A company in São Paulo, Brazil selected and acquired MagnaDrive magnetic couplings for their pumps in the vaccine production process.

The goal was to reduce issues with critical equipment on the production line and boost productivity.

Situation

The São Paulo institute located in the Butantan area, has several centrifugal pumps in its manufacturing park, which provide water for its production process.

However, the maintenance team faced frequent problems with the couplings that were used. Because of these problems, the supply of cold water was being disrupted.

The couplings that were used in the pumps had issues such as:

• Sudden failures
• Breaks in the rubber elements of the couplings
• Misalignment between the shafts which caused excessive vibration.
• Constant breaks and replacements of shafts and other pump components.
  

These sudden failures in the coupling elements, in addition to causing the unavailability of the icy water system, in addition reduced bearing life of both motors and pumps. Premature failures in mechanical seals led to frequent maintenance.

All this generated several disorders and large losses in production.

Proposal/ Solution

Seeking to improve the conditions of their production equipment. Discussions and technical demonstrations led to an informed customer decision.

Soon after, there was a request and analysis of documents so the company’s maintenance team could verify that everything was within the technical standards required by the quality certification bodies.

After the service visit and suggestion given by the TOP Components specialist, the company’s maintenance team chose MagnaDrive Magnetic Couplings in place of elastic couplings.

The customer chose to use the MagnaDrive Magnetic Coupling model VTX on their pump application.

Actual results obtained by the company with the replacement of couplings:

• Decreased maintenance
• More precise alignment
• Smoother start
• Reduction of vibrations between the axes
• Increased service life of mechanical equipment and seals
• Increased availability of pumps
• Continuous water supply at the correct temperature.

Return/Benefits

Pumping cold water in this process is extremely important because it maintains the ideal temperature for cooling vaccine production components.

Therefore, the application of MagnaDrive Magnetic Couplings has ensured this company has uninterrupted equipment performance, greater reliability and gains in production.

Customer Reviews:

” We were very pleased with the results obtained with the installation of magnetic couplings in the vaccine production equipment. In February 2021, we made two applications that are performing to perfect function. Now, we are acquiring three more couplings fore replacement in other pumps, converting all the couplings used in our manufacturing line.”

– General Manager Responsible for Maintenance and Production of the Institute –

By some global estimates, steel is responsible for eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions today. In order to combat these high numbers, the steel-making industry will need to create alternatives to primary steel processes as well as new technologies that will boost recycled steel initiatives.

Energy transitions, however, are on completely different timelines around the world in 2020. What is happening right now in Europe may not happen here in the United States for a few more years as each country’s emissions strategies differ. China, for example, has set its net-zero emissions targets for 2060.

MagnaDrive’s Role in Steel-Making Applications

So how can MagnaDrive play a role in clean, sustainable steel-making today? In bag house and blast furnace fan applications, the company is already providing component alternatives that can lead to an increase in energy savings.

Bag house fans are used to filter exhaust gas from their processes. These are often seen in steel and cement plants. Blast furnace fans are another example in steel production where speed control can lead to energy savings.

These fans rely on the energy of the impellers or the rotating blade to increase the pressure of the air/gas stream. Therefore, the bearings, motors, belts, couplings, etc. must be high quality to ensure reliable service, noise reduction and the ability to operate under a variety of different operating conditions.

“Prior to using MagnaDrive products, many of these companies were not using speed control to help save energy on these applications” says Field Service Engineer Gilberto Ramirez at MagnaDrive.

To enhance these centrifugal fan applications, MagnaDrive suggested upgrades to the equipment with their Adjustable Speed Drive and Emax FGC products. The slip offered by fixed speed couplings helped to reduce energy consumption. Additionally, a reduction in fan speed resulted in long-term energy savings and less demand on the motor.

Improving Fan Efficiency with MagnaDrive

• MagnaDrive’s Adjustable Speed Drive (ASD) and Emax FGC products help reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.
• Fixed speed couplings offer slip that lowers energy consumption.
• Lower fan speeds contribute to long-term energy savings and reduce motor demand.
  

With the addition of a MagnaDrive ASD, some customers were able to eliminate vibration and turbulence, minimizing stress cracks in the equipment. Thanks to no sensitive electronic parts in the ASD, the equipment could run in the dusty environment typically found in bag house fans without maintenance issues. This all but eliminated the need to utilize highly skilled technicians to maintain the equipment.

