Keys and keyways can be simple field hardware, but the final decision depends on the shaft, hub, material, fit, torque history, bending, fatigue, keyseat geometry, OEM data, and guarding requirements. A local worksheet can organize torque, shear, bearing, and key-row questions, but it cannot reproduce the protected ASME B17.1 standard, certify a table row, approve a repair, or authorize work on rotating equipment.
This guide frames shaft/keyway output as source-aware review context. Use it to identify which current standards, drawings, measurements, material records, inspection findings, and qualified reviews are still needed before design, purchase, repair, restart, or maintenance use.
Key Rows Are Source-Boundary Prompts
The app-local key rows are review prompts tied to an ASME B17.1 source pointer. They are not a certified reproduction of the current standard, and they do not include every tolerance, fit class, corner radius, keyseat detail, Woodruff-key condition, or edition-specific requirement.
Use a row match to start the conversation: verify the current standard, the actual drawing, shaft diameter, hub bore, hub length, keyseat condition, cutter size, key stock, retaining method, and OEM instructions. For worn or repaired equipment, measurement and inspection matter more than a generic table row.
Shaft & Keyway Calculator
Size keys and keyways for shafts transmitting torque. Shear and compressive stress checks per ASME B17.1 with standard key size lookup.
Shear and Bearing Prompts
The worksheet keeps separate shear and bearing prompts because both can be useful for review. It uses the local relationships tau_key = 2T / (d x w x L) and sigma_bearing = 4T / (d x h x L), with user-entered material and safety-factor prompts.
Those prompts are not material certification or failure approval. Actual performance depends on shaft and hub material, heat treatment, hardness, fit, fretting, retaining method, shock, reversing duty, lubrication or contamination, key end treatment, hub length, and inspection condition.
Fatigue and Stress Concentration
Keyways remove shaft material and add notch effects. The app does not calculate fatigue strength, notch sensitivity, surface finish factors, shoulders, grooves, bending cycles, critical speed, shaft deflection, or bearing-span effects.
If the shaft sees rotating bending, reversing torque, shock load, high speed, cyclic starts, or a repair weld/machining history, a separate fatigue and stress-concentration review is needed. The source pointers are a starting point, not a fatigue design workflow.
Fits, Tolerances, OEM Data, and Safety
Fit and tolerance choices belong to the current standard, drawing, and manufacturer instructions. Field repairs also need bore condition, keyseat wear, shaft runout, hub cracks, retaining hardware, set screws, corrosion, and prior machining history.
Do not overlook safety. Exposed shafts, couplings, sprockets, sheaves, and keyways can create rotating, nip-point, and thrown-part hazards. Guarding, lockout/tagout, stored energy, test-run controls, and employer procedures must be handled outside the calculator.