KEY DESIGN

 When the diameter of a gear is more than double that of the shaft diameter, it is usually keyed to the shaft.

 Keys are generally made of cold-drawn low carbon steel.

 Select a suitable CD steel from (Table A-18) of Appendix.

 Compare yield strength of the shaft with the yield strength of the key material and use weakest of the two in

calculations,

 With diameter of the shaft known where key to be installed, select square keys for gears from (Table 7-6).

 Now we need to calculate length of the key.

 Keys generally have two types of failures:

(1) Shear Failure: Keys of the shaft and hub exert equal and opposite forces of value F, these forces attempt
to shear the key at the radius of the shaft.

Area in shear = bL

Shear Plane

Key in shear

Shear area = bl

T
=F=
Shear force d shaft , where T = torque
2

Using distortion –energy theory

Yield strength in shear, S sy = 0.6 S y

Ss y F
= , where n = factor of saftey
n bl

2T × n
∴l =
Ss y bd shaft
 (2) Bearing or Crushing Failure: Keys can suffer permanent compressive deformation where it contacts the
keyways in the shaft and hub.

L
F

Area in crushing = 0.5 b L

b

Crushing of key

• Since one-half of the key is in the hub and one-half is in the shaft, as measured at the side of the
keyway, the bearing area in each is b
2l .

• The line of action of the force between the hub and the key would be a little above, and force
between the shaft and the key would be a little below from the force acting at the surface of the shaft.

• Because of inherent inaccuracies in the analysis and the small difference involved, the moment
arm of the force is taken as d 2 .

SC F
=
n bl
2

Where S C is the yield strength in compression.

T
F=
d shaft
2

4Tn
l=
S C bd shaft

 Use larger of the length obtained from two types of failure.

 Generally key lengths fall within the following ranges:

1.2d shaft ≤ l ≤ 1.5 shaft

 If key length is less than 1.2d shaft , then take key length equal to 1.2d shaft .

 If the required key length is greater than 2d shaft , consider using two keys, 180 0
apart.