MEE-3001

Design of Machine Elements

Dr. Benedict Thomas
School of Mechanical Engineering
 Module-VI
Design of Shaft
 Introduction
➢ A transmission shaft usually refers to a rotating machine element,
circular in cross-section, which supports transmission elements like
gears, pulleys and sprockets and transmit power. The shaft may be
hollow or solid.

➢ The shaft is generally acted upon by bending moment, torsion and

axial force. Design of shaft primarily involves in determining
stresses at critical point in the shaft that is arising due to
aforementioned loading.

➢ Other two similar forms of a shaft are axle and spindle.

➢ Axle is a non-rotating member used for supporting rotating wheels
etc. and do not transmit any torque.
➢ Spindle is simply defined as a short shaft. However, design method
remains the same for axle and spindle as that for a shaft.
 Material Used for Shafts
The material used for shafts should have the following properties :
• It should have high strength.
• It should have good machinability.
• It should have low notch sensitivity factor.
• It should have good heat treatment properties.
• It should have high wear resistant properties.
The ferrous, non-ferrous materials and non metals are used as shaft
material depending on the application. Some of the common ferrous
materials used for shaft are discussed below.
Hot-rolled plain carbon steel
These materials are least expensive. Since it is hot rolled, scaling is always
present on the surface and machining is required to make the surface
smooth.
Cold-drawn plain carbon/alloy composition
Smooth finish, Amount of machining is minimal, Better yield strength, widely used for
general purpose transmission shaft.
Alloy steels
▪ Mixture of various elements with the parent steel to improve certain physical
properties.
▪ To retain the total advantage of alloying materials It requires heat treatment of the
machine components after manufacturing.
▪ Nickel, chromium and vanadium are some of the common alloying materials. However,
alloy steel is expensive.
▪ For better strength, alloy steels can be used.
In certain cases the shaft needs to be wear resistant, surface treatment is
carried out. The common types of surface hardening methods are,
Hardening of surface
▪ Case hardening and carburizing
▪ Cyaniding and nitriding
 Stresses in Shafts
The following stresses are induced in the shafts :
➢ Shear stresses due to the transmission of torque
➢ Bending stresses (tensile or compressive) due to the forces acting upon
machine elements like gears, pulleys etc. as well as due to the weight
of the shaft itself.
➢ Stresses due to combined torsional and bending loads.
 Design of Shafts
The shafts are designed on the basis of
1. Strength, and
2. Rigidity or stiffness.

In designing shafts on the basis of strength, the following cases may be

considered :
(a) Shafts subjected to twisting moment or torque only,
(b) Shafts subjected to bending moment only,
(c) Shafts subjected to combined twisting and bending moments, and
(d) Shafts subjected to axial loads in addition to combined torsional and
bending loads.
 Shaft Design on Strength Basis
• Transmission shafts are subjected to axial tensile force, bending moment or
torsional moment or their combinations. Most of the transmission shafts are
subjected to combined bending and torsional moments.
• The design of transmission shaft consists of determining the correct diameter
from strength and rigidity considerations.
• When the shaft is subjected to
Axial Tensile force Pure Bending Pure Torsion
d d
P 4P Mb Mt
t = = Mb y 2 Mtr
 2 d2 b = = = = 2
d I  4 J  4
d d
4 64 32
32 M b 16 M t
b = =
d3 d3

