SHAFTS, KEYS, AND

COUPLINGS
If the shaft is stationary (nonrotating) and the sheaves or gears rotate with respect
to it (on bearings), then it becomes a statically loaded member as long as the applied
,loads are steady with time. However, such a nonrotating shaft is not a transmission shaft
since it is not transmitting any torque. It is merely an axle, or round beam, and can be
.designed as such

Note that a rotating shaft subjected to a steady, transverse-bending load will

experience a fully reversed stress state as shown in Figure 10-1a. Any one
stress element
on the shaft surface goes from tension to compression each cycle as the shaft
.turns
Thus, even for steady bending loads, a rotating shaft must be designed
against fatigue
failure. If either or both the torque and transverse loads vary with time, the
fatigue loading becomes more complex, but the fatigue-design principles
remain the same, as outlined in Chapter 6. The torque, for example, could be
repeated or fluctuating as shown
.in Figures 10-1b and c, as could the bending loads

SHAFT MATERIALS

Most machine shafts are made from low- to medium-

carbon steel, either cold rolled
or hot rolled, though alloy steels are also used where
.their higher strengths are needed
Cold-rolled steel is more often used for smaller-diameter shafts (< about 3-in dia) and
hot-rolled used for larger sizes. The same alloy when cold rolled has higher mechanical properties
than if hot rolled due to the cold working, but this comes at the cost of
residual tensile stresses in the surface. Machining for keyways, grooves, or steps relieves these
residual stresses locally and can cause warping. Hot-rolled bars must be
machined all over to remove the carburized outer layer, whereas portions of a cold-rolled
.surface can be left as-rolled except where machining to size is needed for bearings, etc
Prehardened (30HRC) and ground precision (straight) steel shafting can be purchased
in small sizes and can be machined with carbide tools. Full-hard, ground, precision
shafting (60HRC) is also available but cannot be machined

SHAFT POWER
P=Tω (ω) must be expressed in radians per unit time
hp x 745.7 = watts
Both torque and angular velocity can be time varying, though much of rotating
machinery is designed to operate at constant or near-constant speeds for
.large blocks of time
In such cases, the torque will often vary with time. The average power is found
from

SHAFT STRESSES

The largest alternating

and mean bending stresses are at the outside surface and are found from