Posted to News on 30th Dec 2010, 21:14
PEEK shaft coupling resists high temperatures and high potential
Huco Dynatork has produced a special variant of its Multi-Beam coupler, manufactured from PEEK, for a solar panel application in which the shaft coupling had to prevent current leakage, even at elevated temperatures.
A solar panel high-voltage capacitor manufactured by a Japanese consumer electronics company has a very high potential difference between the core of the capacitor and a small, earthed gearbox. The manufacturer therefore had to ensure that the flexible coupling connecting the drive from the gearbox to a lead screw would not permit any current leakage.
Huco Dynatork was therefore commissioned to develop a suitable coupling for the application. Its highly cost-efficient Multi-Beam coupler was selected as being the most suitable design. It is typically used for precision motion applications requiring torsional stiffness and zero backlash. However, in this application it had to be manufactured from a non-standard material to prevent current leakage.
To achieve the required high resistance, Huco Dynatork considered a variety of plastics but eventually selected Victrex PEEK. This polymer is characterised by high mechanical strength at high temperatures, and has good chemical resistance and electrical insulation properties.
David Lockett, Managing Director of Huco Dynatork, states: "The power distribution across the Multi-Beam in this application is 35,000 volts, so the high dielectric strength PEEK material proved the best. The coupling is working extremely well for this customer and we can now offer this solution to other manufacturers whose drive application involves elevated temperatures."
