Investigation of innovative, high-strength threads in fiber reinforced plastic shafts and their notch-effect under rotating bending stress

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Helmut Schürmann
• Subject Area: Lightweight Construction, Textile Technology ; Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 231472657

Shafts made of fiber reinforced plastics (frp) have, due to their low density and high stiffness, suc-cessfully replaced steel shafts in certain industries, for example in paper and printing machines. The mechanical and thermal properties of frp shafts are predominantly determined by the fiber angle, thus giving the designer control over those properties. Currently force transmission elements for frp shafts are made of metal and are fitted utilizing struc-tural adhesives or press fits. These solutions are undetachable and often contribute a significant proportion of the overall weight, thus limiting the use of frp shafts to specific applications. Goal of this project is to investigate lightweight optimized, detachable force transmission elements, in order to make the advantages of frp shafts accessible for a wider range of industries. Motor spindles represent an example application where shafts with detachable force transmissions are needed. Especially machined threads and their optimization will be subject of this investigation. There will be static as well as fatigue strength testing to investigate the notch effect on rotating frp shafts.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants