KNOW WHY KEY IS USED IN TORQUE TRANSMISSION !!

We come across various mechanical components on day to day basis, But we ignore the functionality of various components. We are going to discuss the functionality of one such component. You might have seen shaft and other mechanical components connected with a key. Have you ever imagined why this key is used? Let us explore the reason for the key in this article.

A key is a machine element that is used to connect a shaft to other machine elements like Gears, Pullies, Couplings, Sprockets or Flywheels. The key prevents relative rotation between the two parts and may enable torque transmission.

The key will have a provision in both the shaft and the machine element which needed to be connected. this is called Keyway. These keys are temporary fastening elements and are subject to the crushing and the shearing stress.

Various types of the key are used in power transmission are square key, flat key, Dowel Key and so on.

WHY KEY IS USED IN POWER TRANSMISSION :

Let us assume a situation where the key is not used in power transmission as shown in the figure below. When there is a sudden rise in torque, there might be chances of slip between components.

The key ensures the connection transmits the load, power & rotation without slipping and within the accuracy requirement of the design. Without the key the components may slip and this might result in loss of efficiency.

Thank you for reading the article.