Amalga Composite Tubing Essential to Driveline System That Allows for Increased Ease of Drive Shaft Assembly
Client: Neapco
Problem:
Neapco has been in the driveline industry for decades when steel was king! Neapco serves both the OEM and after-market consumer, and as such, needed a stronger, lighter, solution to aluminum and steel driveshafts for performance vehicles. In order to begin offering carbon fiber driveshafts to the after-market consumer, they needed a simple, repeatable, process which allowed them to bond metal components to composite drivelines.
The Amalga Solution:
Amalga developed a family of carbon fiber filament wound tubes to meet the needs of aftermarket automobile requirements. These tubes varied in inside diameter, outside diameter and wind angles to provide the lightest weight, lowest cost carbon fiber drive shaft tube for each application. Amalga then worked with sister company, Composite Drivelines, to engineer, design, and develop metal end components which would allow Neapco to integrate carbon fiber drive shaft tubes into existing automotive platforms. This design took into consideration the reality that people assembling the metal components into the carbon fiber drive shaft were not familiar with composite bonding technology. Composite and Amalga worked together to develop a turn key system (which includes training) that allowed drive shaft shops to easily and reliably assemble an aftermarket drive shaft in less time than it would take to assemble a steel or aluminum drive shaft.
Results:
Neapco now has a complete driveline system which enables small driveline shops to assemble carbon fiber driveshafts with ease. Drive shafts which use Amalga tubes and Composite components are lightweight, and tuned for peak performance so end users can experience a safer, smoother, and faster ride.
