Heavy-duty Vehicle Drive Shaft

Introduction

A drive shaft consists of a shaft tube, a telescopic sleeve, and a universal joint.

The Drive Shaft is a circular component that connects or assembles various parts, while being capable of moving or rotating. It is generally made of lightweight alloy steel tubes with excellent torsional resistance. For front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles, it is the shaft that transmits the rotation of the transmission to the final drive. It can consist of multiple sections connected by universal joints. As a high-speed rotating body with minimal support, its dynamic balance is crucial. Typically, drive shafts undergo dynamic balance testing before leaving the factory and are adjusted on a balancing machine.

Function

The drive shaft is a key component for transmitting power in a vehicle's drive train. Its function, together with the gearbox and drive axle, is to transfer power from the engine to the wheels, enabling the vehicle to generate driving force.

Applications

Special vehicle drive shafts are mainly used in models such as oil tankers, refueling trucks, sprinkler trucks, sewage suction trucks, fecal suction trucks, fire trucks, high-pressure cleaning trucks, road wreckers, aerial work platforms, and garbage trucks.

Structure

Universal Joint

The universal joint is a critical component of a vehicle's drive shaft. A vehicle is a moving object. In rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the engine, clutch, and transmission are mounted as a single unit on the frame, while the drive axle is connected to the frame via elastic suspension. There is a distance between these two assemblies, which requires a connection. During vehicle operation, uneven road surfaces cause jolting.

Heavy-duty Vehicle Drive Shaft,www.timothyholding.com

1. Function:

A typical universal joint is composed of a cross shaft, cross bearings, and a flange yoke. It is a key component of the vehicle's drive shaft. In front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the universal joint drive shaft is installed between the transmission output shaft and the drive axle final drive input shaft. In front-engine, front-wheel-drive vehicles, the drive shaft is omitted, and universal joints are installed between the front axle half-shafts (which are responsible for both driving and steering) and the wheels. During vehicle operation, uneven road surfaces cause jolting, load changes, or differences in the installation positions of the two assemblies—all of which can alter the angle and distance between the transmission output shaft and the drive axle final drive input shaft. Therefore, a device that "adapts to changes" is needed to solve this problem, leading to the development of the universal joint.

2. Transmission Characteristics:

In front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (or all-wheel-drive) vehicles, suspension deformation during movement causes frequent relative motion between the drive axle final drive input shaft and the transmission (or transfer case) output shaft. Additionally, to avoid certain mechanisms or devices (making linear power transmission impossible), a device is necessary to ensure normal power transmission—hence the emergence of universal joint transmission. Universal joint transmission must meet the following characteristics:

• a. Reliably transmit power when the relative position of the two connected shafts changes within the expected range;

• b. Ensure uniform operation of the two connected shafts. The additional load, vibration, and noise caused by the universal joint angle must be within allowable limits;

• c. High transmission efficiency, long service life, simple structure, easy manufacturing, and convenient maintenance. For vehicles, since the output shaft of a single cross-shaft universal joint rotates at a non-uniform speed relative to the input shaft (when there is a certain angle), a double universal joint (or multi-universal joint) transmission must be used. The two universal joint yokes connected to the same drive shaft should be arranged in the same plane, and the angles of the two universal joints should be equal. This is extremely important. During design, the angle of the universal joint should be minimized as much as possible.

• Telescopic Sleeve

In the traditional drive shaft structure, the spline sleeve is welded to the flange yoke, and the spline shaft is welded to the drive shaft tube. The new-type drive shaft abandons this traditional structure: instead, the spline sleeve is welded integrally with the drive shaft tube, and the spline shaft is made integrally with the flange yoke. Furthermore, the rectangular-tooth spline is replaced with a large-pressure-angle involute short-tooth spline, which not only enhances strength but also facilitates extrusion forming, meeting the requirements of high-torque working conditions. The tooth surfaces of the telescopic sleeve and spline shaft are fully coated with a layer of nylon material, which not only improves wear resistance and self-lubrication but also reduces damage to the drive shaft caused by impact loads and enhances buffering capacity.

This type of drive shaft adds a tubular sealing protective sleeve outside the flange spline shaft. Two polyurethane rubber oil seals are installed at the end of this protective sleeve, creating a fully sealed space inside the telescopic sleeve. This prevents the telescopic spline shaft from being eroded by external sand and dust, providing both dustproof and rustproof protection. Therefore, during assembly, applying lubricating grease once between the spline shaft and the sleeve fully meets the service requirements. There is no need to install an oil nipple for lubrication, reducing maintenance tasks.

Shaft Bushing

Shaft bushings are designed to reduce friction and wear when the shaft moves. Their basic purpose is similar to that of bearings, and they are relatively cheaper. However, they have higher frictional resistance, so they are only used in some components. Most shaft bushings are made of copper, but plastic ones are also available. Shaft bushings are mostly placed between the shaft and the supporting structure, fitting tightly to the supporting structure—only the shaft can rotate on the bushing. When assembling the shaft and shaft bushing, lubricant is added between them to reduce friction during rotation.

Heavy-duty Vehicle Drive Shaft,www.timothyholding.com

Contact Name:August

Mobile Phone:+86-13758897904

E :august@timothyholding.com

Web：www.timothyholding.com

Address：55# Jinshi Road ,Lecheng Industrial Park,Yueqing City,Zhejiang provice,China

 

SWC225/250/285/315-BF Type Cardan Shaft

SWC225/250/285/315/350/390/440/550/620-BF Flange Type Cardan   Shafts

Product Features:

1. Compact and reasonable structure. The SWC type adopts an integral yoke, making operation more reliable.

2. Strong angular compensation capability. The axis deflection angle of the SWC type can reach 15-25 degrees.

3. Stable operation, low noise, simple assembly, disassembly and maintenance, high transmission efficiency. It is suitable for high-power transmission, featuring energy saving, strong load-bearing capacity and high torque.

