{"id":1586,"date":"2022-03-28T17:06:43","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T00:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/design-methods-to-improve-torsional-rigidity\/"},"modified":"2022-03-31T14:46:08","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T21:46:08","slug":"design-methods-to-improve-torsional-rigidity","status":"publish","type":"cpt_blog","link":"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/articles\/design-methods-to-improve-torsional-rigidity","title":{"rendered":"Design Methods to Improve Torsional Rigidity"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Products that are subject to a torsional load often require analysis like the analysis used for bending stiffness. The main differences are the specific material property to be used (Shear Modulus or Modulus of Rigidity) and the polar moment of inertia (which is very similar to the area moment of inertia used in bending). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/moss\/mechanics-of-materials-torsion\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may be defined as the twisting effect that occurs in a body when a torque, or a twisting force, is applied to it. One example of torsion is the twisting that occurs in a driveshaft when the throttle is applied in a race car.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will walk product designers and engineers through the methods used to analyze and improve torsional rigidity in design.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b id=\"docs-internal-guid-4c49778f-611a-3034-1ca2-881f0b52403f\">Problem Statement and Target Objectives<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will review methods to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improve a design\u2019s torsional rigidity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Torsional rigidity is the object\u2019s torsional resistance to twisting as a torque is applied to the component and is dependent on a components geometry. As torsional rigidity increases, the torque required to produce a twist of one-unit angular measurement per one unit length of the shaft, increases. In reference to the previous drive shaft example, if the shaft is twisted too much, unstable performance may result, so choosing a shaft with higher torsional rigidity would result in a more stable mechanical interface. The images below show two shafts that each have 100 ft-lbs of torque acting on them, but their deflection will be different because they have different torsional rigidities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1572 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image01.png\" alt=\"shaft that is being torqued by 100 ft-lbs\" width=\"502\" height=\"256\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"0fd30fe7-256e-448f-9976-ce0377050d01\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image01.png 502w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image01-300x153.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1573 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image02.png\" alt=\"shaft that is being torqued by 100 ft-lbs\" width=\"464\" height=\"273\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"f4ccc26a-9ee8-4c93-9650-2beacf98ed22\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image02.png 464w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image02-300x177.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 464px) 100vw, 464px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a small \u201cflag\u201d modeled on the outside of the shaft to give a visual of the feature twisting as the torque is applied. The design on the left (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/materials\/cnc-steel\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) is has a higher torsional rigidity and therefore lower stress than the design on right (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/materials\/cnc-hdpe\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HDPE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). The next section will walk through the properties that make this possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Key Properties and Formulas<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To improve the torsional rigidity of a design, there are a few material properties to consider. The list below details the key properties:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shear Modulus, G (modulus of rigidity): a measure of the amount of force required to produce deformation; a higher shear modulus means a material is highly rigid, or a greater force is required to produce deformation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polar Moment of Inertia, J: the moment of inertia of the cross-section of an object with respect tothe intersection of the axis and the plane<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional Rigidity = G * J<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional Rigidity may also be related to torque, given the equation:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional Rigidity= <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applied Torque*Length of Shaft<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Angle of Twist (Radians)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, shear modulus, or modulus of rigidity to the modulus of elasticity (E) for isotropic materials can be related, using the following formula:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1574 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image03.png\" alt=\"formula for relating shear modulus to modulus of elasticity (E) for isotropic materials\" width=\"272\" height=\"82\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"1a601afe-7d04-489f-8b55-3601581d586c\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E = Modulus of Elasticity: The rate of normal stress to longitudinal strain; a measure of a material\u2019s stiffness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">v = Poisson\u2019s Ratio: determines how much a material will compress or grow in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the tensile or compressive force on the material<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In example, taking the modulus of elasticity of steel at approximately 30e<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">psi at room temperature, and converting it to the shear modulus (modulus of rigidity) gives:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1575 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image04.png\" alt=\"if we take the modulus of elasticity of steel at approximately 30e6 psi at room temperature, we can convert it to shear modulus with this equation\" width=\"762\" height=\"92\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"de447871-a999-433f-8688-1c5b2b3eadde\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image04.png 762w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image04-300x36.