Composite Shafts

Application examples
 
Additional to the automotive background referred to, spinning-composites has been directly responsible for defining and producing composite shafts for specialist applications.

It’s in the nature of the product that these are typically bespoke designs for the application, because the specific requirements for rotational speed, installed length, torsional stiffness, torsional strength are usually different every time.
 
Breadth of experience is important here, but this is not a job for composite fabricators involved in a multitude of product types.  Depth of specialized knowhow gives spinning-composites the edge in understanding the needs for rotating systems; dynamic behaviour, the environmental and fatigue effects on the performance of joints, torsional stiffness, torsional buckling and all the rest.

Dynamometer test shaft
 
Developed and supplied to a high status automotive OEM, these shafts meet a demanding specification for torsional stiffness, torsional hysteresis, torsional fatigue and rotational inertia.
 
The torsional stiffness characteristic for the system was confirmed by testing on our torsional stiffness rig.  The integrity of the system has been confirmed by strength testing to failure, static and fatigue, on our torsional fatigue rig.

 

World Rally Car driveshaft
 
It’s difficult to imagine a more demanding environment than the underside of a World Rally Car.  These machines compete on all manner of different road surfaces, in extremes of temperature much wider than any regular vehicle.
 
Spinning-composites defined and produced the assembly shown here, which has been used since the 2000 season in full competition conditions.  The composite tube is mainly carbon composite, but the aramid surface layer is added for protection against gravel and other road debris.