Advantages and disadvantages of spline connections

Spline connection is the development of the number of flat key connections. However, due to differences in structural form and manufacturing process, compared with flat key connections, spline connections have some advantages in strength, process, and usage: 1) because more teeth and grooves are directly and uniformly produced on the shaft and hub hole, the connection is subjected to more uniform force; 2) Due to the shallower groove, the stress concentration at the tooth root is relatively small, and the strength of the shaft and hub is weakened slightly; 3) With a large number of teeth and a large total contact area, it can withstand larger loads; 4) Good alignment between the components on the shaft and the shaft (which is important for high-speed and precision machines); 5) Good directionality (which is important for dynamic connections); 6) Grinding methods can be used to improve machining accuracy and connection quality. Similarly, compared to flat keys, its disadvantage is that: 1) there is still stress concentration at the tooth root (although smaller than flat keys, there is still stress concentration); 2) Sometimes specialized equipment is needed for processing; 3) The cost is relatively high.

In summary, considering the advantages and disadvantages of spline connections, they are suitable for connections with high centering accuracy requirements, heavy loads, or frequent slippage.