When the shaft is subjected to combination of loads, the

principal stress and principal shear stress can be obtained by
drawing the Mohr’s circle
 Shaft Design on Strength Basis
The principal stress 𝜎1 and principal shear stress 𝜏max is given by
2
x x 
+   + ( ) − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(1)
2
1 =
2  2 
2
 
 max =  x  + ( ) − − − − − − − − − − − − − (2)
2

 2 
Shafts can be designed by using the below mentioned theories of failure:
1. Maximum principal stress theory:
32 M b also, 16 M t Substituting the values in (1) we get:
 x = b =  =
d3 d3
16
 1 = 3  M b + ( M b ) + ( M t )  − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(3)
2 2

 d  

2. Maximum Shear stress theory: Substituting the values in (2) we get:

16
(Mb ) + (Mt )
2 2
 max = − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(4)
d3
S
Permissible value of maximum principal stress is:  1 =
yt

fs
Permissible value of maximum shear stress is: S 0.5S yt
 max = sy =
fs fs
 Shaft Design on Torsional Rigidity Basis
In some applications shafts are designed based on torsional rigidity or lateral
rigidity.

➢ A shaft is said to be rigid on the basis of torsional rigidity, if it does not twist
too much under the action of external torque.
➢ A shaft is said to be rigid on the basis of lateral rigidity, if it does not deflect
too much under the action of external forces and bending moment.

The angle of twist 𝜃𝑟 is given by:

M tl
r = Here,
JG
Converting 𝜃𝑟 from radian to degree (𝜃): 𝜃= angle of twist (deg.)
𝑙 =length of shaft subjected to
180 M t l 
= Here J= d4 twisting moment (mm)
 JG 32
𝑀𝑡 =Torsional moment (N-mm)
Substituting we get 584 M t l G= Modulus of rigidity (N/mm2);
=
Gd 4 d= shaft diameter (mm).
 ASME Code for Shaft Design
➢ According to ASME code, the permissible shear stress 𝜏max for the shaft
without keyways is taken as :
 max = 0.30S yt , or
 max = 0.18Sut (Whichever is minimum)

➢ If keyways are present the above values are to be reduced by 25%.

➢ According to ASME code, the bending and torsional moments are to be
multiplied by factors 𝑘𝑏 and 𝑘𝑡 respectively to account for shock and fatigue
in operating condition.
➢ The ASME code is based on Maximum shear stress theory. Hence we can
rewrite: 16
 max = 3 ( kb M b ) + ( kt M t ) − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(5)
2 2

d
Similarly we can write:
16 k M +  − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(6)
( kb M b ) + ( kt M t )
2 2
1 =
d3  b b 
Where, 𝑘𝑏 = Combined shock and fatigue factor applied to bending moment
𝑘𝑡 = Combined shock and fatigue factor applied to torsional moment
Qu.1. A line shaft supporting two pulleys A and B is shown in figure. Power
is supplied to the shaft by means of a vertical belt on the pulley A,
which is then transmitted to the pulley B carrying a horizontal belt.
The ratio of belt tension on tight and loose side is 3:1. The limiting
value of tension in the belt is 2.7 kN. The shaft is made of plain carbon
steel 40C8 (Sut=650 N/mm2 and Syt=380 N/mm2. The pulleys are keyed
to the shaft. Determine the diameter of the shaft according to ASME
code if kb= 1.5 and kt =1.0.

Answer : d = 42.53 mm
Qu.2. The layout of an intermediate shaft of a gear box supporting two spur
gears B and C is shown in Figure. The shaft is mounted on two
bearings A and D. The pitch circle diameters of gears B and C are 900
600 mm respectively. The material of the shaft is steel FeE (Sut=770
N/mm2 and Syt=580 N/mm2. The factors kb and kt of ASME code are
1.5 and 2.0 respectively. Determine the diameter of the shaft
according to ASME code. Assume that the gears are connected to the
shaft by means of keys.

Answer : d = 68.59 mm
Qu.3. A transmission shaft supporting a spur gear B and the pulley D is shown in
figure. The shaft is mounted on two bearings A and C. The diameter of the
pulley and pitch circle diameter of the gear are 450 mm and 300 mm
respectively. The pulley transmits 20 kW power at 500 rpm to the gear. P1 and
P2 are belt tensions in the tight side and loose sides, while Pt and Pr are
tangential and radial components of gear tooth force. Assume P1 = 3P2 and Pr=
Pt tan(200). The gear and pulley are keyed to shaft. The material of the shaft is
steel 50C4 (Sut=700 N/mm2 and Syt=460 N/mm2. The factors kb and kt of ASME
code are 1.5 each. Determine the diameter of the shaft according to ASME
code.