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The material properties provide a good foundation to determine the torsional rigidity a component. The angle of twist (\u03b8) in radians, where JG is the torsional rigidity, is given by the following equation:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1576 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image05.png\" alt=\"overall formula for angle of twist (\u03b8) in radians\" width=\"236\" height=\"118\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"79e42aa9-32e2-4479-b4a7-f03569514e58\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">T = Torque applied to the component<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">L = Length of the component<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">J = Polar Moment of Inertia (Torsion Formula Constant)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">G = Shear Modulus (Modulus of Rigidity)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The image below depicts the angle of twist:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1577 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image06.png\" alt=\"angle of twist\" width=\"397\" height=\"313\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"669f0f07-0b9a-4a51-a5c4-f32eb2f36431\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image06.png 397w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image06-300x237.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The polar moment of inertia, J, is the same thing as the area moment of inertia about the long axis. That means the formula for determining J will depend on the shape of the component. For a cylindrical shaft, the formula is:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1578 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-ridigity-image07.png\" alt=\"shaft equation\" width=\"236\" height=\"98\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"ca9dd988-8dfa-4557-9ba6-c0dc30aa849b\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to remember to use the correct value of J for all calculations, as it can have a big impact on design decisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a reminder, torsional stiffness or torsional rigidity is a measure of the amount of torque required to twist one unit length of an object by one unit radian. The following equation may be utilized to calculate the torsional stiffness (k):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1579 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image08.png\" alt=\"torsional stiffness (k) formula\" width=\"248\" height=\"104\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"27e4e2cd-d424-4ed8-b474-161696f35a05\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This value may be utilized to compare the torsional rigidity of components directly. From this equation above, the torsional flexibility can also be found by calculating the inverse of k: 1\/k.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Applied Example<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This section will provide examples of how to solve for polar moment of inertia, shear modulus or modulus of rigidity, stiffness, and angle of twist. The equations will start with a simple solid circular shaft, for simplicity\u2019s sake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting with a shaft that has the following geometry:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1580 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image09.png\" alt=\"shaft with specific geometry\" width=\"1328\" height=\"264\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"357a726d-d1d0-4466-af0a-0f1228baab85\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image09.png 1328w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image09-300x60.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image09-1024x204.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image09-768x153.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1328px) 100vw, 1328px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calculating the polar moment of inertia for the defined shaft:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1581 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image10.png\" alt=\"polar moment of intertia\" width=\"696\" height=\"124\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"caa1f049-f486-421e-9951-95ff30eb4075\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image10.png 696w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image10-300x53.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the purposes of this analysis, the shaft material is aluminum. Aluminum has an elastic modulus of about 10e<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> psi and a Poisson\u2019s ratio of 0.33. Calculating the shear modulus or modulus of rigidity gives:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1582 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image11.png\" alt=\"shear modulus calculation\" width=\"766\" height=\"96\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"75c833d4-bad1-4435-8aac-3e1ee4c836a1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image11.png 766w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image11-300x38.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solving for torsional rigidity or stiffness, gives:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1583 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image13.png\" alt=\"solving for stiffness value\" width=\"908\" height=\"106\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"ac395ab7-24cd-4c22-8fb6-5dc12a9cef41\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image13.png 908w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image13-300x35.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image13-768x90.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, solving for the radial torsional deflection (angle of twist) with an applied load of 200 in-lb gives:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-1584 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image12_0.png\" alt=\"angle of twist\" width=\"848\" height=\"96\" data-align=\"center\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"0c713f0d-b5da-4c26-8adf-7aa3d2b498fe\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image12_0.png 848w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image12_0-300x34.