Furthermore, the ASD installation allows customers in these areas to apply similar components to systems that require variable outputs/changing load patterns. Compressors, pumps, blowers, conveyors, etc. could be reexamined to determine if MagnaDrive upgrades would also benefit these applications.

Additional Benefits of MagnaDrive Upgrades

• Eliminate vibration and turbulence, reducing stress cracks in equipment.
• No sensitive electronic parts in ASDs, making them ideal for dusty environments like bag house fans.
• Minimized need for skilled technicians for maintenance.
  

The MagnaDrive Emax series provides up to a 30% energy savings on variable torque pump and fan applications. It is suitable for high inertia systems, ideal for mining and cement, HVAC, pulp and paper, and manufacturing applications subject to tight space constraints.  

The MagnaDrive ASD provides the energy savings of speed control without the problems often associated with Variable Frequency Drives. System complexity is reduced, vibration is minimized and alignment problems disappear. Motor systems can be resized for lower cost and more efficient operation. Learn more about these and other products or request a quote!

These couplings would frequently fail due to thermal fuse breakage/heating. Two to three of these couplings needed to be replaced in a one-year period. When replacements were necessary, the downtime was 6-8 hours for installation and alignment. Oil supply and regulation was another time-consuming process.

The Solution: Installing MagnaDrive MGD Couplings

TOP Componentes, a distributor in Brazil for MagnaDrive couplings, proposed the installation of an MGD coupling to replace the hydraulic coupling.  This resulted in:

• Zero equipment failures
• No unscheduled stops
• Lowered the risk of accidents in the manufacturing facility

Installation Details

TOP selected the best product to work with:

• 550 hp motor running at 1,200 rpm.
• Reducer inlet speed was 1,180 rpm
• Total reduction, 1/24.7
• Material density, 1.91g/cm3
• Torque at reducer outlet of 8,000 kgf.m.
  
  The Removal of the original coupling and the installation of the new MagnaDrive coupling without moving either the reactor or the motor only took about three hours to complete.  

Cost Savings and Performance Benefits

Switching to the MagnaDrive MGD coupling significantly reduced maintenance, labor, and replacement costs:

• Hydraulic coupling solution cost: +$50,000 (including maintenance and replacements)
• MGD coupling installation and maintenance cost: +$30,000
  
  
  After a year in use, the benefits of the upgrade included:
  

• Decreased maintenance needs
• Reduced vibration
• Increased equipment availability
• Greater tolerance to misalignments
  

The customer has also decided to replace hydraulic couplings in other equipment in the manufacturing facility with MagnaDrive magnetic couplings.

MagnaGuard Delay Start Coupling Benefits

The MagnaGuard Delay Start Coupling Family (MGD) offers numerous benefits for customers, particularly in applications requiring a cushioned or delayed start, such as bulk handling conveyors.

Key Features of MGD Couplings

• Ability to delay full torque transfer
• Cushioned start and stop
• Design is Specific for a Cushioned & Delay Start
• For applications with Pulsating and/or Shock Loading
• Partially disengagement to protect equipment
• Vertical and horizontal Installation
• 10 – 1,000 hp up to 3,600 rpm

In the past, the air cooler business had its fair share of complacency due to minimal product development over the last 40+ years as well as a perception that the technology was antiquated or “dead” technology.  Many in the industry felt that air coolers were a basic commodity that could not be enhanced.

The greatest challenge in air cooling applications is overcooling. Air coolers, in general, operate in an overdesigned condition 95 – 99 percent of the year. Excessive fluid cooling causes unnecessary liquid fallout, field shutdowns and noise.

With MagnaDrive’s ASD-SSD technology, the company offered a plug and play drive with no modifications to the fan shaft or system design required. The ASD-SSD also provided a single magnet rotor and conductor rotor that saved on design costs. The product provided accurate and repeatable speed control and the actuator supplied was suitable for explosion proof requirements.

Has the ASD-SSD technology provided a more flexible option for the changing operating conditions found in most industrial applications today?

A company in West Texas had a problem with gas compression coolers that were constantly overcooling the gas, causing the gas to condense at a rate that overwhelmed the separators and controls. This ultimately led to a shutdown resulting in lost production and the need for an operator to physically go to the site to restart the equipment.

