KEYSHAFT Imperial Keyed Shafts

What standards do Keyshaft keyed shafts abide by?

Keyshaft keyed shafts adhere to ANSI B17.1-1967 and ASTM A108 international industrial standards.

What materials are used to manufacture keyed shafts?

• Materials
1. Steel provide high hardness, structural rigidity and durability.
2. Stainless steel offers corrosion resistant properties & moderate structural rigidity compared to steel
3. Aluminium material provides light weight & high corrosion resistance, but with lesser strength compared to stainless steel & steel.
• Finish or Coatings
1. Precision ground shafts offer highly precise, perfectly straight & polished surfaces.
2. Polishing is used to enhance the appearance of shafts, prevent corrosion & create a reflective surface.
3. Turning surfaces ensure a good surface finish without any surface roughness.

What are the major types of rotary shafts?

• Keyed Shafts: These fully keyed shafts combine with a key to transfer torque in power transmission equipment.
• Partially Keyed Shafts: These shafts feature keys on their ends with a plain shaft at the centre. The middle of the shaft attaches bearings & other round-bore components.
• D-Profile Rotary Shafts: These shafts have a flat surface area that allows secure mounting of gears, sprockets & bearings using set screws that dig into the shaft.
• Tapped Rotary Shafts: Internal threads on these shafts help in mounting them onto threaded components like threaded studs.
• Threaded Rotary Shafts: Their ends are mounted into threaded accessories & tapped holes like those on fan blades & mixer propellers.
• Rotary Shafts With Retaining Ring Grooves: These shafts attach retaining rings into their grooves for separating & positioning bearings, collars & sprockets.
• Step Down Rotary Shafts: They have a shoulder near their end that offers a stop to attach shaft supports, gears & sprockets.

Why are keyed shafts called keyed rotary shafts?

Keyed shafts are often called keyed rotary shafts as they attach to pumps, motors or driving equipment and rotate about their longitudinal axis for transmitting torque to the driven equipment. Rotary shafts transfer the rotary motion by working with gears, sprockets and bearings.

What is the difference between spline shafts & keyed shafts?

Spline shafts contain teeth / ridges on their outer surface to mate with other components and help in the uniform transmission of torque between mated components. They are primarily used for high torque applications while resisting regular wear & tear. Keyed shafts are shafts having a key seat that works with their corresponding key to transfer rotational power. These keyed shafts are cheaper to use and do not require a complete redesign of their machinery according to spline shaft design.