The analysis of kickpoints in carbon fibre composite golf shafts

[摘要] The aim of this thesis is to characterise and quantify the construction method of carbon fibre composite golf shafts and the subsequent kickpoint position of the shaft, for the future manufacture and testing of shafts with specific kickpoints. For this purpose the geometrical and material properties of commercial carbon fibre composite golf shafts were investigated for their influence on the kickpoint position. The shafts were investigated via geometrical, static deflection tests, quasi – static frequency and material analysis. The static stiffness of the commercial shafts ranged between 242.1 – 563.3 N/m at a single cantilever length. The kickpoint position in commercial golf shafts ranges from 45 – 52.9 % of the shaft length and the position of the kickpoint is the location of the greatest strain in static testing (1700 μm). The kickpoint position decreased as the gradient of the stiffness profile of the shaft increased (R2 = 0.77). The quasi – static frequency analysis presented a maximum 4.8 % variation around the circumference of sheet laminated shafts and 0.2 % variation in filament wound shafts, the variation around the circumference of the sheet laminated shafts is the result of “seams” due to resin rich regions in the manufacturing process resulting in a drop of volume fraction from the mean of 8.9 % and local wall thickness variation around the circumference (6 %). The size of the resin rich regions in the sheet laminated shafts were the result of off-axis fibre orientations between plies constraining fibre movement during the cure cycle. Though the “seam” position had a measurable effect on the stiffness of the shaft, a negligible influence of “seam” orientation on kickpoint position was analysed.

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:School of Metallurgy and Materials

[关键词] Q Science;Q Science (General)