University of Zakho Mechanical Department

College of Engineering Fourth Stage

2019-2020

Machine Design
Prepared by : Mr. Majeed Ali
[email protected]
Lecture 4
Design of Keys and Couplings
 A Key is used to connect a drive member such as a belt pulley, chain
sprocket, or gear to the shaft that carries it. See below Figure. Torque and
power are transmitted across the key to or from the shaft. But how does the
power get into or out of the shaft? One way might be that the output from the
shaft of a motor or engine is connected to the input shaft of a transmission
through a flexible coupling that reliably transmits power but allows for some
misalignment between the shafts during operation because of the flexing of
frame members or through progressive misalignment due to wear.
 KEYS
A key is a machinery component placed at the interface between a shaft
and the hub of a power-transmitting element for the purpose of transmitting
torque (see below figure). It is installed in an axial groove machined into the
shaft, called a keyseat, A similar groove in the hub of the power-transmitting
element is usually called a keyway, but it is more properly also a keyseat. The
key is typically installed into the shaft keyseat first; then the hub keyseat is
aligned with the key, and the hub is slid into position.

Keys are most often made from low-carbon, cold-drawn .steel. For
example, AISI 1020 CD. If the low-carbon steel is not sufficiently strong, higher-
carbon steel, such as AISI 1040 or 1045. could be used, also in the cold-drawn
condition. Heat-treated steels could be used to gain even higher strength.
However, the material should retain good ductility as indicated by a percent
elongation value greater than about 10%, particularly when shock or impact
loads could be encountered.
 Square and Rectangular Parallel Keys
The most common type of key for shafts up to 6.5 inches in diameter is
the square key, as illustrated in the below Figure …..The rectangular key, is
recommended for larger shafts and is used for smaller shafts where the
shorter height can be tolerated

Table 11-1 gives the preferred dimensions for parallel keys as a function of shaft
diameter, as specified in ANSI Standard B17.1-1967. The width is nominally one-
quarter of the diameter of the shaft.
(U.S. inch sizes )
Stress analysis in key determine its length
There are two basic modes of potential failure for keys transmitting power:
(1) shear across the shaft/huh interface and (2) compression failure due to
the bearing action between the sides of the key and the shaft or hub
material. The analysis for either failure mode requires an understanding of
the forces that act on the key. The below Figure shows the idealized case
in which the torque on the shaft creates a force on the left side of the key
The magnitude of the shearing force can be found from:

The shearing stress is then :

In design, we can set the shearing stress equal to a design stress in shear for
the maximum shear stress theory of failure:

Then the required length of the key is

:
The failure in bearing is related to the compressive stress on the side of the
key, the side of the shaft keyseat, or the side of the hub keyseat. The area in
compression is the same for either of these zones, L * (H/2). Thus, the failure
occurs on the surface with the lowest compressive yield strength. Let's define
a design stress for compression as:
Then the compressive stress is :

Letting this stress equal the design compressive stress allows the computation
of the required length of the key for this mode of failure:
In typical industrial applications,
N = 3 is adequate.
Example :A portion of a shaft where a gear is to be mounted has a diameter
of 2.00 in. The gear transmits 2965 lb.in of torque. The shaft is to be made of
AISI 1040 cold-drawn steel. The gear is made from AISI 8650 OQT 1000 steel.
The width of the hub of the gear mounted at this location is 1.75 in. Design the
key.
From Table 11-1. the standard key dimension for a 2.00-in-diameter shaft
would be 1/2 in square.
Material selection is a design decision. Let's choose AISI 1020 CD steel
with Sy = 51 000 psi
A check of the yield strengths of the three materials in the key, the shaft, and
the hub indicates that the key is the weakest material. Then to compute the
minimum required length of the key use:

This length is well below the width of the hub of the gear. Notice that the
design of the shaft includes retaining rings on both sides of the gear. It is
desirable to keep the keyseat well clear of the ring grooves. Therefore, let's
specify the length of the key to be 1.50 in
 Woodruff Keys
Where light loading and relatively easy assembly and disassembly are
desired , the woodruff key should be considered , the below figure shows the
standard configuration , the circular groove in the shaft holds the key the key
in position while the mating part is slid over the key.
The geometry of Woodruff keys makes it more difficult to determine the shear
area and the bearing area for use in stress analyses. The above Figure shows
that the bearing area on the side of the key in the keyseat is a segment of a
circle. The shear area is the product of the chord of that segment times the
thickness of the key

The shear stress is then:

Example:
Make a detailed drawing of a Woodruff key connection between a shaft
and the hub of a gear The shaft has a diameter of 1.500 in. Use a no. 1210
Woodruff key. Dimension the keyseat in the shaft and the hub. Then
Compute the torque that could be transmitted by the key basis of shear
and bearing if the key is made from AISI 1020 cold-drawn steel with a
design factor of N = 3.
From table:
W * B= 3/8 in *1.25 in, F=1.24 in, C=0.544 in
Shaft Keyseat Depth=0.3545 in
Hub Keyseat Depth=0.1935 in
Material of the key AISI 1020 CD Sy=51 ksi
𝝉𝒅 = 𝟖. 𝟓 𝒌𝒔𝒊

𝐴𝑠 = 0.4225 𝑖𝑛 2
F=3591.25 lb T=F*D/2= 3591.25*0.75 = 2693.437 lb.in Ans.
Pinning
A pin is employed for axial positioning and the transfer of relatively light
torque or axial load (or both) to the hub . Pins provides a relatively inexpensive
means of transmitting torque.
With the element in position on the shaft, a hole can be drilled through
both the hub and the shaft, and a pin can be inserted in the hole. The straight,
solid, cylindrical pin is subjected to shear over two cross sections.
If there is a force, F, on each end of the pin at the shaft/hub interface, and if
the shaft diameter is D, then:

Letting the shear stress equal the design stress in shear,

solving for d gives the required pin diameter:
Example:
Design a cylindrical pin to transmit the power for the V-belt sheave
transmits 1112 lb.in of torque to a 1.75- in-diameter shaft. The sheave is
made from ASTM class 20 cast iron and has a hub length of 1.75 in.

