Carbon fiber replaces steel in drive shafts, torque tubes
In the foreground is a prototype carbon-fiber driveshaft made by CCDI Composites Inc. for a vehicular application. It weighs just 21 lb. and has been tested at 1,495 Nm for two million cycles. The shaft behind it is a carbon-fiber torque tube for a Corvette Z06. It weighs just 9.5 lb. (For non-automotive engineers, the torque tube is hollow and contains the rotating drive shaft.) CCDI says substitution of the carbon-fiber for a steel shaft saves over 30 lb. in the Corvette driveline assembly. CCDI also says other sports car makers are looking at similar applications.
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