Process for making composite shafts with selected expansion and shrink rates

A process for making a shaft assembly comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated member having at least a portion which is hollow end tubular having inside surface defining a shaft core and an outside surface defining a shaft functional surface, the hollow and tubular portion having at least one molding aperture gate extending through said shaft from said inside surface to said outside surface;
• selecting said hollow and tubular portion with a coefficient of thermal expansion;
• placing said hollow and tubular portion in a mold which defines a cavity for at least one molded functional feature on the outside surface of the portion;
• flowing the resin through the shaft core, the molding aperturing gate and the cavity such that the shaft core, the molding aperture gate and the cavity are filled by the resin and such that the functional feature is molded by the resin;
• permitting the resin to harden to form a hardened thermoplastic resin;
• selecting the thermoplastic resin with a shrink rate to provide intimate contact between the hardened thermoplastic resin and the hollow, tubular portion:
• and
• removing the shaft assembly with the molded functional feature from the mold.