The installation of a MagnaDrive ASD-SSD reduced the excess cooling by slowing the fans (airflow) down to only the amount needed. To date, fan speed is controlled more efficiently by increasing only when the process conditions require—when EJW, TAW, and AC temperatures exceed their set points, for example.

In addition, vibration and liquid fallout has been significantly reduced since installation of the new equipment. The reduction in parasitic horsepower has reduced the engine’s gas consumption. This technology has adapted to the constantly changing engine, compressor and environmental conditions found in the application. Moreover, magnetic variable speed technology has fully been adopted within the Gas Machinery’s Research Council (GMRC).

In the past, every air cooled exchanger manufacturer approached their business differently. They were cautious about adding costs, updating equipment, and spending more money to be more self-sufficient at the plant level. They realized, however, that the end market is changing and is demanding much more flexible solutions today.

The ASD-SSD minimizes the power needed to operate the drive. This provides extensive energy efficiency gains in order to meet stringent DOE and EPA regulations. Shaft power can be redirected in order to increase power into the compressor to increase capacity. By lowering the fan speed and isolating the fan assembly, the ASD-SSD can reduce the wear and maintenance of the equipment’s rotating components including shafts, bearings, and belts. This helps to eliminate scheduled downtimes and reoccurring maintenance shutdowns at the plant.

The MagnaDrive ASD-SSD delivers performance and efficiency improvements through rare earth magnets and non-ferrous conductors in order to transmit torque across an air gap from driver to load. This change in air gap allows the speed of the belt driven equipment to bemore efficiently controlled.

“With the ASD-SSD we’re able to reduce energy consumption on belt driven centrifugal applications with minimal impact or modifications to the existing installation “said  Geoff Harmon, senior applications engineer at MagnaDrive.

The benefits of the ASD-SSD include ease of installation, reduced energy consumption, reduced maintenance as well as noise reduction. 

This adjustable speed drive can now be directly installed on new or existing engine cooler drive shafts as a direct replacement.  As a result, installation time and cost is significantly reduced making it a suitable solution for retrofits on existing belt driven centrifugal equipment.

The ASD-SSD also minimizes the power needed to operate the application by optimizing the cooling efficiency of gas compressors. This provides extensive energy efficiency gains in order to meet stringent DOE and EPA regulations. Shaft power can be controlled in order to minimize power required by a gas compressor cooling fan leading to increase efficiency.

By lowering the fan speed when process demands are lower, the ASD-SSD can reduce the wear and maintenance of the equipment’s rotating components including shafts, bearings, and belts. This helps to eliminate scheduled downtimes and reoccurring maintenance shutdowns at the plant.

Fan noise is also greatly reduced thanks in part to less air flow requirements and the reduction of maintenance for the other temperature control devices. The ASD-SSD is also a suitable alternative to high voltage, variable frequency drives that may not be suitable for certain electrical classifications.

With the ASD-SSD, plants can achieve a fast ROI in less than a year. The plug and play drive eliminates the need for expensive modifications to the fan shaft or system design. A single magnet rotor and conductor rotor saves on overall costs. The equipment provides accurate and repeatable speed control. The actuator supplied also handles explosion proof requirements.

“The Adjustable Sheave Speed Drive is designed to replace a single speed belt reduction system without having to modify the existing system.  Therefore installation will be very cost effective and as a result increases the return on investment. “

MagnaDrive adjustable speed drives are available in sizes up to 200 HP @ 1800 RPM. Lower maintenance and operating costs are a result of transferring torque from motors to driven equipment across an air gap without shaft-to-shaft physical connection. This “disconnected connection” provides reduced vibration that increases bearing and seal life.

MagnaDrive specializes in magnetic couplings and drives that reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by lowering maintenance costs, increasing process availability and improving system reliability. Learn more at www.geoffreyh8.sg-host.com.

In the next blog, we’ll examine how MagnaDrive’s ASD-SSD was used to upgrade a gas compression air cooler application at XTO Energy – ExxonMobil.

Municipal Applications

In the following municipal applications, these various pumps were enhanced with the addition of water-cooled ASDs provided by MagnaDrive.

Anshan Water Utility Plant

At the Anshan Water Utility Plant, a pump station contained components that caused lots of vibration. The parameters for the water surface needed to be monitored by the main control room. The manually controlled valve required a lot of labor and the accuracy didn’t meet the requirements that wasted power.

