TaskJunction

Key & Keyway Design Calculator

Parallel key shear and compressive stress check for shaft-hub connections.

Check a parallel key for shear and bearing (crushing) failure under transmitted torque, and calculate minimum required key length.

Reference: IS 2048 / ANSI B17.1 (typical key proportions)

Key & Keyway Design Calculator

Inputs

Results

Tangential Force on Key
10000.0N
Shear Stress
16.7MPa
Bearing (Crushing) Stress
50.0MPa
FOS — Shear
3.60
FOS — Bearing
2.00
Minimum Required Length
25.0mm

Formula Used

F = 2T/d  |  τ = F/(w·l)  |  σb = F/((h/2)·l)
Standard key width/height proportions typically follow w ≈ d/4, h ≈ d/6 for shaft diameter d. Key material is usually chosen weaker than shaft/hub as a deliberate shear-pin safety feature in some designs.

⚠ For preliminary design and educational use only. Verify all results against applicable codes and standards before use in production or safety-critical applications.

About this calculator

Part of our Mechanical Calculators collection. Beams, bolts, springs, gears, bearings, and core ME calculations.

How it works

Checks parallel key shear stress and bearing/compressive stress for a shaft-hub keyway connection per standard key sizing and allowable stress limits.

Enter your values in the inputs above and click CALCULATE. Results appear on the right without a page reload. No login and no server upload.

Privacy and accuracy

Every calculation runs locally in your browser. Your design data never leaves your device. Results are intended for preliminary engineering work. Always verify critical designs with qualified review and applicable standards before production use.

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