THE INFLUENCE OF MATERIAL TYPES ON TWIST ANGLES AND TORSION STABILITY OF A COMPOSITE SHAFT

The advantages of composite materials over the conventional ones include the ability to vary their properties in order to ensure the best combination for each application. This is achieved through selection of their constituent materials, quantities, distribution and fibre orientation angle. In some cases, the best results can be achieved by using a combination of composite and traditional metal materials. This paper analyses shafts made from a combination of aluminium and different composite materials – carbon fibre/epoxy, glass fibre/epoxy, and aramid fibre/epoxy. The influence of these materials on twist angle values and critical torques that impair the shaft stability has also been discussed. Finally, an experimental analysis of the shaft that exhibited the bes