Material of the pin AISI 1020 CD Sy=51 ksi

0.5 ∗ 51000
τd = = 8500 psi
3

4 ∗ 1112
d= = 0.308 in
1.75 ∗ π ∗ 8500
 SPLINES
A spline can be described as a series of axial keys machined into a
shaft, with corresponding grooves machined into the bore of the mating
part (gear, sheave, sprocket, and so on). The splines perform the same
function as a key in transmitting torque from the shaft to the mating
element. The advantages of splines over keys are many. Because usually
four or more splines are used, as compared with one or two keys, a more
uniform transfer of the torque and a lower loading on a given part of the
shaft/hub interface result. The splines are integral with the shaft, so no
relative motion can occur as between a key and the shaft. Splines are
accurately machined to provide a controlled fit between the mating
internal and external splines. The surface of the spline is often hardened to
resist wear and to facilitate its use in applications in which axial motion of
the mating element is desired. Splines can be either straight-sided or
involute.
Straight splines are made according to the specifications of the Society
of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and usually contain 4, 6. 10. or 16 splines.
The below figure shows the six-spline .
 L= Spline Length

from the above figure we can the basic design parameters of D (major
diameter), d (minor diameter), W (spline width), and h (spline depth). The
dimensions for d, W, and h are related to the nominal major diameter D
by the formulas given in Table 11-4. Note that the values of h and d differ
according to the use of the spline. The permanent fit. A, is used when the
mating part is not to be moved after installation. The B fit is used if the
mating part will be moved along the shaft without a torque load. When
the mating part must be moved under load, the C fit is used.
 The torque capacity for SAE splines is based on the limit of 1000-psi
bearing stress 𝝈𝒃 on the sides of the splines, from which the following
formula is derived:
T=1000*N*R*h
Where
N = number of splines
R = mean radius of the splines
h = depth of the splines (from Table 11–4)
 The torque capacity is per inch of length of the spline. But note that:

In general we can find the torque capacity of a spline from the

following equations based on the bearing stress on the side of spline :
𝐹 𝑇 𝑇
𝑇 = 𝐹.𝑅 𝜎𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 𝜎𝑏 = =
𝐴 𝑅.𝐴 𝑅.𝑁.ℎ.𝐿

𝑇 = 𝜎𝑏 .𝑅.𝑁.ℎ.𝐿
Example:
specify a suitable spline having a B fit for the chain sprocket delivers
110 hp to a shaft at a rotational speed of 1700 rpm. The bore of the
sprocket is 2.5 inches in diameter ,the hub length is 3.25 in

T= 4076.47 Ib .in
Bore diameter d= 2.5 in , No. of spline =6
d=0.85D D=2.941 in ,
h= 0.075D h=0.22 in
W=0.25D w=0.735 in
L= 3.25 in Spline Length
𝑹=(𝑫+𝒅)/𝟒= 2.72 in
𝑇 4076.47
𝜎𝑏 = = =350 psi
𝑅.𝑁.ℎ.𝐿 6∗0.22∗3.25∗2.72

From materials table , choose suitable material have a yield stress

grater than 350 psi such as AISI 1020 CD
 COUPLINGS
The term coupling refers to a device used to connect two shafts together at
their ends for the purpose of transmitting power. There are two general types
of couplings: rigid and flexible.
Rigid couplings should be used only when the alignment of the two shafts
can be maintained very accurately, not only at the time of installation but also
during operation of the machines.
Rigid couplings are designed to draw two shafts together tightly so that no
relative motion can occur between them.

A typical rigid coupling is shown in the below Figure, in which flanges are
mounted on the ends of each shaft and are drawn together by a series of
bolts. The load path is then from the driving shaft to its flange, through the
bolts, into the mating flange, and out to the driven shaft. The torque places
the bolts in shear. The total shear force on the bolts depends on the radius of
the bolt circle, Dbc/2, and the torque, T. That is,
Letting n be the number of bolts, the shear stress in each bolt is
0.5 𝑠𝑦
𝜏𝑑 =
𝑁
Letting the stress equal the design stress in shear and solving for the bolt
diameter, we have

D
n=3 for D up to 4cm
n=4 for D up to 10cm
n=6 for D up to 18cm
DH=2D Dbc=3D
L=1.5D t=0.5D
Example: A coupling is keyed to a shaft have diameter 5cm calculate
the bolt diameter of the coupling for transmit 6 Kn.m torque , allowable
shear strength of 210 Mpa in the bolts

DH=2D=10cm
Dbc=3D=15cm
L=1.5D=7.5cm
t=0.5D=2.5cm
No. of bolts n =4

d=11mm Ans.