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/torsional-rigidity-image12_0-768x87.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changing the material to steel will increase the torsional stiffness by a factor of three. This results one-third of the deflection, or 0.07 rad, for the same applied load. For a situation where the design is very sensitive to positional accuracy, going with a material that has a higher torsional rigidity or stiffness will be beneficial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a greater increase in stiffness is needed than can be obtained from a material change alone, increasing the polar moment of inertia will also improve the design. As an example, going from 0.5\u201d to 0.75\u201d brings the polar moment of inertia from 0.00614 in<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> all the way up to 0.0311 in<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That means we\u2019re making the part five times as rigid, with only a 50% increase in diameter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many instances, part geometries are simply not simple. While the equations for angle of twist, stiffness, and shear modulus (modulus of rigidity) apply, the formula for polar moment of inertia varies with part geometry. As a matter of fact, there may not be a textbook-designed formula for a given geometry. In that event, it\u2019s best to use a CAD system to calculate the polar moment of inertia. This value can be substituted in for J in the remaining equations. The picture below from my previous article on designing for stiffness illustrates how to do this. While the image was captured from CREO, Solidworks can do the same type of analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The highlighted quantities are Area MOI and Polar MOI (J), and as previously discussed, the former is the property of choice for this article. Using a CAD system makes this analysis much easier than hand-deriving a value.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Design Guidelines<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on these formulas and the overall analytical approach, there are a few important guidelines to remember:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increasing a diameter of a circular or near-circular shape (cross-section shape) can have a more significant impact on increasing the torsional stiffness of the component than a material change will. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The angle of twist increases (directly proportionally) with length, so a reduction in length reduces the total twist the member experiences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young\u2019s modulus may be utilized for a simple estimate of the difference in torsional rigidity if all other properties are held constant. There\u2019s no need to calculate shear modulus (modulus of rigidity) until you\u2019re looking to solve for stiffness or angle of twist.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A more thorough stress analysis needs to be completed if the loads are expected to induce stresses that numerically approach the material\u2019s torsional strength.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAD programs can be very helpful when trying to gather component properties, such as the moment of inertia for a complex shape.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This isn\u2019t an exhaustive list, but it should provide a quick guide to improving the rigidity of any component.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Main Takeaways<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Designing for torsional rigidity may sound daunting, but after breaking down the steps, it hopefully feels more manageable. These principles apply to products spanning drive shafts, quadcopters, 3D printers, and much more. For a quick recap, check out these facts:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional rigidity, sometimes referred to as torsional stiffness, is the ability of an object to resist twisting when acted upon by an external force, torque. In mechanics of materials, torsional rigidity is the resistance to angular deformation a material has.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional Rigidity= <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applied Torque*Length of Shaft<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Angle of Twist (Radians)<\/span><b> or<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional Rigidity= Shear Modulus*Polar Moment of Inertia<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional rigidity units:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SI: N*m<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPS: lbs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional flexibility is the inverse of torsional rigidity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changing the cross-sectional area of a component will have a bigger impact on its torsional rigidity than a material change.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torsional rigidity is the resistance to deflection along an object\u2019s axis of rotation whereas lateral rigidity is the resistance to deflection along an object\u2019s lateral axis.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Products that are subject to a torsional load often require analysis like the analysis used for bending stiffness. The main differences are the specific material property to be used (Shear Modulus or Modulus of Rigidity) and the polar moment of inertia (which is very similar to the area moment of inertia used in bending). Torsion [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":1571,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","fictiv_role":[29],"fictiv_topic":[28],"fictiv_industry":[],"fictiv_manufacturing_process":[],"coauthors":[168],"class_list":["post-1586","cpt_blog","type-cpt_blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fictiv_topic-mechanical-design"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Design Methods to Improve Torsional Rigidity | Fictiv<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This article will walk product designers and engineers through the methods used to analyze and improve torsional rigidity in design. 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