ME2140 Machine Elements and Innovative Design

Key Joints

Dr Hans Gray
Dr Udaya Kahangamage
Senior Lecturer
Dept of Mechanical Engineering
University of Moratuwa

Course Notes: http://10.8.12.182

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Applications …

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Applications …

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Applications …

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 Outline…

• Introduction
• Advantages and Disadvantages of key joints
• Types of keys and applications
• Modes of failure and strength calculation
• Selection of keys
• Spline joints

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 Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, you should be able to:

• select an appropriate type of keys for a given
application

• perform calculations on keys based on strength

• select appropriate cross sections for keys from

standard key tables

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 Introduction(1)
• Keys are used to mount pulleys, gears, couplings and
other similar devises on shafts

• Prevent relative rotary or axial (sliding) motion

between connected parts
• Joint can easily be assembled and disassembled
• Mainly used to transmit torsional loads
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 Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages
 Simple in design
 Convenience in use
 Low cost
 Reliable

Disadvantages
 Reduction of strength of connecting parts due to keyway
 Stress concentration in key joints
 Difficulty in achieving concentricity between mating surfaces

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Types of Keys

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 Torque transmission …

• Square and parallel keys: torque is transmitted by

means of compressive and shear stresses

• Taper keys: torque is transmitted by means of

friction induced by compressive stresses

• Tangential keys: torque is transmitted by means of

compressive stresses alone

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 Group work

• Discuss in what ways a key can fail

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 Group work

• Design a rectangular key for a shaft of

diameter 40mm transmitting a torque of 1kNm.
Assume an allowable shear stress and
crushing stress for the key material to be
42MPa and 70MPa.
•Calculate the minimum length
of the key required for shear
failure not to occur.

•Calculate the minimum length

of the key required for crushing
failure not to occur.

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 Modes of Failure and Strength Calculation

• Shear failure
This consideration has been
incorporated in standardising
the cross section
of the keys. Therefore,
strength calculation for shear
is not required
in designing

• Crushing failure

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 Taper Keys
In taper key joints the transmitted torque is made up
of
 The moment due to none uniform pressure over the width of
the key
 The moment caused by the friction between the key and the
shaft
 The moment caused by the friction between the hub and the
shaft

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 Modes of Failure and Strength Calculation

Comments
• For standard keys, calculation for crushing is
sufficient
• If two keys are used in one joint the length of key
must be increased by 25% due to none uniformity of
torque transmission.
• A key is selected according to the shaft diameter.
• The length is calculated based on crushing.
• If the length is higher than the hub
 Two or three keys (25% longer) can be used at 1200 to each
other or
 The hub size can be increased
• Cross sections of the keys have been standardised
• Formulas are used to find:
 Allowable torque
 Working length of the key

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 Selection of Keys
The type of key for a particular application is selected
by considering following factors:
• Power transmission requirement
• Stability and rigidity
• Accuracy of fit
• Physical configuration

Cross sectional dimensions of keys are selected from

standard charts

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 Example

• Design a rectangular parallel key for a shaft

of 50mm diameter that transmits a torque of
0.75 kNm . The key is made out of carbon
steel AISI1015. Use a safety factor of 2.

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 ME214 Machine Elements and Innovative Design

Spline Joints

Dr Hans Gray
Dr Udaya Kahangamage
Senior Lecturer
Dept of Mechanical Engineering
University of Moratuwa

Course Notes: http://10.8.12.182

UPK / MECH
Vehicle Propeller Shaft

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Gearbox Input Shaft

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Gear Trains

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 Spline Joints

• Spline joints can be considered as multiple key joints

• Splines can be used to transmit higher loads
• Joints can be either sliding or fixed

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External splines can be made by hobbing, by shaping

• Hobbing

• Shaping

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Internal splines can be cut by broaching or slotting

• Broaching

• Slotting

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 The Advantages of Spline Joints over Key Joints

• Greater load carrying capacity for same overall size

due to larger contact area between splines
• Ensures better centering between the parts

Centering Methods for

Parallel-sided Splines:

•Fit by Sides of Splines (a)

•Major Diameter Fit (b)

•Minor Diameter Fit (c)

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 Types of Splines

• Parallel sided splines

• Involutes splines

• Serrations (triangular)

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 Involutes splines

The main advantages of involute splines are:

 Higher load carrying capacity due to gradual
thickening of the splines towards the root
 Less stress concentration due to absence of
abrupt profile change at the root

 Simple and more

efficient manufacture by
using gear generating
machines

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 Serrations

• Used for fixed joints

• Can be used to obtain
small angular adjustments

•
• Application:
 Motorbike kick pedal
 Motorbike gear lever

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 Spline Joint Standard Dimensions

According to the standards, parallel sided spline joints are specified

by indicating the following:
• Centering feature D, d, b
• No of splines (z)
• Nominal diameters
The standard splines are also categorised into 3 groups as:
 light duty
 medium duty
 heavy duty

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 Strength Calculation for Spline Joints

• Spline joints generally fail by

crushing
• Other modes of failures are:
 Damage to the working surface
 Wear
 Binding or seizing

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 Design Guidelines

• The working length of splines:

 should not be less than 0.5D for stability.
 should not be higher than 2D
• There is no actual benefit of increasing the
length of splines unnecessarily.
• The longer the splines the more costly the
manufacturing.

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Standard Splines

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 Problem

Design a parallel sided spline joint to mount a

gear on a shaft of minimum diameter 30mm
using the standard data given. The shaft
transmits 16.5kW of power at a speed of
400rev/min. If the allowable crushing stress of
the splines is 70MPa, determine the minimum
length of the hub of the gear.

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 Design Procedure for splines

• Calculate the minimum shaft diameter (dmin) required

to transmit a given torque.

• Using standard data tables find d>dmin and get the

values for other required parameters (initially for light
duty splines)

• Find the required length of the spline (l) considering

crushing strength requirement

• If ‘l’ is larger than the hub length:

 increase the hub length or
 go for higher duty spline

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 Re-visit: Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, you should be able to:

• select appropriate type of keys for a given application

• perform calculations on keys based on strength

• select appropriate cross sections for keys from

standard key tables

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