The Use of Continuous Fiber Composites in Driveshafts

Advanced composite materials are being successfully applied in industry to solve ongoing power transmission problems. These materials allow drive shafts designs to be lighter weight, span longer distances, be more corrosion resistant, and be less prone to imbalance than metal equivalents. Shaft designs can be optimized to attain specific torsional and lateral properties.

The materials used in these applications consist of continuous carbon and/or glass fibers and a polymer matrix. These materials are filament wound in a helix to provide optimum drive shaft properties. The filament winding process is more versatile than other technologies for manufacturing composite torsion tubes.