Power management company Eaton has launched its new range of aluminum flat face couplings designed for manufacturers utilizing liquid cooling in the electrical systems of their vehicles, machinery or equipment. Markets expected to benefit most from this quick-disconnect coupling innovation include machine tools, transportation, renewable energy and electrical/electronic applications.
Typically, liquid cooling operations feature lower pressures of around 25 bar. However, it is important that the flow is maintained. A coupling with restricted flow may lead to the fluid heating up, which could cause a degradation of cooling efficiency. Eaton’s aluminum flat face couplings offer improved flow characteristics and, on average, help offer 29 to 62 percent higher flow than the requirements in the ISO 16028 standard. For customers, this means there are fewer pressure drops, which means greater cooling effectiveness.
It’s also important to note that traditional couplings used in these applications have a tendency to exhibit technical issues in environments that feature vibration and heat. In essence, the connection may break within those operating conditions. According to Eaton, its aluminum flat face couplings have been engineered to mitigate those factors, help secure the connection and offer a minimum safety factor of four for a working pressure of 25 bar in operating environments with vibration and heat.
Manufactured from aluminum, the coupling provides a lightweight and corrosion-resistant solution. It has good resistance to environmental exposure, pressure and mechanical stress, delivering reduced maintenance and safer operations. In addition, aluminum flat face couplings offer non-spill functionality (dry break with no liquid loss) for use in electrical applications. Options are available for railway applications with an enhanced version for vibration resistance tested according to the EN 61373 standard.
Christian Kuenstel, product manager, hydraulic connectors, EMEA, Eaton, said: “In these applications, leakage and spills can cause technical failures, system shutdowns and difficult clean ups, which is simply an unacceptable scenario for customers. One possible cause of application downtime is due to the failure of plastic couplings. Today, more and more manufacturers are utilizing liquid cooling because it transfers heat far more efficiently than air, thus helping to ensure the safe and effective operation of system components. Although plastic couplings have been the historic choice in this application, they have a number of disadvantages with regard to reliability and longevity. Eaton’s aluminum flat face coupling offers manufacturers a viable alternative, helping to reduce maintenance and improve uptime.”