MagnaDrive installed an ASD12 (45 kW, 2,980 r/min) in 2013. This upgrade immediately helped the plant to meet production requirements. Vibration was reduced by 60 percent and maintenance work was reduced.

Daqing Dong Feng Plant

A water supply pump at the Daqing Dong Feng Plant contained a manually adjusted valve that was high labor intensive and wasted energy. The upgrade of an ASD26 (185, kW, 980 r/min) in 2013 automatically performed the constant voltage control that met the production requirements. An energy savings of 30 percent was achieved and maintenance work was greatly reduced.

Guiyang White Cloud Plant

At the Guiyang White Cloud Plant, five water pump units (375 kW) and one smaller unit (250 kW) were in operation. The water outlet main pipe was operated in parallel. A MagnaDrive ASD28 (375 kW, 1,480 r/min) was installed in 2015 to control the pump speed based on the amount of water flow. This saved 25 percent energy and reduced system damage by minimizing the starting/stopping of the pumps.

Angang Real Estate Heating Pump Station

A water supply pump at the Angang Real Estate Heating Pump Station contained a manually adjusted valve that was high labor intensive, wasted energy and provided low accuracy. The upgrade in 2014 to an ASD28 (380 kW, 980 r/min) helped to automatically control the voltage, saving 30 percent in energy and saving 150,000 yuan in every heating cycle. Maintenance fees and work were reduced.

MagnaDrive ASDs are available in sizes ranging from 5 to 4,000 horsepower and speeds up to 3,600 rpm. Lower maintenance and operating costs are a result of transferring torque from motors to driven equipment across an air gap without shaft-to-shaft physical connection. This “disconnected connection” provides reduced vibration that increases bearing and seal life.

The following mining applications were enhanced with the addition of water-cooled ASDs provided by MagnaDrive: 

Angang North Plant

An induced draft fan at the Angang North Plant wasted energy and required multiple maintenance efforts from the crew. The airflow and pressure was controlled by a damper—this resulted in variations and contributed to wear and tear on the components. MagnaDrive installed two ASD units in 2011 (ASD26, 5 rpm, 220 kW, 1,450 r/min) which isolated the vibration, provided more than 30 percent in energy savings, and greatly reduced maintenance work and costs.

Angang Gongchangling Ball Group Plant

A regenerative heat fan at the Angang Gongchangling Ball Group Plant featured hydraulic coupling power transmission. After two years of operation, the coupling had severe oil leaking issues, increased maintenance work and even forced the plant to shutdown at one point. MagnaDrive provided a WH2500 ASD (900 kW, 990 r/min) in 2014 reducing vibration by 30 percent, and increasing energy savings by 23 percent. The fan is now stable and does not require extra maintenance work.

Angang Group Mount Dagu Ball Plant

A coal-making fan at the Angang Group Mount Dagu Ball Plant featured a pressure fan that utilized a damper that resulted in pressure variations and contributed to wear and tear on the components. Energy was also being wasted. MagnaDrive installed two WH1000 ASDs in 2015 (500 kW, 1,450 r/min). This equipment lowered the damper wear-out, isolated the vibration, reduced the maintenance work and resulted in an overall energy savings of 30 percent.

Angang Group Anshan Mount Qian Plant

A circulating water pump at the Angang Group Anshan Mount Qian Plant featured an adjust valve that wasted plenty of energy and caused high vibration on the bearings and seals. MagnaDrive provided two WH2500 ASDs in 2014 that reduced the current, reduced maintenance costs and resulted in an overall energy savings of 30 percent.

Anshan Group Mining Company

A breaker at the Anshan Group Mining Company was originally equipped with hydraulic couplings imported from Sweden. Due to the different hardness of minerals, there was always an overload situation 20 to 30 times per year. This resulted in 6-7 hours of downtime at the plant. MagnaDrive installed 20 FGC33 coupling units (600 kW, 990 r/min) in 2012. This installation resulted in a five percent uptick in energy savings and eliminated the need to buy spare parts.

Angang Group Qidashan Mineral Selection Plant

A slurry pump at the Angang Group Qidashan Mineral Selection Plant had an adjustable pump valve to meet production requirements. This system cost money to repair and maintain the equipment and used way too much energy to run effectively. MagnaDrive installed 2 WH400 ASDs (1,000 kW, 740 r/min) that resulted in a 28 percent energy savings, created a closed control system based on the slurry level in the slurry pool and provided significant cost savings on valve maintenance.   

