Shafting

Shafting powers the heart of your machines by turning motor output into smooth, dependable motion. Our shafting is built to keep your lines running, your tolerances tight, and your uptime high. Choose it when precision, longevity, and repeatable performance really matter.

What Is Shafting?

Our precision shafting serves as the drive or support element inside linear motion systems, rollers, conveyors, print drums, and rotating assemblies. Every length is manufactured to tight dimensional tolerances, commonly h6 or h8, to reduce runout, improve concentricity, and protect bearing life. The result is stability under load, quieter operation, and smoother acceleration that you can feel in the finished machine.

Precision begins with geometry. Our shafting is produced to keep roundness, straightness, and diameter variation tightly controlled so fits are predictable and assemblies go together without fuss. Consistent tolerances help you achieve the press, transition, or clearance fits your design calls for while minimizing micro-movement that can lead to fretting and early wear.

To complete your build, pair our shafting with the right drive components. A Woodruff Key locks hubs securely on tapered interfaces, a Parallel Key delivers a classic straight key fit for couplings and gears, and a Shaft Nut With Pin Holes provides a positive mechanical lock that resists vibration. Add these companions to create a system that stays aligned and transfers torque with confidence.

Built Around Your Process

Your build should not wait on workaround machining. We offer cut-to-length options for faster installs, plus common end features such as keyways, tapped centers, retaining ring grooves, and pilot diameters. That means fewer setups on your side, simpler alignment during assembly, and a cleaner bill of materials from first article to final run.

Made To Fit Bearings And Couplings

Designing around standard components is easier when the mating parts behave the way drawings promise. Our shafting tolerances support typical bearing seats and coupling bores so your slide fits slide, your press fits press, and your concentricity stays true. The payoff shows up as lower heat at speed, reduced vibration, and more consistent torque transfer over time.

Applications Across Industries

From packaging lines that cycle thousands of starts per shift to CNC transfer systems that demand precise linear travel, our shafting delivers predictable motion. Printers, conveyors, food processing equipment, automated storage systems, and material handling gear all benefit from the same foundation of stiffness, alignment, and balance. If your equipment spins, indexes, or translates, our shafting helps it do so with less drama and less downtime.

FAQs

What is the difference between a rod and a shaft?

A rod is a general term for a straight, round bar that may not be intended to transmit torque or support rotational loads. A shaft is purpose-built for motion and power transmission, with tighter controls on diameter, straightness, runout, and fit so it can carry bearings, couplings, gears, and pulleys without excessive vibration or wear.

What steel is used for shafts?

The steel choice depends on load, speed, environment, and required machinability. Many designs use medium carbon or alloy steels for strength and toughness, while corrosion-sensitive environments may call for stainless grades. The right selection balances hardness, fatigue resistance, and ease of machining so the shaft holds tolerances through its service life.

What are the two types of shafts?

Designers often distinguish between transmission shafts that deliver torque between components and machine shafts that are integral to a specific mechanism. Transmission shafts connect power sources to driven elements, while machine shafts live inside the equipment itself, supporting rollers, gears, or screws as part of the assembly.

How do you maintain shafting to prevent wear?

Keep alignment true, confirm correct bearing fits, and maintain proper lubrication according to the bearing or bushing specification. Inspect for vibration changes or heat at speed, address seal drag, and remove buildup that can throw balance off. Replacing worn keys, checking fastener torque, and keeping couplings within their misalignment ratings will extend shaft and bearing life together.