Manufacturing and Defect Characterization of Rotationally Molded Hybrid Composite Drive Shafts

One way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the consistent use of lightweight design. By reducing the moving mass, energy requirements can be lowered. Fibre-reinforced plastic composites are particularly suitable for lightweight components with very high mechanical requirements and a long service life. This article presents the production and investigation the influence of manufacturing process parameters on the defects of rotationally moulded parts using the example of a drive shaft. The hybrid components are manufactured using a rotational moulding process in which braided preforms and load introduction elements are processed in a single step. The elements are intimately bonded by a thermosetting matrix under the influence of temperature and centrifugal force. Different process parameters such as rotational speed, matrix temperature, mould temperature and mould unbalance are varied and the influence on the component properties are investigated. Furthermore, a catalogue of characteristics for the classification of manufacturing defects is created. It can be shown that different types of defects occur along the process chain and suitable measurements to minimize the defects are proposed.