Product Material:

• Regular material: 35CrMo and 20CrMnTi

• Special customization available according to requirements

Cardan shaft is widely used in rolling mill, punch, straightener, crusher, ship drive, paper making equipment, common machinery, water pump equipment, test bench, and other mechanical applications.

Advantage:
1. Low life-cycle costs and long service life;
2. Increase productivity;
3. Professional and innovative solutions;
4. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and environmental protection;
5. High torque capacity even at large deflection angles;
6. Easy to move and run smoothly;

Contact Name:August

Mobile Phone:+86-13758897904

E :august@timothyholding.com

Web：https://www.timothyholding.com

Address：55# Jinshi Road ,Lecheng Industrial Park,Yueqing City,Zhejiang Province,China

 

China Manufactuer of Cardan Shaft Universal Joint

Cardan Shaft Universal Joint,www.timothyholding.com

China Manufactuer of Cardan Shaft Universal Joint

Performance Characteristics of Cardan Coupling

Cardan coupling is widely used in various industrial fields due to its excellent performance and characteristics. The following are the major performance characteristics of Cardan coupling:

• High torque capacity

• High misalignment tolerance

• Smooth and vibration-free operation

• Low maintenance requirements

• High reliability and long service life

Types and Characteristics of Cardan Coupling

Cardan coupling can be divided into various types based on different classifications. The following are some common types and their characteristics:

• Single joint Cardan coupling: Simple structure, suitable for small angle misalignment

• Double joint Cardan coupling: Complex structure, suitable for large angle misalignment

• Flange Cardan coupling: High torsional stiffness, suitable for high-precision equipment

• Slip Cardan coupling: High misalignment tolerance, suitable for complex working conditions.

  

Advantages of Different Materials for Cardan Coupling

The material of Cardan coupling is an important factor that affects its performance and service life. The following are the advantages of Cardan coupling made of different materials:

• Steel Cardan coupling: High strength and durability, suitable for heavy-duty equipment

• Aluminum Cardan coupling: Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, suitable for high-speed equipment

• Stainless steel Cardan coupling: High corrosion resistance and hygiene, suitable for food and medical equipment

• Titanium Cardan coupling: High temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, suitable for aerospace and military equipment

Contact Name:August

Mobile Phone:+86-13758897904

E :august@timothyholding.com

Web：www.timothyholding.com

Address：55# Jinshi Road ,Lecheng Industrial Park,Yueqing City,Zhejiang provice,China

 

SWC-BH Universal Joint Coupling

SWC-BH Universal Joint Coupling

SWC-BH Universal Joint Coupling

The full name of the SWC-BH universal joint coupling is SWC-BH Type Standard Telescopic Welded Cross-

Shaft Universal Joint Coupling. It is an important component widely used in mechanical shafting of various heavy machinery industries to transmit torque.

The SWC-BH universal joint coupling finds extensive application in industries such as metallurgy, lifting, engineering transportation, mining, petroleum, shipping, coal, rubber, papermaking machinery, and other heavy machinery sectors. Its excellent performance enables it to meet the high requirements for torque transmission in mechanical shafting within these industries.

Main Features

• Large angular compensation capacity: The SWC-BH universal joint shaft has a strong ability to compensate for angles. It can adapt to relative displacements between two shafts caused by various factors, including manufacturing errors, installation errors, and shaft deformation under load. The fold angle of its axis can reach 15°~25°, allowing it to maintain stable transmission performance under various complex working conditions.

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• Compact and reasonable structure: The SWC-BH coupling adopts an integrated yoke design, featuring a compact and rational structure. This not only enhances the reliability of operation but also results in a more compact overall size, facilitating installation and maintenance.

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• High load-bearing capacity: Compared with other types of couplings with the same rotating diameter, the SWC-BH universal joint coupling can transmit greater torque. This enables it to have a wider matching range in mechanical equipment where the rotating diameter is restricted.

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• High transmission efficiency: Its transmission efficiency is as high as 98%~99.8%. When used for high-power transmission, it exhibits significant energy-saving effects, which helps reduce the operating costs of equipment and improve overall economic benefits.

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• Stable operation and low noise: During operation, the SWC-BH universal joint coupling demonstrates excellent stability and low-noise characteristics. This contributes to improving the working environment and reducing the labor intensity of operators.

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• Easy assembly, disassembly, and maintenance: The structural design of this coupling makes assembly, disassembly, and maintenance very convenient. This helps lower the maintenance costs of equipment and extend its reliability and service life.

Supplementary Note on Key Terms

• Telescopic welded type: A design where the coupling can adjust its length (telescopic) to accommodate axial displacements, and the yoke or other components are connected by welding for enhanced structural rigidity.

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• Angular compensation capacity: The coupling’s ability to adapt to misalignment between two connected shafts (i.e., the "fold angle" between axes) while maintaining normal torque transmission.

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• Rotating diameter: The maximum outer diameter of the coupling’s rotating components, a critical parameter for matching with equipment where installation space is limited.

Contact Name:August

Mobile Phone:+86-13758897904

E :august@timothyholding.com

Web：www.timothyholding.com

Address：55# Jinshi Road ,Lecheng Industrial Park,Yueqing City,Zhejiang Province,China