Selecting a shaft collar for your rotating machinery is about more than just the right fit; the proper collar will enhance the performance and longevity of your equipment. With the wide variety of shaft collars on the market, each with its own unique features, benefits, and applications, it’s important to understand what sets them apart.
In this guide, we’ll help you gain an understanding of the differences between set screw, one-piece, two-piece, and hinge shaft collars, focusing on aspects like axial holding power, price, installation, accessibility, and maintenance requirements.
Mountable shaft collars are used in many food processing, conveying, and heavy equipment applications. They attach to shafts, rods, pipes, tubes, or cylinders to position and secure components, help align moving parts, and guide or restrict movement within assemblies.
Mountable shaft collars fit around shafts of different diameters and shapes including round, threaded, hexagonal, and square. Collars are secured to shafts with clamp screws and come in hinged and one- or two-piece configurations. They can also be mounted to plates, brackets, bearings, or equipment to secure the collar as part of an assembly. Collars can be made of a variety of materials including steel, stainless steels, aluminum, and plastic. All of these options make them versatile for applications including power transmission and motor components, gear assemblies, bearings, and more.
Here, we’ll look at different types of shaft collars, how they work, and several options for customization.
Selecting the Best Type of Mountable Shaft Collar for Your Application
Mountable shaft collars come in a range of materials, bore sizes and shapes, and mounting options to meet the requirements of many applications.
Most mounting collars are secured around a shaft, cylinder, pipe, or tube with a clamp screw located on the outer diameter of the collar. The clamp screw provides excellent holding power against axial rotation and does not damage the shaft, which can be a risk with set screw collars.
Collars can be used on a shaft alone, mounted to a flat surface, stacked or mounted to other collars, or welded to other components.
Three of the most common configurations are described below:
Drilled/Threaded Face Holes: These collars feature two tapped and threaded mounting holes through the face of the collar to ensure a secure interface between components like plates, pulleys, bearings, or sprockets. They are easily mounted, allowing flexibility for a variety of applications.
Outer Diameter (OD) Flats and Holes: These feature flattened portions at the top and bottom of the outer diameter of the collar. Vertical tapped holes are centered in each flat portion and can be used with different types of screws to secure the collar around a shaft, cylinder, or pipe, or to stop it from moving. These collars can be used in traditional shaft mounting applications for guiding, positioning, or stopping rotation of a shaft, and they can be mounted to each other, to a base plate, or welded to components.
Quick Clamping/Quick Adjust: These standard mountable shaft collars have the additional advantage of a quick adjust mechanism. They are a good choice for applications that require frequent tension adjustments or repositioning of tools, fixtures, and equipment without the hassle of finding the correct wrench or other tool.
Our Mountable Shaft Collars
Stafford Manufacturing offers a full line of mountable shaft collars to suit every application. Collar design, material, and finishing choices can be customized to meet your specific requirements.
Our full product line includes round, threaded, square, and hex bore collars; rigid shaft couplings to connect two shafts and transfer rotary motion; flanged or other collar designs; remachinable collars and couplings; and tools and accessories for retrofitting and maintenance.
Our mountable shaft collar options include the following:
Stafford Manufacturing has over four decades of experience in Mounting Shaft Collar manufacturing. We carry over 4,000 standard products, with many in stock for same-day shipping. Our Solution Series of products includes more than 1,000 specialty mechanical products you won’t find from any other manufacturer.
Our team also has the expertise to create custom collars, with end-to-end support including in-house CAD design and engineering. Facility certifications include ASA, ASME, ANSI B18.3, ISO 9001:2015, REACH, and RoHS.
Contact Our Experts for Premium Shaft Mounting Collar Solutions
Stafford Manufacturing leads the industry in quality, service, selection, and value. Please contact us or request a quote to discuss your shaft mounting collar application.
Few mechanical components are as versatile and widely used as shaft collars. These seemingly simple devices are vital across a multitude of applications and industries, ensuring the smooth operation of machinery, enhancing safety, and contributing to precision in numerous applications. Let’s take a closer look at common collar shaft uses and explore their significance in different sectors.