Answer : d = 48.5 mm
 Problem based on Torsional Rigidity
Qu. 4 Assume the data of Qu. 3 for the transmission shaft given in Fig. For this
shaft, the permissible angle of twist is 3° per metre length. The modulus of
rigidity for the shaft material is 79 300 N/mm2. Calculate:
(i) the permissible angle of twist; and
(ii) the shaft diameter on the basis of torsional rigidity.
Qu.5. A transmission shaft supporting a helical gear B and overhung bevel gear D is
shown in figure. The shaft is mounted on two bearings, A and C. The pitch
circle diameter of the helical gear is 450 mm and the diameter of bevel gear at
the forced is 450 mm. Power is transmitted from the helical gear to bevel gear.
The gears are keyed to the shaft. The material of the shaft is 45C8 (Sut=600
N/mm2 and Syt=380 N/mm2. The factors kb and kt of ASME code are 2.0 and
1.5 respectively. Determine the diameter of the shaft according to ASME code.

Answer : d = 32.95 mm
 Problem based on Torsional Rigidity

Qu. 6 Assume the data of Qu. 4 the transmission shaft given in Example 9.6. For this
shaft, the permissible angle of twist is 0.25° per metre length. The modulus of
rigidity for the shaft material is 79 300 N/mm2. Calculate:
a) the permissible angle of twist between helical and bevel gears; and
b) the shaft diameter on the basis of torsional rigidity.
Compare the results of these two examples and comment on the results.
 Qu.7. The armature shaft of a 40 kW, 720 rpm electric motor, mounted on two
bearings A and B as shown in fig. The total magnetic pull on the armature is
7 kN and it can be assumed to be uniformly distributed over a length of 700
mm midway between the bearings. The shaft is made of steel with an
ultimate tensile strength of 770 N/mm2 and yield strength of 580 N/mm2.
Determine the shaft diameter using the ASME code. If kb=1.5 and kt=1.0.
Assume that the pulley is keyed to the shaft.

Answer : d = 45.13 mm
 Problem

Qu. 7. A transmission shaft is supported on two bearings 450 mm apart is shown in Figure. Two
pulleys C and D are located on the shaft at distances of 100 mm and 300 mm respectively to
the right of the left hand bearing. Power is transmitted from one pulley C to D. The diameter
and weight of pulley C are 200 mm and 600 N and those of pulley D are 300 mm and 750 N
respectively. Ratio of belt tension is 2 for both the pulleys. Power to be transmitted by the
shaft is 25 kW at 300 rpm. The drive from C is vertically downward while from D the drive is
upward at an angle of 450 to the horizontal. The pulleys are keyed to the shaft. The material of
the shaft is 45C8 (Sut=600 N/mm2 and Syt=380 N/mm2). The factors kb and kt of ASME code are
1.5 and 1.2 respectively. Determine the diameter of the shaft according to ASME code.
Also, determine the shaft diameter on the basis of torsional rigidity, if the permissible
angle of twist between the two pulleys is 10 and the modulus of rigidity is 79300 N/mm2.
Diameter d= 68.58 mm

And,
Shaft diameter based on torsional rigidity,
d= 45. 8mm.
 Design of Hollow Shaft on strength basis
Compared with solid shaft, hollow shaft offers following advantages:
1. The stiffness of hollow shaft is more than solid shaft for same weight.
2. The strength of hollow shaft is more than solid shaft for same weight.
3. The natural frequency of of hollow shaft is higher than that of solid shaft for same
weight.
Disadvantages:
1. Hollow shaft is costlier than solid shaft.
2. The diameter of hollow shaft is more than that of solid shaft hence require more space.

