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The homocinetic half shaft is an automotive component whose function is to transmit torque from the engine to the wheels allowing its steering and the suspension system displacement. Besides the homocinetic joints, there is an interconnecting (IC) shaft which is the rigid element that links both of them. Whenever static torsion tests are realized with these half shafts, the IC shaft is a critical component that deserves a deeper approach. When a circular shaft is torsionally loaded, the shear stress is maximum at the component surface and zero at the center. So, these shafts are submitted to an induction hardening process that enables only this superficial case to have its properties changed, remaining the core with its material original characteristics. This paper aims to determine the static torsion strength for induction hardened shafts, and compare these results to experimental tests in order to confirm the approach.

In the automotive industry it is perceived a continuous decrease of time for the launches of new vehicles, as well as an increasing of customer expectations that the new launches will not present problems due to lack of manufacturing process adjustments. Besides the investments required for technology updating of manufacturing process it is also necessary to use techniques and work methodologies to help the process parameters optimization. Among the techniques available in the literature, the Design of Experiments (DOE) is a useful tool for product development steps and for product and process improvements. This paper presents the application of DOE as a support tool to improve the manufacturing process of a Driveshaft outboard joint in order to reduce the dimensional variability on its spline. For the case study a generic model for industrial experiments planning and conduction has been followed.