What Are Keyed Shifts?
In mechanical engineering, a key is used to hold connect a rotational object to a shaft. This is done to disable unwarranted rotations in the two parts. The keyed shafts use torque transmission to get started, and power is supplied to the machinery from an outside force, such as a motor, or an engine. Keyed shafts are used in various areas of everyday life, in mostly all machines which have a start-stop function, beginning from the gears of your car, to your dishwasher.
The most commonly used method of making a keyed shaft entails simply driving in a small metal part, known as the key, in the hole of the shaft, and the piece of metal machinery that is mounted above it. Employing this method can save you a lot of time and resources, and help you to produce more of the machinery in a lesser amount of time.
The slots or recesses where the keys are fitted are known as the keyway and the keyseat. Altogether, this entire machinery is known as the keyed joint, and this entire system is put into motion by an axial force, one of the most common laws of physics. According to the laws of axial force, if machinery has to operate on the right side, the force in the axis steers in the left direction, thus enabling the motion to work, and giving you the results you desire.
There are five main types of keys that are used when operating a keyed shaft:
• Saddle Keys
• Tangent Keys
• Round Keys
• Spline Keys
• Sunk Keys
For keyed shafts, one of the most important, yet overlooked aspects is the material of the keys. Most of the people are usually so focused on getting the key type correct, that they forget about the material. If the best quality materials are not used for making the keys, it can cause the entire keyed joint to wear out faster, causing the destruction of your entire machine.