The design of hollow shaft consists of determining the correct inner and outer diameters

from strength and rigidity considerations.

di
Let us assume C=
do
Here, 𝑑𝑖 is inner diameter and 𝑑𝑜 is outer diameter of the hollow shaft. The bending and
32 M b
torsional shear stress is given by: b = , and
 d o (1 − C )
3 4
 ( d o4 − di4 ) do  ( d o4 − di4 )
where, I = , y = r = , and J = 16 M t
64 2 32 =
 d o3 (1 − C 4 )
 Design of Hollow Shaft on strength basis
The hollow shaft can be designed on the basis of maximum principal stress theory or

maximum shear stress theory. If the hollow shaft is subjected to combined bending and

torsional moments without any axial forces, applying theories of failure:

1. Maximum Principal stress theory: S yt

1 =
fs
16 M + 
(Mb ) + (Mt )
2 2
1 =
 d o3 (1 − C 4 )  
b

2. Maximum shear stress theory:

0.5S yt
 max =
16 fs
(Mb ) + (Mt )
2 2
 max =
 d o3 (1 − C 4 )

Design of Hollow Shaft on rigidity basis

584 M t l
=
Gd o4 (1 − C 4 )
 Shafts Subjected to Twisting Moment Only
Shaft is subjected to a twisting moment (or torque) only, then the diameter of the shaft
may be obtained by using the torsion equation
Note:
1. The hollow shafts are usually used in marine work. These shafts are stronger per kg of
material and they may be forged on a mandrel, thus making the material more
homogeneous than would be possible for a solid shaft.
When a hollow shaft is to be made equal in strength to a solid shaft, the twisting
moment of both the shafts must be same. In other words, for the same material of both
the shafts,
The twisting moment (T) may be obtained by using the following relation :
We know that the power transmitted (in watts) by the shaft,

In case of belt drives, the twisting moment ( T ) is given by

Find the diameter of a solid steel shaft to transmit 20 kW at 200 r.p.m. The
ultimate shear stress for the steel may be taken as 360 MPa and a factor of
safety as 8. If a hollow shaft is to be used in place of the solid shaft, find the
inside and outside diameter when the ratio of inside to outside diameters is
0.5.
 Shafts Subjected to Bending Moment Only
When the shaft is subjected to a bending moment only, then the maximum stress
(tensile or compressive) is given by the bending equation.
 Shafts Subjected to Combined Twisting
Moment and Bending Moment
Various theories have been suggested to consider the elastic failure of the
materials.
The following two theories are important from the subject point of view :
1. Maximum shear stress theory or Guest's theory. It is used for ductile materials
such as mild steel.
2. Maximum normal stress theory or Rankine’s theory. It is used for brittle materials
such as cast iron.
Let
τ = Shear stress induced due to twisting moment, and
σb = Bending stress (tensile or compressive) due to bending moment.
According to maximum shear stress theory, the maximum shear stress in the shaft,
The equivalent twisting moment may be defined as that twisting moment, which when
acting alone, produces the same shear stress (τ) as the actual twisting moment.