Common Uses for Shaft Collars
Shaft collars are specialized one- or two-piece components that fit over a shaft, rod, tube, cylinder, or pipe. A clamp screw on the outer diameter of the collar provides radial holding power to prevent the collar from moving out of position. For certain applications, some shaft collar varieties allow for quick adjustment during operation. Collars can be used individually, mounted to a flat surface, stacked with or mounted to additional collars, or welded to other components.
These indispensable devices ensure the stability, control, and safety of mechanical systems across many different applications, such as:
Shaft positioning: Shaft collars restrict radial and axial movement to ensure mechanical integrity in equipment.
Bearing retention: Shaft collars eliminate axial creep so bearings and other rotating parts stay properly aligned.
Sprocket or pulley mounting: Shaft collars secure rotating components to maintain their placement and aid torque transfer.
Shaft identification: Collars can be used as visual markers to quickly distinguish shafts from each other or as reference points for adjustments, measurements, or maintenance.
Clamping and locking: Shaft collars can secure handles, levers, or knobs that are subject to vibration or operational stress.
Safety stop devices: Shaft collars limit the range of motion of machinery parts to stay within safe operating parameters, including gradual movement due to vibration or heavy use.
Axial force distribution: Shaft collars act as thrust bearings and distribute axial forces to reduce wear on bearings, shafts, and other components exposed to axial loads.
Spacer devices or spacer positioning: Shaft collars can serve as spacers, maintaining precise distances between components.
Industry-Specific Applications
Shaft collars are beneficial for many types of machinery and mechanical systems that are commonly used in different industries. The following are some of the many industries that use equipment containing shaft collars:
Manufacturing and Robotics: Shaft collars are used in various types of manufacturing and robotics equipment, including conveyor systems, robotic arms, and CNC machines.
Heavy Machinery & Aerospace. Shaft collars help to align and guide the proper movement of shaft components in engines, aircraft control systems, and drivetrain assemblies.
Agricultural Machinery: Shaft collars enhance efficiency and safe operation in irrigation systems, tractors, harvesters, and other heavy farm machinery.
Other Industries: Shaft collars are also heavily used in the mining, military and defense, food and beverage, laboratory/research, marine, medical, oil and gas, optical, power transmission, and retail industries.
Stafford, Your Trusted Shaft Collar Manufacturer
With over five decades of experience, Stafford Manufacturing is a leader among shaft collar manufacturers and distributors. We provide standard and custom collars to fit every need with options for design, material, and finishing. Bore holes are available in many sizes in round, threaded, square, and hex shapes. We also supply rigid shaft couplings and flanged or other collar designs.
Our custom manufacturing capabilities include CAD design and engineering based on your requirements. Shaft collar assemblies and component parts meet ASA/ASME/ANSI B18.3, RoHS, and REACH standards and we are ISO: 9001:2015 certified.
Contact us or request a quote today to discuss how we can support your projects with quality shaft collar solutions.
Nearly every industry, from food and beverages to conveying and medical, makes use of shaft collars. These vital components serve in positioning and alignment roles, keeping other components and equipment located and spaced properly along shafts for safety and performance.
Processes requiring frequent adjustments to shaft collars can experience wasteful downtime and reduced productivity while changes are made. Quick-adjust and quick-release products mitigate these issues by offering rapid precision assembly and adjustment capabilities without additional tools.
Why and When to Choose Quick Adjust Products for Your Industrial Application?
Quick-adjust and quick-release products are designed to make assembly, disassembly, and adjusting clamps and collars more efficient without losses in precision, versatility, performance, or quality. They are ideal solutions for applications where repeated position changes are needed. By streamlining the installation and adjustment of shaft collars and clamps, manufacturers can improve productivity, quality, and ease of operations for shorter lead times and greater efficiency.
Benefits of Quick-Adjust Products in Manufacturing
Traditional shaft collars are effective in many applications, but they can be challenging in manufacturing operations where numerous or precise adjustments are required. Choosing quick-adjust products can improve many aspects of manufacturing processes in these situations, resulting in more versatility, greater productivity, and benefits across many areas of production while meeting deadlines and budget requirements.
Time and Cost Savings
Decreased downtime, which results in faster production and lowered costs, is one of the most rapidly realized benefits of using quick-release collars. Our quick-adjust and quick-release products are designed for precision adjustments, one-handed modifications, and non-damaging gripping power, making location changes as fast and easy as possible.
