Drive Shafts

Drive Shafts

Drive shafts are a rotating shaft that transmits power, usually in the form of torque, from an engine or motor to where work is needed. Two drive shafts must be connected by a shaft coupling before power can be transported. The torque power is created through rotary motion, which can be extracted from forced gas or fluid in a turbine, water in a water wheel, or the linear motion of pistons in reciprocating engines. Because they are vulnerable to torsion and shear stress, drive shafts must have enough strength to withstand the stress without imposing too much additional weight to the drive shafts.

Drive shafts provide mechanical power in the form of torque to pieces of rotary equipment. Most automobiles use drive shafts to deliver power from a transmission to the wheels. Manufacturers utilize shaft couplings during the production of rotary equipment, such as power transmissions, generators, pumps, and turbines, in a variety of industries including automotive, oil/gas, aerospace, water/waste treatment, and construction. Engineers mount rotary equipment upon drive shafts. Drive shafts also aid in the correct positioning of equipment and supply equipment with an axis of rotation. Shaft couplings connect the shafts of rotating equipment, allowing greater efficiency during operation. As they are a crucial component of shaft couplings, drive shafts are extremely useful in many applications.

Manufacturers determine the type of drive shafts coupling based on the presence of shaft misalignment. In certain industrial applications, drive shafts remain aligned with one another, in which case rigid shaft couplings remain an effective choice. However, during operation, drive shafts tend to shift, causing misalignment. When drive shaft misalignment is common, manufacturers choose flexible drive shaft couplings.