PEEK has long been a popular thermoplastic, valued for its exceptional mechanical strength and chemical resistance. Recently, Stratasys, in collaboration with Victrex, introduced a 3D-printable version of the material, known as AM-200. One of the key advantages of AM-200 for this project is its compatibility with soluble support materials, which simplifies the printing of complex geometries that are otherwise impractical to fabricate using conventional methods. AM-200 also exhibits superior interlayer bonding along the Z-plane. For torque applications, maximizing in-plane strength is essential to handle the expected load. Finite element analysis (FEA) has been used to validate this hypothesis. After extensive research, design work, and FEA analysis, producing a prototype in ABS+ plastic enabled the validation of these findings. Validation has allowed for the manufacturing of the CV joint in AM-200 which will begin soon. The FEA and correlating testing results indicate that the designed AM-200 joint will be capable of handling 125.09 Nm of torque before yielding and 100 Nm of torque with a factor of safety (FOS) of 1.25. These findings support the feasibility of manufacturing lightweight fully integrated CV joints using high performance polymer materials while maintaining structural integrity and functional performance.
Acknowledgements: Ellis Waldman, Advanced Additive Manufacturing, Ronald B. Bucinell, Stan Gorski, Jocelyn Rockower & Oliver D'anna