Increased Flexibility
Multiple features of our quick-release clamp collars and related quick-adjust products enable equipment operators to make changes more efficiently, including:
Levers and clamps for rapid positioning and repositioning without tools
Strong, evenly distributed holding power that is easily adjusted with great precision
User-friendly components for simplified adjustments to meet changing design and process configurations and requirements
Enhanced Productivity
By freeing workers from time-consuming equipment adjustments and reducing downtime, both production and setup times are shortened, leading to greater productivity. When manufacturing and labor time and expenses are reduced, valuable resources can also be reassigned to other aspects and areas of production.
Ergonomic Advantages
Quick-adjust and quick-release products are fast and easy to mount and adjust, taking advantage of simple levers and easy-to-grip handles. Many adjustments can be made without additional tools as simple, single-handed actions. Requiring less time and effort to make equipment modifications helps to create safer, more comfortable working conditions for machine operators.
Premium Quick-Adjust Products from Stafford Manufacturing
Our quick-adjust product line encompasses a variety of products designed to make equipment adjustments fast and easy. It includes:
Clamp-on Wrenches: One- and two-piece aluminum split clamps with knurled edges for easily turning shafts, hex nuts, or pipes of varying sizes.
Grip & Go Quick Release Handles: Standard, metric, and high-torque, knurled handles for making swift adjustments on parts and equipment, so that a single, versatile tool replaces a wrench and clamp screw.
Python™ Quick Adjust Products: Powerful, lever-based clamps with thumbscrew tensioning for rapid adjustments, available with round bores as standard and square, hex, threaded, and metric bores available on request.
Wrenching Collars: Firm clamping power with exterior wrenching flats for achieving needed adjustments and torque without damaging rods or pipes, available in two-piece and hinged styles.
Contact Our Experts for Quick-Adjust Collars, and Other Solutions
At Stafford Manufacturing, we have decades of experience fabricating and innovating our extensive lines of specialty components to streamline and improve processes and productivity for industries and manufacturers across the globe. Thousands of in-stock shaft collars, couplings, clamps, and related components with custom capabilities position us as an industry leader in solving problems for linear motion, assembly, automation, and other mechanical applications.
Our new Quick Adjust line will optimize your operational efficiency with user-friendly shaft collars, specially designed for easy one-handed installation and quicker, more convenient adjustments. The Python™ Quick Adjust Line redesigns the standard flange collar to make it easier to install and adjust as needed.
Stafford specializes in developing innovative products built for lasting performance in fast-paced environments, and our premium quick-adjust products are used across a variety of industries. Learn more about our new Python™ Quick Adjust Line and the two collars in this evolving product line.
Introducing the New Python™ Quick Adjust Line
Shaft collars frequently need repositioning and changes, but conventional shaft collars can’t keep pace with busy facilities that have strict up-time schedules. When the hardware needs to be disassembled, moved, and reassembled, that cuts into valuable operational hours. The Python™ Quick Adjust Line from Stafford incorporates quick-adjust technology so your technicians can make fast changes. These collars can be adjusted with one hand and minimal disruption so you can maintain quality standards, adjust hardware to meet changing needs, or make repairs. They also require no tools, further simplifying the task.
Take a closer look at our two Python™ collars: the Python™ Flange Mounting Collar and Python™ Flange Collar. Operators can quickly adjust the tension and positioning of either collar with a single hand or set up stops for even easier use. The collar is easy to adjust and withstands axial loads of up to 200 pounds, making it a good fit for linear systems. Python™ collars are available in different styles based on:
Material: Standard is aluminum, with steel & stainless available on request.
Bore shape: Round bore is standard; square, hexagon, and threaded bores on request.
Sizes: Imperial and metric size variations are available
Some of the key advantages quick-adjust components offer include faster adjustments and easier handling, but the benefits go even deeper. By simplifying small adjustments, technicians can more easily fine-tune the performance of the entire system, increasing performance and versatility. Manufacturers can use quick-adjust collars to produce controlled variations, ensure standard production quality, and operate as efficiently as possible with minimal downtime.
