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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Machine Elements

Shaft

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/ʃæft/nounCore term

In mechanical engineering, shaft means: A long, round rotating part that carries gears, pulleys or wheels and transmits power and torque from one component to another.

In Turkish: mil, şaft

How it is used

Used in design, machining and maintenance. A shaft is supported by bearings, connected with couplings and has features such as shoulders, keyways and splines. Common phrases: drive shaft, output shaft, shaft diameter.

Example sentences

  1. The output shaft is supported by two deep groove ball bearings.

  2. We found wear marks on the shaft where the seal runs.

Common collocations

  • drive shaft
  • output shaft
  • shaft diameter
  • shaft alignment
  • hollow shaft
  • bearingA machine element that supports a rotating or sliding part, such as a shaft, and reduces friction between the moving surfaces. Ball and roller bearings are the most common types.
  • couplingA device that connects two shafts, for example a motor and a pump, so that torque is transmitted between them. Flexible types also allow a small amount of misalignment.
  • keywayA slot cut along a shaft or inside a hub into which a key fits, so that a gear, pulley or coupling turns together with the shaft.
  • torqueA turning force that makes something rotate around an axis, such as a shaft or a bolt. It equals force times distance and is measured in newton meters (N·m).
  • misalignmentA condition in which two connected shafts, for example of a motor and a pump, do not share the same center line, either because they are offset or because they are at an angle.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Machine Elements

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