Metal plated additively manufactured plastic shafts and their method of manufacturing
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsBrent J. Merritt, Viktor Kilchyk
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Abstract
A rotating shaft for a rotary machine includes a first shaft portion extending along and oriented about a central axis The first shaft portion includes a plastic substrate and metal plating disposed on at least apportion of an outer surface of the plastic substrate. The plastic substrate has a matrix material and fibers embedded in the matrix material. The fibers have a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The metal plating has a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The fibers are selected such that a bulk coefficient of thermal expansion of the plastic substrate at the outer surface of the plastic substrate substantially matches the second coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal plating.
Claims19
A rotating shaft for a rotary machine comprising:
- a first shaft portion extending along and oriented about a central axis, the first shaft portion comprising:
- a plastic substrate, the plastic substrate comprising:
- a matrix material;
- and
- fibers embedded in the matrix material, the fibers having a first coefficient of thermal expansion;
- and
- a metal plating disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the plastic substrate, the metal plating having a second coefficient of thermal expansion,
- wherein a bulk coefficient of thermal expansion of the plastic substrate at the outer surface of the plastic substrate substantially matches the second coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal plating;
- and
- wherein the substrate comprises regions of varying fiber density and wherein an outer region disposed adjacent to the metal coating has an increased fiber density.
The method of 14, wherein the plastic of the plastic substrate has a third coefficient of thermal expansion, the third coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the first coefficient of thermal expansion of the fibers.
The method of 16, wherein the first coefficient of thermal expansion of the fibers is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal plating.
A rotating shaft for a rotary machine comprising:
- a first shaft portion extending along and oriented about a central axis, the first shaft portion comprising:
- a plastic substrate, the plastic substrate comprising:
- a matrix material;
- and
- fibers embedded in the matrix material, the fibers having a first coefficient of thermal expansion;
- wherein the substrate comprises regions of varying fiber density including:
- a first region having a reduced fiber density;
- and
- one or more second regions having an increased fiber density;
- wherein the one or more second regions is a deflection region and/or a stress region of the rotating shaft, wherein the deflection region is subject to deflections during operation of the rotary machine, and wherein the stress region is adapted to withstand higher stress than other regions of the rotating shaft during operation of the rotary machine;
- a metal plating disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the plastic substrate, the metal plating having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein a bulk coefficient of thermal expansion of the plastic substrate at the outer surface of the plastic substrate substantially matches the second coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal plating;
- and
- at least one of:
- a rib extending radially inward from an inner surface of the first shaft portion, wherein the rib is near a first side of the first shaft portion and is the deflection region of the rotating shaft;
- a flange extending radially inward from the first shaft portion, wherein the flange is at a second side of the first shaft portion and is the stress region of the rotating shaft;
- and
- a second shaft portion extending away from a second side of the first shaft portion, the second shaft portion having a first side attached to the first shaft portion and a second side axially away from the first shaft portion, wherein a region in the second side of the second shaft portion is the stress region of the rotating shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.