Python™ Flange Mounting Collar
This mounting collar gets its signature adjustability from its Flip-Lok clamping lever that operators can use to adjust the collar with no tools. Once the level is engaged, technicians can adjust and reclamp the collar without needing a wrench. Every collar has a six-hole bolt pattern so it can be mounted on virtually any system with linear RPM rotational power.
This collar has a split hub flange design for easy installation. Because of the split design, it can accommodate a variety of shaft sizes. The collar itself does not have mounting hardware but can be used as a mounting surface for other hardware. Manufacturers can use this collar in linear rotary motion applications such as managing paper rolls, handling laboratory equipment, and bagging or packaging. The flange collar comes in a range of sizes from 3/8″ to 1-1/4″ in both imperial and metric. Its Flip-Lok Quick Release Clamp makes it easy to reposition the collar, clamp it tightly in position, and ensure it’s properly set up for a variety of manufacturing applications.
Contact Our Experts for Premium Quick Adjust Products
Investing in easily adjustable collars and hardware makes it simpler than ever to fine-tune your facility’s manufacturing and processing systems so you can optimize for quality and performance without compromising on speed and efficiency.
At Stafford Manufacturing, we design and develop quick-adjust products and a diverse catalog of shaft collars, coupling, and adapters for virtually every manufacturing application, and we’ve been serving our clients with high-quality products for nearly 50 years. Reach out today to learn more about our new Python™ Quick Adjust Line.
When you need to make frequent alterations to the positioning of shaft collars, incorporating quick adjust products allows for faster assembly, disassembly, and adjustment of components for optimal convenience. At Stafford Manufacturing Corp., we deliver a variety of quick adjust products to help simplify and speed up any rapid-change applications. Our quick adjust line includes wrenching collars, clamp-on wrenches, and Grip & Go™ Quick Release products as well as our new Python™ Line Stop Collar and Flange Mount Collar. Read on to learn more about these offerings and their benefits.
What Does Quick Adjust Mean?
Quick adjust is a category of products often related to maintenance and repair tools but can be used in any situation where there is a need for rapid or frequent changes in location. These products allow for quick, simple repositioning of collars on a shaft to fine-tune system performance or adjust a component to reflect changes in its environment. Using quick adjust products allows adjustment with minimal or no tools, preventing time lost searching for the right wrench.
Wrenching Collars
A wrenching collar is a shaft collar variety that has wrenching flats, enabling users to quickly and easily use a standard open-end wrench to make adjustments to the part placement. Stafford offers two-piece split and hinge-style wrenching collars in the following types:
The hinge-style collars utilize a captive screw to facilitate installation. Available in bore sizes ranging from 1/4 inch to as large as 1 1/2 inch, our wrenching collars have wrenching flats on their outer diameter (OD) for compatibility with standard open-end wrenches.
Clamp-On Wrenches
These adjustable wrench collars offer high versatility and ease of use, quickly clamping around a standard pipe, a shaft, or a hex nut. Tightened with a twist of the wrist, these knurled collars form a strong hold that’s still easily adjustable for your application and positioning needs. They are simple to grip and manually turn to secure, but still allow for conventional wrenches when high torquing is required.
Made of anodized aluminum to give them a finish that’s both durable and aesthetically pleasing, Stafford’s selection of clamp-on wrenches includes:
Stafford’s Grip & Go Quick Release line consists of multiple handle options for convenient, rapid linear adjustments. A single Grip & Go Handle replaces a clamp screw and a wrench. The product line is advantageous for its:
Fast repositioning capabilities. With Grip & Go Quick Release products, you’ll use the product handles rather than a wrench to easily make clamping collar adjustments, enabling rapid linear repositioning along the shaft as often as necessary.
Diversity. This product line offers high versatility in positioning capabilities and applications in a variety of material options. Grip & Go Quick Release handles are ideal for tasks such as adjusting for table height or stroke length, enabling linear alterations to feed components, or holding test instruments. They’re available in aluminum, steel, and stainless steel.
Simplified design. Utilizing a single-handle design for faster modifications, these products also eliminate the need for a separate standard wrench and clamp screw.
Easy-to-grip handles. The knurled grip along the OD ensures a firm grasp for fast adjustments without slippage, even in the presence of oil and related substances.