In many of these applications, the install of water-cooled adjustable speed drives provided key enhancements regarding speed adjustments and energy efficiency. By isolating component vibration, motors, bearings and fans can enjoy extended life and maintenance crews can focus on other challenges around mining sites and facilities. Visit the MagnaDrive website to learn how an ASD can upgrade fans, blowers, belts, and additional manufacturing systems.

Next week, we’ll examine water-cooled ASD applications in the municipal industry. 

A steelmaking blast furnace that was utilizing a hydraulic coupling suffered from several breakdowns and expensive costs for spare parts. Oil leaking was severe, polluting the environment and causing additional challenges. MagnaDrive installed the WH-4000-II ASD (3,500 kW, 1,450 r/min) in 2015. The system is much more efficient and produces an energy savings of more than 45 percent. Vibration has been isolated extending the life of the fan, bearings and motor. The ASD install provided reduced maintenance work and costs.

A circulating dust exhausting fan ran at full speed and did not include any automation. The install of a WH-4000 ASD (2,240 kW, 745 r/min) in 2014 provided an energy savings of almost 50 percent, reduced electric costs significantly and isolated the vibration resulting in extended component life.

A cooling fan at the Qiangang Sintering Plant used a damper to adjust flow and wind pressure causing frequent variations. Energy was wasted and the damper wore out very quickly, causing additional maintenance work. The install of a WH-4000 ASD (25,000 kW, 990 r/min) in 2014 provided a more efficient system and a 36 percent energy savings. Vibration was isolated and wear-out/maintenance costs were reduced.

A smoke extraction fan at the Chonqi Qineng Electrolytic Aluminum Plant was mostly manually controlled and featured low automation capabilities. Network pressure varied causing wear on the damper and additional maintenance work. An install of a WH-3500 ASD (1,600 kW, 990 r/min) in 2015 resulted in a 23 percent increase in energy savings, damper wear was reduced and vibration isolated. Now the bearings, motor and fan run longer and more efficiently.

An ASD29 (450 kW, 1,485 r/min) was installed at an Angang Energy Control Center in 2015 after the previous equipment performed inadequately. The pressure varied frequently therefore a valve was installed to adjust flow and pressure. This valve caused wear, absorbed large amounts of energy, and required constant maintenance work.  The ASD now controls the pressure variations; the valve is at full open condition and is avoiding extra energy consumption. The result is an overall energy savings of 41 percent.

Three WH-2500 ASDs were installed at the Huayin Aluminum Plant for a steam cooling pump in 2014. Before the install, water flow and pressure was adjusted via a valve. The ASDs provided a 50 percent increase in energy savings, isolated the vibration and extended the life of the fan, bearings and motor. Maintenance work and costs were significantly reduced.

In many of these applications, the install of water-cooled adjustable speed drives provided key enhancements regarding speed adjustments and energy efficiency. By isolating component vibration, motors, bearings and fans can enjoy extended life and maintenance crews can focus on other challenges around the metallurgical plants. Visit the MagnaDrive website to learn how an ASD can upgrade fans, blowers, belts, and additional manufacturing systems at www.geoffreyh8.sg-host.com.

Next week, we’ll examine water-cooled ASD applications in the mining industry. 

The Tianji Power Station featured a vertical-style condensate pump that was having vibration issues. System vibration was causing the  bearings to wear out faster which led to frequent maintenance and equipment breakdowns. The valve handled different load conditions that wasted energy. MagnaDrive offered a solution in 2009 with the installation of a WV2500 (2,000 kW, 140r/min) ASD. This equipment achieved significant energy savings under low load condition (360 MW) and (580 MW) when the load is high. A separate condensate pump and motor isolated the vibration, reduced bearing abrasion, and ultimately extended equipment life.

Zhongdian Liaoning Qinghe Power Generation utilized hydraulic coupling power transmission in a hot web-circulating pump. After two years, the hydraulic coupling had severe oil leaking issues causing increased maintenance. MagnaDrive offered a WH1500 and WH2500 ASD in 2015 to alleviate the maintenance costs. The equipment rendered a 42 percent energy savings, 30 percent less vibration and reduced both maintenance work and costs.

