Shafts

The shaft is one of the important parts that make up the machine. Its main function is to support the transmission parts (such as gears, worm gears, etc.) for rotary motion and to transmit motion and power. According to the different loading conditions of the shaft, it can be divided into three types: the rotating shaft, the transmission shaft, and the mandrel. The structural design of the shaft includes determining a reasonable shape and all structural dimensions of the shaft. When designing the shaft, it is necessary to make its structure easy to process, measure, disassemble, and maintain, and strive to reduce the amount of labor required and improve labor productivity. The diameter required for each shaft section is related to the magnitude of the load on the shaft. This chapter examines shaft dimension design examples, and discusses the shaft design process from the aspects of force analysis and stress analysis, to increase the reader's understanding of correct shaft dimension design. Examples and solved/unsolved problems for computational shaft design are also presented. This chapter can be used as teaching material for courses in machine design for mechanical, industrial, and materials engineering majors in colleges and universities, and can also be used as a reference for scientific and technical personnel engaged in scientific and engineering calculations.