Metric thread and high torque product varieties. Both metric thread and high torque versions of our products are available in the Grip & Go Quick Release line, each uniquely tailored to meet your application’s requirements. The metric thread variety is compatible with metric clamp-style shaft collars and comes in a variety of thread sizes. The handle of the high torque version has both a hole for a screwdriver shaft or rod to increase tightening force and wrench flats for tightening with a standard wrench.
Examples from the Grip & Go Quick Release product line include:
The Python™ Flange Mounting Collar utilizes a lever-operated clamp featuring a thumbscrew tension nut to quickly make manual adjustments to collar positioning without requiring tools. It consists of black-anodized aluminum – and stainless steel or steel, upon request – and is designed with a keyway and six-hole bolt pattern. While it allows for fast alterations, it delivers a tight clamp able to withstand up to 200 lbs. of axial load. Its applications include:
Fast repositioning without tools
Setting stops
Driving rotating parts at low and linear RPMs
These quick adjust collars are available in square, hexagon, and threaded bores and come in an array of sizes based on imperial or metric measurements. Stafford also offers the Python™ Shaft Collar, a similar flange collar but with a split hub.
Choose Stafford Manufacturing for Quick Adjust Products
Quick adjust products from Stafford allow frequent linear adjustments quickly and easily while maintaining a secure hold. We offer high-performance, problem-solving components and custom capabilities to ensure you receive the right shaft collar, coupling, clamp, or related precision product for the job.
Contact us to purchase any of our quick adjust maintenance, repair, retrofit, and accessory products, or request a quote today.
Stafford Manufacturing produces high-quality rigid shaft couplings, clamping shaft collars, and specialty components with experience dating back half a century.Stafford’s Accu-Clamp ™ products feature both a non-clamping section and a clamping section. The non-clamping section consists of a rigid bore capable of maintaining shape during use without flexing or distorting. The cantilevered clamping section offers flexible, proportionally distributed, non-marring holding power.
Our patented Accu-Clamp ™ products take the benefits of clamping collars to the next level. They feature a unique construction, offering several functional advantages not possible with standard clamping collars. The close-tolerance, highly precise design of these products makes them suitable for a diverse range of applications.
Benefits of the Accu-Clamp™ Precision Product Line
The Accu-Clamp ™ design contains a non-clamping section and a clamping section and is available on a wide range of Stafford catalog items as well as specialty parts designed to a customer’s unique needs .
Featuring a unique construction, Stafford’s Accu-Clamp ™ products have a precision machined face that is flat to the shaft within 0.001 TIR. They feature a slotless design, allowing for an uninterrupted outside diameter surface that can be machined, knurled, or profiled to meet the demands of any application. The slotless design also means that the face offers a full 360° surface that can be hardened, ground, flanged, or machined to meet various mounting and tolerance requirements or to be outfitted with features such as:
Springs
Mounting holes
Slotted mounting holes
Dowel pins
O-ring grooves for sealing
Sensor holes
Face cams
Accu-Clamp™ Precision Product Line
One-Piece and Two-Piece Split ACCU-CLAMP™ Collars
Accu-Clamp™ Collars combine a non-marring clamp with a solid working face that is either fully machineable or hardened and ground. The machineable Accu-Clamp™ Collar can be used as is, or modified by drilling, tapping, threading, turning, knurling, etc. The precision machined face of the clamp is flat to the shaft within 0.001 TIR and has a slotless design, providing a full 360° surface that can be knurled, profiled, or machined to meet various mounting and tolerance requirements. The hardened and ground Accu-Clamp™ Collar provides an ultra-precise bearing surface for applications that require extreme squareness and flatness.
The one-piece split version is ideal when the user has access to the shaft end. The two-piece split version can be completely disassembled and placed anywhere on a shaft and does not require access to the shaft-end.
ACCU-CLAMP™ Threaded Split Shaft Collars
ACCU-CLAMP™ Threaded Shaft Collars are available in one-piece and two-piece designs to provide a square and rigid method for mounting components on a UNF/UNC threaded shaft. The one-piece design is suitable for applications where there is access to the shaft end. The unique clamp design distributes holding power evenly for superior performance. The two-piece split shaft collar features a clamp-style design that enables easy installation and adjustment without disassembling the shaft.
The Accu-Clamp™ Threaded Collar combines a non-marring clamp with a solid working face that is fully machineable. It can be used as is, or modified by drilling, tapping, threading, turning, knurling, etc.
