What is a shaft

The shaft is basically a rotating part of any machine, and its cross-section is circular, which is used to transfer power from one part to another or from a power generator to a power absorber. In order to transmit power, one end of the shaft is connected to the power source, and the other end is connected to the machine. The shaft can be solid or hollow as needed, and the hollow shaft helps reduce weight and provides advantages.

General description of the shaft

The shaft is one of the most important components used in the machine. They are used to support rotating parts, such as pulleys and gears, which are supported by bearings located in rigid machine housings. Gears and pulleys on the shaft help to transfer motion. Many other rotating elements are mounted on the shaft by keys. Due to the reaction force of the components supported by the shaft and the torque generated by power transmission, they bear bending moments and torques. The shaft always has a circular cross-section and can be hollow or solid.

Shafts can be divided into crank shafts, linear shafts, articulated shafts or flexible shafts, but linear shafts are usually used to transmit power.

Shafts are usually designed as steep cylindrical rods, so they have different diameters over the entire length, although shafts with a constant diameter are easy to produce. The stress in the stepped shaft varies with its length. Shafts with uniform diameter are not suitable for disassembly, assembly and maintenance, and these shafts will cause complexity when fastening the parts installed on them, especially the bearings.

Type of shaft:

1. Transmission shaft:

These shafts are stepped shafts that are used to transfer power from one source to another machine that absorbs power. It is installed on the stepped part of the shaft gear, hub or pulley for transmitting motion. Examples: overhead shafts, spools, countershafts, and all factory shafts.

2. Mechanical shaft:

These shafts are located inside the assembly and are part of the machine. Example: the crankshaft in an automobile engine is a machine shaft.

3. Axle shaft

These shafts support rotating elements, such as wheels, which can be installed in housings with bearings, but the shafts are non rotating elements. These are mainly used for vehicles. Example: axle in automobile. (if you need to get free UG learning materials and UG installation packages of various versions, you can VX search ug5400)

4. Main shaft

These are the rotating parts of the machine; It holds tools or workspace. They are short shafts, used in machines, and they are short shafts for machines. Example: spindle in lathe.

Shaft material

Generally, low carbon steel is the material used for the shaft. If high strength is required, alloy steel such as nickel chromium, nickel, chromium vanadium steel shall be used. They are usually formed by hot rolling and cold drawing and grinding.

The materials commonly used for conventional shafts are carbon steels of grades 50 C12, 50 C4, 45 C8 and 40 C8.

The material used for the shaft shall have the following characteristics:

1. The material shall have high strength

2. The material shall have high abrasion resistance

3. Materials shall have heat treatment characteristics

4. Materials shall have good mechanical properties

5. The material must have a low notch sensitivity coefficient