Composite helical spring with skin‐core structure: Structural design and compression property evaluation

Abstract

The helical spring is an essential mechanical component of automobile and machinery and has been widely used in industrial application. The weight reduction is the requirement of current material design and also the research trend for material development. In this study, a novel composite helical spring with "skin-core" structure was designed and fabricated with an integrated formation process based on the vacuum-assisted resin infusion technology. Based on the different function of skin and core, the skin structure was weft knitting tube made of aramid and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, and the core structure was unidirectional carbon fiber. By selecting material for knitting tube and adjusting the volume content of carbon fiber core, the static and fatigue compression properties of composite helical spring were investigated. It has been found that the spring torsion and bending performance can be improved by wrapping the core with the knitting tube as the spring wire. Moreover, the finite element method was applied to further analyze the stress evolution of the "skin-core" composite helical spring during compression and fatigue. The results of compression test and simulation show that the spring stiffness can be effectively improved by using knitting tube and increasing the content of carbon fiber. The stress of the spring cross section is concentrated in the internal radial region of 180 , and the distribution of the corresponding cross sections is relatively uniform. The "skin-core" structure with aramid knitting tube as the outer skin and carbon fiber as the spring core significantly improves the load-carrying capacity and stability of the composite spring. The proposed lightweight helical composite could provide a replacement strategy of existing metal or unidirectional filament reinforced springs used in the engineering applications.

In situ growth of TiO2 nanoparticles onto PBO fibers via a mussel‐inspired strategy for enhancing interfacial properties and ultraviolet resistance

“…Poly(ρ-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers, owing the excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability have been extensively used in the aerospace, electronic engineering, and automotive industries. [1][2][3][4] However, outdoor applications of PBO fibers are hindered by poor interface performance [2,5] and ultraviolet (UV) resistance. [6][7][8] The former drawback is produced by the chemical inertness of PBO fibers.…”

Boosted Mechanical Properties of Polyamide 11 Tube Originated from the Hierarchical Architecture Manipulation by Helical Flow Field

“…Compared to the uniaxial orientation structure, helically aligned configuration in natural materials exhibits excellent resistance to multidirectional stresses . Inspired by the natural structure, helical spring or helically braided ribbon were incorporated into the thin-walled tube, improving the mechanical properties . Similar to the reinforcements, the helically oriented molecules were generated in the PA11 tube by manipulating helical flow during the extrusion.…”

“…42 Inspired by the natural structure, helical spring or helically braided ribbon were incorporated into the thin-walled tube, improving the mechanical properties. 43 Similar to the reinforcements, the helically oriented molecules were generated in the PA11 tube by manipulating helical flow during the extrusion. As a result, the rotationally extruded tube had superior hoop kink resistance and axial compression property.…”

Mechanical Behavior of Helical Spring Made of Composite with and without Material Property Grading under Stable Load

“…Validation Analysis. Some researchers [2][3][4][5][6] have demonstrated that the mechanical behavior of composite materials, as well as FGM, can be simulated satisfactorily. This research intends to simulate the mechanical behavior of three springs taking into account several experimental research results as well as international standards to demonstrate the reliability of the FEA results in the present investigation.…”