ACCU-MOUNT™ Collars
The Accu-Mount™ Collar features one solid, square and flat side, with four component mounting holes, along with a centering hub, and a second side that securely clamps to a shaft. Providing a square and rigid method for mounting sprockets, gears, pulleys, lever arms, and related components, they prevent slippage or wobble and can be easily repositioned on the shaft.
ACCU-FLANGE™ Shaft Mounting Collar and ACCU-FLANGE™ Shaft Collars (English and Metric)
Accu-Flange™ Mounting Collar is a machineable flange collar that can be configured by the user to perform a wide range of applications such as a pulley, cam, or component mounting device. Featuring an integral clamp incorporating a double-split design and relief groove, this clamping flange collar retains its perpendicularity, will not mar expensive shafts, and is easy to adjust. A standard keyway, along with through holes and three tapped holes are incorporated into the design.
The user-machineable Accu-Flange™ Shaft Collar also lets designers rapidly develop a custom solution from a standard product line and then order parts machined to specification in production quantities if required. The flange has no holes and allows users to make their own hole patterns if mounting is required
One-Piece and Two-Piece Split Precision Sleeve Couplings with Keyways (English or Metric)
Stafford’s exclusive Precision Sleeve Coupling features a solid center section that provides a close tolerance fit on ground shafting, includes a keyway, and the Accu-Clamp™ design which incorporates integral self-centering clamping collars at both ends. They are available in one-and two-piece styles in both English and Metric versions.
To assure precise shaft alignment, it maintains <.001″ TIR concentricity while in use and ensures that the shafts can be mated with zero backlash . It is precision machined, non-marring, easy to adjust, with high clamping power.
Two-Piece Split Precision Sleeve Hex Bore and Square Bore Couplings
Stafford’s Two-Piece Split Precision Sleeve Hex Bore and Square Bore Couplings are designed to provide accurate and reliable transmission of torque between shafts. They feature a solid center section that provides a close tolerance fit on ground shafting, and the Accu-Clamp™ design which incorporates integral self-centering clamping collars at both ends. These couplings feature a two-piece split design, which facilitates easy installation and removal without disturbing the shaft or other components. They are available with both hex bore and square bore configurations to suit your particular shaft requirements. They maintain <.001″ TIR concentricity while in use, ensuring precise shaft alignment and zero backlash.
Precision Sleeve Flange Couplings
The Precision Sleeve Flange coupling allows for mounting components such as gears, motors, brake assemblies etc. to the coupling. The flange includes three through holes and three tapped holes.
It features a solid center section that provides a close tolerance fit on ground shafting, includes a keyway, and the Accu-Clamp™ design which incorporates integral self-centering clamping collars at both ends.
To assure precise shaft alignment, it maintains <.001 TIR concentricity while in use. It is precision machined, non-marring, easy to adjust, with high clamping power.
Flange Adapter Rings
Designed as an add-on component for the Accu-Flange™ Collars and Precision Sleeve Flange Couplings, the adapter rings extend the outer diameter of the flange on the product. Excellent for adding a mounting flange to a pre-existing collar or coupling.
Available Customizations
Custom solutions, such as modified standard products, offer quick and affordable resolutions to unique problems. Typical modifications can include, but are not limited to:
Collar Face Modifications: holes (including through, blind, tapped, counterbored, and more), slots, hubs, and ‘O’ ring grooves
Modified Outside Diameters: knurling, cam surfaces, flats for mounting or wrenching, notches, pulley grooves, holes
Custom Configurations for Shaft-Extender Shat Ends: adding pins, tabs, buttons, bumpers, and balancing
Fully Customized Product Designs: extra heavy duty, extra-large shafts, instrument styles, miniature sizes, multi-screw set collars, mounting features, balancing, hinged flange clamps, and more
3D Prototype and Printed Products
Composite Parts and Molded Urethane
Special Hardware: nut and bolt combos, integral tightening handle, non-standard screws, pins, bumpers, springs, and more
Special Requests are welcome and handled with expert care. Materials, treatments, holes, slots, and more can be modified easily for customer’s unique needs. Surface treatments, hardening, laser etching, plating, painting, anodizing, passivating, case hardening, and special materials that can be thru-hardened are all available options with Stafford.
