Keyway
Glossary · Part Features
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- Written in the shop
A keyway is a rectangular slot cut into a shaft and its mating hub so that a key can sit in both and transmit torque between them.
In practice
Cut by broaching, slotting, milling or EDM. The key itself is a separate rectangular bar. The slot in the shaft and the slot in the hub have to align and share a size class.
Why it matters
Keyway width, depth and position all affect fit. Too tight and the hub will not go on; too loose and the key hammers itself and the shaft to death under reversing loads.
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