A pressure fan at Guizhou Wengfu Group Tianfu Chemical (a thermal power plant) caused significant vibration. Adjusting the fan damper according to different processes seemed to waste energy. The installation of a WH100 ASD (710 kW, 1,485r/min) in 2014 resulted in a 25 percent energy savings, 50 percent less vibration and reduced both maintenance work and costs.

A slurry pump application at Jilin Power was only able to run at full-speed due to the concentration of sulphur dioxide. This wasted a great deal of energy. MagnaDrive installed a WH1000 ASD (900 kW, 1,480r/min) in 2014. This new equipment reduced maintenance costs, adjusted the speed according to the sulphur dioxide concentration and established an energy savings of 25 percent. The vibration was also reduced by 30 percent, an added benefit of the upgraded equipment.

A coal belt conveyor at the National Electrics Nine River Power Plant was having maintenance and operation issues. This resulted in high repair costs and frequent equipment breakdowns. The installation of a MGD22/600 (2*200 kW, 1,480r/min) offered a stable and efficient solution. The new equipment provided overload protection, torque balancing and low modification costs. This install has been running repair free since 2010.

An air heater at the Xuancheng Power Plant featured a main motor and gearbox connected by hydraulic couplings. Due to the high torque and current, there were significant repair and maintenance issues as well as system vibration. MagnaDrive’s custom designed PM was installed in 2015. The air gap can now be adjusted between 3-80 mm. The motor can start with no load, reducing the starting current. Now, the main motor and secondary motor can be switched freely. The engineer can control it manually or automatically. This reduces system vibration, extends bearing life and seal life and has resulted in little to no maintenance.

In the next blog installment, we’ll examine the installation of MagnaDrive water-cooled adjustable speed drive in the metallurgical industry.

Formosa Plastics China utilized a drying machine air venting/feeding fan that controlled flow via a valve. Due to network fluctuations, the fan wasted a lot of power and caused vibration. In 2015, engineers upgraded the components with MagnaDrive ASDs (rated power 290 kW /340 kW, rated speed 1,480 r/min). Following the install, the operation was stable; vibration isolated, and there is no abrasion. The energy savings on the equipment was more than 20 percent.

Daqing Oilfield installed 50 units of the MagnaDrive MP series in 2015 on oil pumps. Before the install there was a big surge current when starting the equipment, severe abrasion on the belts and some of the belts needed replacement every 3-5 days. This resulted in high maintenance costs. After the install, the pumps saved between 5-10 percent average power, the starting surge was reduced more than 30 percent, the lifetime of the belts was extended and the maintenance work/costs was significantly reduced.

For a water pump application at Daqing an ASD replaced a manually adjusted vault that caused high labor intensity and low accuracy. The ASD provided more than 25 percent in overall energy savings and reduced pressure that makes the pump operate more effectively.  The valve is now operating in full open condition.

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical upgraded a pump where high vibration led to frequent maintenance for the system bearings and shafts. The original damper was manually controlled which caused high-energy consumption.  An ASD was installed in 2011 with an energy savings of 30 percent and it isolated the vibration from the fan to the motor, extending the life of the equipment. Now the company uses less spare parts and the maintenance workload has been reduced.

For an air feeder fan at Sinopec, the original equipment used a valve to adjust the air volume, which caused high vibration and wasted energy. This was replaced in 2012 with a MagnaDrive WH2500 (900 kW, 1,480 r/min). Since the install the vibration has been reduced, the system is more stable and an energy savings of 28 percent was achieved.  

A Yanshan Petrochemical water circulating pump was dealing with pressure variations. Flow control was utilized with the valve, energy was wasted and the pump vibrated. The WH2500 ASD install in 2015 led to a more stable operation that isolated the vibration and resulted in an energy savings of 21 percent. 

A Jingbao Coking gas circulating purification pump had similar problems with pressure variations; pump vibrations, and wasted energy. The WH2000 ASD install (800 kw, 990 r/min) provided a 20 percent energy savings, stable operation and helped to isolate the vibration.

The MagnaDrive ASD is available in sizes ranging from 5 to 4,000 horsepower and speeds up to 3,600 rpm. Lower maintenance and operating costs are a result of transferring torque from motors to driven equipment across an air gap without shaft-to-shaft physical connection. This “disconnected connection” provides reduced vibration that increases bearing and seal life.