Precise Clamping Shaft Collars and Rigid Shaft Couplings by Stafford Manufacturing
For high-quality clamping shaft collars and rigid couplings of all varieties, our experts at Stafford Manufacturing have the knowledge and equipment to find a solution to your needs quickly.Contact us to order standardcatalog coupling or collaring products.Request a quote for custom products, full designs, and machining needs.
Shaft collars attach to shafts and other pieces of hardware to affix components in place. They can grip bearings in the right position, act as mechanical stops to halt rotary motion along the shaft, and ensure internal components don’t shift into misalignment. Because these components are so versatile, they come in a wide range of options for different industrial and commercial applications.
At Stafford, our experienced team of engineers specializes in creating sturdy, high-performance shaft collars for virtually any configuration. Learn more about the six most common types of shaft collars and their role in food processing, conveyance systems, and heavy-duty machinery.
Types of Shaft Collars
Depending on your machinery setup and your mounting needs, there are multiple different shaft collars available. These different varieties are classified based on how accessible the shaft is and the axial hold required. Clamp shaft collars, for example, clamp onto the shaft instead of requiring a set-screw for attaching to the shaft. Some of the most popular options include balanced, hinged, set screw, single split, double split, and threaded shaft collars. Take a deeper look at the different options:
Set Screw Shaft Collars: This collar is solid. It doesn’t have any relief cuts, and it doesn’t split into different sections. Instead, the set screw shaft collar is put into position and then affixed to the shaft by a tightened set screw that runs from the outer to the inner diameter of the collar.
Single Split Shaft Collars: This type of collar has one slot opening that allows for sliding the collar onto the shaft and then clamping it down. The slot can be opened and closed with a hex screw. The advantage of this model is that it’s easy to install, however, it doesn’t have the same uniform gripping strength as two-piece clamping collars and cannot be used where the shaft end is inaccessible.
Double Split Shaft Collars: These two-piece collars have two halves that are joined together by two socket cap screws. This allows for easy installation, as they can be installed either axially or radially. They also have a more uniform distribution of holding power than one-piece split collars.
Threaded Shaft Collars: These collars have an internally threaded clamp so they can be installed over a matching threaded shaft. Not only do the threads ensure the placement is exactly right, but the shaft is designed for supporting heavy axial loads. Threaded shaft collars are available in both single-split and double-split varieties.
Balanced Collars: Balanced collars are built to reduce vibration and shaking on a spinning shaft. They also help ensure an even distribution of the load weight. They feature a design similar to a double-split shaft collar, but the attaching screws sit opposite each other to provide even distribution.
Hinged Collars: Hinged collars have a triple-link hinge and a captive clamping mechanism. This allows the collar to open easily, be positioned and then clamped shut. As a self-contained unit, there is never a risk of loose screws.
Each of these shaft collars can play a critical role in the integrity of your equipment or facility systems.
Food Processing
In food processing systems, shaft collars can help at every stage of production and packaging. Shaft collars can help ensure consistent spacing between moving and weight-bearing elements, including supporting weight-bearing components and ensuring gears stay in the correct alignment during operation. Some key applications include:
Guiding and stopping parts
Mounting, aligning, and spacing components
At Stafford Manufacturing, we construct all of our shaft collars with a smooth, burr-free finish that mitigates the risk of buildup and bacteria. Our collars are available in several types of stainless steel, making them ideal for situations requiring corrosion resistance or the ability to withstand frequent washdowns.
Affordable Cost
Wide Variety of Materials
Mounting Capabilities
Variety of Styles to Suit your Needs
Alignment Capabilities
Easy Assembly
Conveying
Shaft collars are common in conveyor systems because they ensure all of the moving parts stay in alignment and can handle the weight of different loads. One common application of shaft collars in conveying is to keep the rollers consistently placed and aligned. Shaft collars from Stafford are built with sturdy, long-lasting materials that comply with today’s construction and industrial regulations.
Heavy-Duty Machinery
Heavy-duty machinery, like cranes and bulk industrial equipment, needs large, heavy-duty shaft collars that can ensure adequate weight-bearing capabilities. Collars from Stafford are built to secure shafts and axles, support weight, and stop movement as needed for smooth system operation.
