Tom Bishop, P.E.
EASA Technical Support Specialist
Couplings (see Figure 1) for connecting shafts can be placed in two categories: keyed and keyless. Similarly, the fits of couplings to shafts can be categorized as clearance or interference. A keyless coupling arrangement will always have an interference fit, while a keyed arrangement may have either a clearance or an interference fit. This article will focus on determining when to use a clearance or an interference fit, and how to obtain the tolerances for the resulting fit. Since we are dealing with existing shafts and couplings, the category of keyed or keyless has already been established and will not be considered.
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