Stress Analysis of the Composite Disc with Inserts of an Indexing Gearbox Turret Follower

The hybrid indexing gearbox turret follower consists of a composite body with the steel inserts for pins and a steel shaft flange. Isotropic steel interacts with generally orthotropic composite through adhesive layer. The simulation results presented in this work map a stress transfer from one material to another. Inserts and flange geometry combinations are analyzed with aim to prevent stress peaks to occur in material interface. Four types of cylindrical inserts are regular, concave, convex and convex with notches. Flange types have regular and concave geometry. Analyzed configurations of flanges and inserts show the same character of stress distribution. Stress peaks are located around loaded pin-holes edges and in areas of polygon bearing vertices. Maximum stress in disc’s composite body is about 20 MPa for disc A and 26 MPa for disc B across all analyzed insert-flange variants. It can be said that the insert and flange geometry does not fundamentally influence the stress distribution and its value. However geometry of metallic parts has an effect on locking of the inserts and flange in composite. From that point of view, the convex cylindrical insert with notches prevents the insert displacement in all three directions of the insert’s cylindrical system of coordinates.