Going heavyweight with truck driveshafts

applications n

Going heavyweight SINGLE-PIECE composite

drive-

-

nearly

with truck driveshafts

twice

the

length

shafts for Class 8 heavy trucks look set to have spans of 3.3 m.

the pickup start with

This

glass fibre tube, over which

ments

places

stringent

on design

according

require-

and materials

to Jim Duggan,

engineer of advanced engineering for Spicer

chief design Drive-

truck shafts a filament

of

- that wound car-

total number and assembly

an added trucks

ed glass.

vehicles

provides

these blies,

ing the universal joint, support bearing, and in some models,

bon fibre is pultruded, with an exterior finish layer of pultrud“Pultrusion

complicate

of parts, weight, time by eliminat-

crossmember.

are

patented

“Heavy

purpose

with

pay-

axial orientation of the carbon fibre, typically at 0”, which is

back issues. These vehicles are designed primarily to earn a liv-

based in Toledo, Ohio, USA.

optimum

ing rather

Spicer developed piece Graph-Lite

ness,” says Duggan. “The thin hoop roving of E-glass at 90”

and

shaft that replaced multi-piece metal driveshafts on GM pick-

offers good

Duggan improve

up trucks in 1988. The driveshaft comprised of an alumini-

Ultimately, combining the materials gives us a good mix of

increase payload.” From a design

urn

stiffness,

Duggan

shaft,

a division

tube

of Dana Corp,

with

the singlecomposite

a

pultruded

for

bending

structural rigidity outer abrasion

strength,

able cost.” Cost for the composite

Spicer’s current design eliminates

is higher

than

and a layer.

and reason-

overwrap of glass and carbon fibre in vinyl ester resin. driveshaft the alumini-

stiff-

for metal,

statement

than

as a personal car

market,”

says. “Owners want to fuel economy and

says the

shaft

driveshafts two-piece

but

companion

standpoint, heavy

flange

and

a a

flange

Spicer is working toward a balance of performance and cost

yoke that would make installation of the large diameter, long

ment winding and pultrusion. Duggan told Reinforced Plastics that Spicer is prototyp-

of this entire

length

ing

composite

urn

tube

heavy

and

combines

truck

fila-

driveshafts

Duggan

component driveline points design

within out

an

assembly. that the

can

reduce

shafts

easier on a heavy

truck production eliminate the need tube

DERA unveils composite

ends

or end

line, and for tapered fittings

and

that

Research

Evaluation

Agency

(DERA)

2000

pressure,

adhesive

feeding

to assemble

the

the yokes

and tubes together. the

greatest

lenge in designing veshafts natural train nents

will be meeting the frequencies of power-

requirements in compoof this length, diameter,

bench testing testing with underway shafts,

chal-

the new dri-

speed.

for the and

commercial the next Strongwell

In-house

as well as on-road several OEMs is new

Duggan

drive-

expects

a

application within 12-18 months. manufactures

the

driveshafts for Spicer. Spicer; tel: +l-419-535-4813; fax: +I -419-53.5-4756.

a vacuum (Reinforced

infusion

technique

Plastics,

January

2000, pages 50-S 1). The use of composites

glass reinforced plastic hull rather than the traditional aluminium or steel hull. The Advanced Composite

itary vehicles is predominantly driven by the material’s ability to reduce hull and armour weight as a result and by eliminating

Armoured

the need for a separate composite spa11 liner. Weight reduction

Vehicle

Platform

ed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and designed and built by DERA and stemmed from a need to maintain and improve the survivability of lightweight AFV structures. The ACAVP’s composite hull is manufactured by Vosper Thornycroft (VT) using

May

bonded

has unveiled the first armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) with a

(ACAVP) is a materials demonstrator vehicle programme fund-

REINFoRcEDplastics

For

tank THE UK’s Defence

4

inate

and rotational

truck

could feature end fitting with

adhesively

Perhaps

as in the light truck

passenger

designs.

end fitting. The tube yoke utilizes integral channels to elim-

dedicated

significant

shaft

composite shaft assemSpicer has developed a

in mil-

increases the mobility of the vehicle and the use of composites also allows stealth features to be built into the hull. The ACAVP demonstrator is based on a future scout reconnaissance vehicle with a battle weight of 18-25 tonnes. tel: +44-1252DERA; 393300; fax: +44-l 252-393399.