MODULE 2: DESIGN OF SHAFT 5.

It should have high wear resistant

properties.
Shaft
The mechanical properties of these
is a rotating machine element which is
grades of carbon steel are given in the
used to transmit power from one place to
table.
another.
The power is delivered to the shaft by
some tangential force and the resultant
torque (or twisting moment) set up within
the shaft permits the power to be
transferred to various machines linked Materials Used for Shafts
up to the shaft.
are usually cylindrical but may be square
or cross -shaped in section.
They are solid in cross - section, but
sometimes hollow shafts are also used.
Axle
Manufacturing of shafts
though similar in shape to the shaft, is a
Shafts are generally manufactured by
stationary machine element and is used
hot rolling and finished to size by cold
for the transmission of bending moment
drawing or turning and grinding. The cold
only.
rolled shafts are stronger than hot rolled
It simply acts as a support for some shafts but with higher residual stresses.
rotating body such as hoisting drum, a The residual stresses may cause
car wheel or a rope sheave. distortion of the shaft when it is
machined, especially when slots or
Spindle
keyways are cut. Shafts of larger
is a short shaft that imparts motion diameter are usually forged and turned
either to a cutting tool (e.g. drill press to size in a lathe.
spindles) or to a work piece (e.glathe
Types of Shafts
spindles).
Transmission shafts
Materials Used for Shafts have
properties: These shafts transmit power between
the source and the machines absorbing
1. It should have high strength.
power. The counter shafts, line shafts,
2. It should have good machinability. over head shafts and all factory shafts
are transmission shafts. Since these
3. It should have low notch sensitivity
shafts carry machine parts such as
factor.
pulleys, gears etc., therefore they are
4. It should have good heat treatment subjected to bending in addition to
properties. twisting.
Machine shafts Design of Shafts
These shafts form an integral part of the The shafts may be designed on the basis
machine itself. The crank shaft is an of:
example of machine shaft.
1. Strength, and 2. Rigidity and
Standard Sizes of Transmission Shafts stiffness.
25 mm – 60 mm 5 mm increment In designing shafts on the basis of
strength, the following cases may be
60 mm – 110 mm 10 mm increment
considered:
110 mm – 140 mm 15 mm increment
(a) Shafts subjected to twisting
140 mm – 500 mm 20 mm increment moment or torque only,

NOTE: Standard lengths of the shafts (b) Shafts subjected to bending

are 5m, 6m, and 7m moment only,

Stresses in Shafts Torsional Rigidity of shafts

Depending on the application, shafts The torsional rigidity is important in the

may be hollow or solid. Shafts case of camshaft of an I.C. engine where
the timing of the valves would be
are generally acted upon by bending
affected. The permissible amount of
moment, torsion, and axial force.
twist should not exceed 0.25° per meter
Therefore, the design of the shaft is length of such shafts. For line shafts or
primarily driven by determining transmission shafts, deflections 2.5 to 3
degree per meter length may be used as
the stresses at critical points in the
limiting value. The widely used
assembly that may arise due to the
deflection for the shafts is limited to 1
loading. degree in a length equal to twenty times
the diameter of the shaft
The following stresses are induced in
the shafts : (c) Shafts subjected to combined
twisting and bending moments,
1. Shear stresses due to the
transmission of torque (i.e. due to The following two theories are important
from the subject point of view:
torsional load).
1. Maximum shear stress theory or Guest's
2. Bending stresses (tensile or theory - It is used for ductile materials such
compressive) due to the forces acting as mild steel.

upon machine elements like gears, 2. Maximum normal stress theory or

pulleys etc. as well as due to the Rankine’s theory. - It is used for brittle
materials such as cast iron.
weight of the shaft itself.
(d) Shafts subjected to axial loads in
3. Stresses due to combined torsional addition to combined torsional and
and bending loads. bending loads.
In designing shafts on the basis of
rigidity and stiffness:
This method suggests that the design of
the shaft depends on the allowable
deflection and the maximum
permissible angle of twist of the shaft.

Shafts subjected to Fluctuations

In the previous articles we have
assumed that the shaft is subjected to
constant torque and bending moment.
But in actual practice, the shafts are
subjected to fluctuating torque and
bending moments. In order to design
such shafts like line shafts and counter
shafts, the combined shock and fatigue
factors must be taken into account for
the computed twisting moment (T ) and
bending moment (M ).
Recommended values for Km and Kt