For engineers who already know the math—but still lose projects. For the last few years, I’ve been sharing technical guides here on Mechanical Design Handbook —how to size a motor, how to calculate fits, and (as you recently read) how to choose between timing belts and ball screws. But after 25 years in industrial automation, I realized something uncomfortable: Projects rarely fail because the math was wrong. They fail because: The client changed the scope three times in one week. A critical vendor lied about a shipping date (and no one verified it). The installation technician couldn’t fit a wrench into the gap we designed. University taught us the physics. It didn’t teach us the reality. That gap is why I wrote my new book, The Sheet Mechanic . This is not a textbook. It is a field manual for the messy, political, and chaotic space between the CAD model and the factory floor. It captures the systems I’ve used to survive industrial projec...
Figure 1: Keyless bushings eliminate keys and keyways, providing a zero-backlash interference fit for precision motion control. The Evolution of Shaft Connections In the world of Precision Power Transmission and Motion Control , the connection between the shaft and the hub is often the weakest link. While traditional methods like keyed shafts have served the industry for centuries, modern high-speed and high-torque applications require a superior solution. This guide explores the engineering advantages of Keyless Bushings (such as those from Fenner Drives, Ringfeder, or Tollok) and why they are rapidly replacing traditional interference fits and keyed connections in automation and robotics. Search for Keyless Locking Assemblies Advertisement The Hidden Costs of Traditional Methods 1. Keys, Keyways, and Splines The industry standard for decades, the keyway is simple but flawed. Figure 2: The "Notch Effect....