By limiting the maximum shear stress (τmax) equal to the allowable shear stress (τ) for
the material, the equation may be written as
The equivalent bending moment may be defined as that moment which when acting
alone produces the same tensile or compressive stress (σb) as the actual bending
moment.
By limiting the maximum normal stress [σb(max)]equal to the allowable bending stress
(σb), then the equation may be written as
A solid circular shaft is subjected to a bending moment of 3000 N-m and a torque of
10 000 N-m. The shaft is made of 45 C 8 steel having ultimate tensile stress of 700
MPa and a ultimate shear stress of 500 MPa. Assuming a factor of safety as 6,
determine the diameter of the shaft.
A shaft made of mild steel is required to transmit 100 kW at 300 r.p.m. The
supported length of the shaft is 3 metres. It carries two pulleys each weighing 1500
N supported at a distance of 1 metre from the ends respectively. Assuming the safe
value of stress, determine the diameter of the shaft.
A shaft is supported by two bearings placed 1 m apart. A 600 mm diameter
pulley is mounted at a distance of 300 mm to the right of left hand bearing
and this drives a pulley directly below it with the help of belt having
maximum tension of 2.25 kN. Another pulley 400 mm diameter is placed 200
mm to the left of right hand bearing and is driven with the help of electric
motor and belt, which is placed horizontally to the right. The angle of contact
for both the pulleys is 180° and μ = 0.24. Determine the suitable diameter for
a solid shaft, allowing working stress of 63 MPa in tension and 42 MPa in
shear for the material of shaft. Assume that the torque on one pulley is equal
to that on the other pulley.
 Shafts Subjected to Fluctuating Loads
the shafts are subjected to fluctuating torque and bending moments. In order to design
such shafts like line shafts and counter shafts, the combined shock and fatigue factors
must be taken into account for the computed twisting moment (T ) and bending moment
(M ).

Shaft subjected to combined bending and torsion, the equivalent twisting moment,

equivalent bending moment

A solid steel shaft is supported on two bearings 1.8 m apart and rotates at 250
r.p.m. A 20° involute gear D, 300 mm diameter is keyed to the shaft at a distance
of 150 mm to the left on the right hand bearing. Two pulleys B and C are located
on the shaft at distances of 600 mm and 1350 mm respectively to the right of
the left hand bearing. The diameters of the pulleys B and C are 750 mm and 600
mm respectively. 30 kW is supplied to the gear, out of which 18.75 kW is taken
off at the pulley C and 11.25 kW from pulley B. The drive from B is vertically
downward while from C the drive is downward at an angle of 60° to the
horizontal. In both cases the belt tension ratio is 2 and the angle of lap is 180°.
The combined fatigue and shock factors for torsion and bending may be taken as
1.5 and 2 respectively. Design a suitable shaft taking working stress to be 42
MPa in shear and 84 MPa in tension.
Shafts Subjected to Axial Load in addition to
Combined Torsion and Bending Loads
A hollow steel shaft is to transmit 20 kW at 300 r.p.m. The loading is such
that the maximum bending moment is 1000 N-m, the maximum torsional
moment is 500 N-m and axial compressive load is 15 kN. The shaft is
supported on rigid bearings 1.5 m apart. The maximum permissible shear
stress on the shaft is 40 MPa. The inside diameter is 0.8 times the outside
diameter. The load is cyclic in nature and applied with shocks. The values
for the shock factors are Kt = 1.5 and Km = 1.6.
 Design of Shafts on the basis of Rigidity
The torsional rigidity is important in the case of camshaft of an I.C. engine where the
timing of the valves would be effected.
The permissible amount of twist should not exceed 0.25° per metre length of such
shafts. For line shafts or transmission shafts, deflections 2.5 to 3 degree per metre
length may be used as limiting value. The widely used deflection for the shafts is
limited to 1 degree in a length equal to twenty times the diameter of the shaft.

The torsional deflection may be obtained by using the torsion equation,

It is important in case of transmission shafting and shafts running at high speed,
where small lateral deflection would cause huge out-of-balance forces.
The lateral rigidity is also important for maintaining proper bearing clearances and for
correct gear teeth alignment.
If the shaft is of uniform cross-section, then the lateral deflection of a shaft may be
obtained by using the deflection formulae as in Strength of Materials.
But when the shaft is of variable cross-section, then the lateral deflection may be
determined from the fundamental equation for the elastic curve of a beam, i.e.
A steel spindle transmits 4 kW at 800 r.p.m. The angular deflection should not exceed
0.25° per metre of the spindle. If the modulus of rigidity for the material of the spindle
is 84 GPa, find the diameter of the spindle and the shear stress induced in the spindle.