School of Mechanical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar 752050.

Tutorial Sheet: Keys, Couplings and Shafts

1. Design a CI protective flange coupling to transmit 10 kW at 800 r.p.m. from an electric motor to
a compressor. The permissible stresses are as follows:
Shear stress for shaft, bolt and key material = 40 MPa
Crushing stress for bolt and key = 80 MPa
Shear stress for CI (flange) = 10 MPa. Assume service factor to be 1.3.

2. Compare the weight, strength and stiffness of a hollow shaft of the same external diameter as that
of solid shaft. The inside diameter of the hollow shaft being half the external diameter. Both the
shafts have the same material and length.

3. Find the diameter of a horizontal shaft AD supported in bearings at A and B and carrying pulleys
at C and D is to transmit 70 kW at 400 r.p.m. from drive pulley D to off-take pulley C as shown
in figure below. Where P1 = 2P2, Q1 = 2Q2, radius of pulley C = 220 mm, radius of pulley D =
160 mm, allowable shear stress = 45 MPa and allowable tensile stress = 65 MPa.

P1 

A  C  B D P2 

600  600 300 Q2 

Q1 

All dimensions in mm

4. The shaft as shown in the figure below is driven by pulley B from an electric motor. Another belt
drive from pulley A is running a compressor. He belt tensions for pulley A are 1500 N and 600 N.
 The ratio of belt tensions for pulley B is 3. The diameter of pulley A is 150 mm and the diameter
of pulley B is 480 mm. The allowable tensile stress for the shaft material is 170 MPa and the
allowable shear stress is 85 MPa. Take combined shock and fatigue factor for torsion and
combined shock and fatigue factor for bending as 1.25 and 1.7 respectively. Find the diameter of
the shaft.

C  A B D

100  150  100

Also find out the dimensions for a hollow shaft with outside diameter limited to 30 mm.
Compare the weights of the two shafts. All dimensions in mm.

Data from Mechanical Design Handbooks:

1. Standard sizes of transmission shafts:
25 mm – 60 mm: 5 mm steps; 60 mm – 110 mm: 10 mm steps; 110 mm – 140 mm: 15 mm steps; 140 mm – 500 mm:
20 mm steps

2. Proportions of standard parallel, tapered and gib head keys:

Shaft diameter Key cross-section Shaft diameter Key cross-section
(mm) upto and (mm) upto and
including Width (mm) Thickness (mm) including Width (mm) Thickness (mm)

6 2 2 85 25 14
8 3 3 95 28 16
10 4 4 110 32 18
12 5 5 130 36 20
17 6 6 150 40 22
22 8 7 170 45 25
30 10 8 200 50 28
38 12 8 230 56 32
44 14 9 260 63 32
50 16 10 290 70 36
58 18 11 330 80 40
65 20 12 380 90 45
75 22 14 440 100 50