Coupling Design

Coupling design
Reference: Mechanical Design Data Manual Chapter 15

Purpose To develop the knowledge and skills to carry out the design of a rigid coupling based on first principles or good proportions. Objectives At the end of this section you should be able to design a rigid coupling of cast, forged or fabricated construction, that is, determine all dimensions required for manufacture based upon critical stresses or good proportions. In the vast majority of cases, when a coupling is needed, it is more cost effective to purchase an off-the-shelf coupling than to design and manufacture a custom coupling. However, from the point of view of mechanical design, the design of a rigid coupling from first principles is a good exercise to familiarise you with the process of machine element design. Design of machine components from first principles requires you to be able to discriminate between critical and non-critical stress (or strains). Critical stresses (or strains) are those that essentially determine the required dimensions of a feature or component. These stresses or strains need to be calculated. For example, in coupling design, the key and keyway involve critical stress and the dimensions of the keyway are based on the allowable stress in the key and keyway. Non-critical stresses (or strains) are those that have a low value and do not influence dimensions. The dimensions in this case are determined by appearance or some other functional requirement other than stress or strain. For example, in a coupling, the width of the outer flange is a non-critical dimension and is usually determined by appearance/safety considerations (giving adequate protection from the protruding bolts and nuts). Where critical stresses are involved, the analysis can be done by calculation using formulas. This is the approach adopted here. It is important to realise that this approach involves some "guesstimation" because certain assumptions and approximations are usually necessary. This is where experience and skill of a mechanical design engineer is required, to know what assumptions to make and to have a feel for the types of stresses involved and to be able to discriminate between those that are critical and those that are not. That is why it is important for you to get practice in the design of components such as couplings, knuckle joints and levers because this practice will build your expertise in mechanical design. Another method of stress and strain analysis is by use of the finite element method using a computer. This is a more accurate method but involves study in its own right and is the content of another module you may wish to study: Finite Element Analysis. Where non-critical stresses are involved, dimensions are often determined by good proportions. In practice, this requires experience and skill but in this module you will be given the good proportions formulas needed.

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Coupling Design

A typical rigid coupling is shown in Figure 1 below for cast or welded construction - although the outer flange is a bit extravagant. (very difficult to make and would add considerable cost to the unit, unless you happen to have some thick walled pipe floating around the workshop). I would leave this off a FABRICATED coupling, this is something you might find on a PURCHASED coupling. (For the purpose of this exercise, include the flange)

Good proportions For steel or cast iron couplings joining steel shafts, good proportions based on shaft d in mm are: Flange: outside diameter = 2.6d + 75 internal width = nut thickness + 3 radial thickness = 5-10 mm Hub (boss) : length = 1 .3d + 3 diameter = 1.8d+5 Web: width = 0.33d Bolts: number = 3 + 0.025d (round off) diameter = 0.25d (round off) PCD=2.2d+35

Assignment Questions
Design a welded steel coupling to transmit 35 kW @350 rev/mm. Low carbon steel will be used for the fabrication and standard plate sizes are to be used (see Chapter 10). The yield in tension of the plate and shaft steel is 220 MPa and of the key steel is 280 MPa. The bolts will be corn.rnercial steel (property class 4.6). There is some shock loading so a safety factor of 3 is to be used with yield strengths. Shear strength may be taken as 75% of the tensile strength and bearing (crushing) strength as twice the shear strength.
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Coupling Design

Determine the following dimensions and complete your design with a neat scale drawing of a section through the coupling. Note : * denotes that a stress calculation of all relevant stresses is required. (a) shaft diameter * (b) key size (c) key length * (d) hub diameter (e) hub length (f) web width (g) bolt PCD (h) number of bolts (i) bolt diameter * (j) bolt length (k) flange outside diameter (1) flange inside diameter (m) flange width (internal and external - bolt is not to protrude beyond the flange) (n) weld size hub-web * (o) weld size web-flange. 2. Design a cast iron coupling to transmit 70 kW @ 275 rev/mm. Load is steady. The allowable stresses (without stress concentration factors) are Shaft steel tension 100 MPa bearing 160 MPa shear 80 MPa Cast iron tension 30 MPa bearing 140 MIPa shear 35 MPa Key steel tension 130 MPa bearing 180 MPa shear 90 MPa The bolts will be commercial steel (property class 4.6). Determine the following dimensions and complete your design with a neat scale drawing of a section through the coupling. Note : * denotes that a stress calculation of all relevant stresses is required. (a) shaft diameter * (b) key size (c) key length * (d) hub diameter (e) hub length (f) web width (g) bolt PCD (h) number of bolts (i) bolt diameter * (j) bolt length (k) flange outside diameter (1) flange inside diameter (m) radial clearance between nut and flange inner face (n) flange width (internal and external - bolt is not to protrude beyond the flange).

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