.

Although BAC carbon fiber couplings are ideal for high RPM applications (relatively small O.D.), they are also extremely beneficial  for high torque, larger diameter applications up to 6" in diameter and 22,000 ft•lbs of operational torque. This is due to the dramatic weight savings of these massive shaft couplings which are typically steel and can easily weigh over 100 lbs. depending on the length. The current state of technology utilizes a typical, massive, heavy, steel shaft coupling which is inherently impossible to balance properly and has excessive overhanging weight which is hard on connecting equipment bearings, etc. A custom BAC carbon fiber shaft coupling will save up to 100 lbs. of rotating weight (10x lighter). This is a revolution in large O.D. shaft coupling technology resulting in unparalleled smooth, quiet, vibration-free coupling operation with ease of installation. There is no need for heavy lifting equipment.

All BAC carbon fiber shaft couplings utilize a U.S. Patented, unitized, stainless steel, flex disc pack. This high torque density flex disc pack is integrated into the hub and the carbon fiber shaft assembly. This U.S. Patent Pending design is designed for ease of installation with the flex disc pack. Easy access cap screws through the carbon fiber shaft flanges retract the flex disc pack so the entire shaft can be dropped in or out of the machine without moving hubs on the equipment.

All of BAC coupling solutions incorporate our unique carbon fiber shaft technology. We want to build our couplings to meet your specific requirements. However, the reason we do not offer any other coupling material choices is because in all of our years of business, we have never had a customer request to make their equipment vibrate more.

 We have the ability to tune mass inertia, ultimate torsional strength, axial stiffness, torsional stiffness and critical speed with all of our custom designs. We will custom build every flexible coupling to your specific requirements including but not limited to: input-output shaft flange/hub configuration, angular misalignment, axial movement, operational torque, peak torque, maximum operational RPM, overall length, etc.

We guarantee that our designs are the most compact, highest speed, highest torque, lightest weight shaft couplings for any given application.