Learn More About Shaft Collars From Stafford
The team at Stafford Manufacturing is here to help provide the right shaft collars for any application, from food processing centers that need to tightly control the risk of contamination to paper and pulp facilities that manage heavy loads.Contact us today to learn more orrequest a quote to start your order.
Stafford Manufacturing Corp. designs and manufactures rigid couplings, shaft collars, and specialty mechanical parts used in automation, power transmission, motion control, and other OEM and MRO applications. We have collars and couplings available in square, threaded, hexagonal, keyed, and round bore configurations. In addition, we can add drive slots, press-fits, pulleys, or other special parts to meet your needs.
Here you’ll learn about each of these bore options and how to decide on the ideal shaft collar or coupling for your application.
Types of Collar and Coupling Bore Configurations
Shaft collars and rigid couplings are machine components that slide over a shaft and lock into place with either set-screws or with clamping screws. They have three primary functions:
Holding components in place
Creating a connection between a shaft and another component
Positioning or locating parts along a shaft
Manufacturers supply variations of collars and couplings in different sizes, designs, and materials to fit a wide range of applications. Some of the common shaft collar bore configurations include:
Round
Threaded
Square
Hex
Keyed
Round Bores
As one of the most popular bore configurations, round shaft collars and couplings are used in various power transmission, motion control, and mounting applications. Serving as locators, spacers, bearing faces, or stops, they are most often used on shafts, tubing, pipes, and split hubs.
Round bore configurations are found in the following products:
Threaded shaft collars have a threaded interior that matches with certain threaded shafts. These provide superior grip, suitable for uses that require precise preload and location settings. Threaded shaft collars act as a stop to position parts or prevent them from moving along the shaft.
Threaded bore configurations are found in the following products:
Stafford Manufacturing produces hexagonal and square shaft collars and couplings to fit onto hexagonal and square-shaped shafts. Square and hex shaft couplings and collars are easy to install and customize with mounting capabilities if necessary. They provide high clamping power and are primarily used in food processing and conveyor systems.
Shaft couplings can be configured with keyways, but they are not always required. They should be utilized for couplings designed to support radial alignment and loads with high torque. Determine whether radial alignment or additional torque will affect the system’s overall operation, and then use that analysis to decide whether you need a keyway.
Selecting Your Shaft Collar or Coupling Configuration
The right shaft collar or coupling is the one that fits your configuration and application. In some cases, a certain type of configuration may be better than other options (i.e. square, hex, and keyed shafts can handle more torque). Keyed shafts in particular have a locking position that makes accommodating higher torques possible.
Standard bores are cost-effective options that fit most basic applications. Stafford Manufacturing carries round, threaded, square, hex, and keyed bores as standard products, so our customers can rely on us to have what they need, when they need it. In addition, Stafford is the only stocking manufacturer of a full line of square and hex bore products.
While standard bore products serve most applications at the lowest cost, some applications require customized collars or coupling bores. Stafford has been manufacturing custom shaft collars and couplings for over 47 years and we can produce to your exact needs at a fair price with no minimum order quantity.
Stafford Is Your Custom Shaft Collar and Coupling Manufacturer
Stafford Manufacturing has nearly 50 years of industry experience. As an ISO 9001:2015-certified business, our staff has the quality control standards in place to produce the highest quality shaft collars and rigid couplings. We have a large selection of products, which enables us to assist you in selecting the ideal bore configuration for your particular needs and price range. If you can’t find a shaft collar or coupling that meets your needs, we will collaborate closely with you to design and produce a custom solution.
Shaft couplings play a key role in transferring power or torque for motors, pumps, compressors, conveyors, turbines, and other mechanical equipment. Rigid shaft couplings can achieve this goal and allow for different types of shaft connections. Stepped couplings can be used for connecting different size shafts. Shaft adapters can solve compatibility issues, such as changes in shaft size or length. Inch-to-metric couplings can solve incompatibilities occurring when mating an English shaft to a metric one. Custom shaft couplings and adapters can accommodate unusual variations or configurations not satisfied by standard products.
Stafford Manufacturing produces shaft collars, rigid shaft couplings, and specialty mechanical products for motion control, power transmission, automation, and other MRO and OEM applications. Here we’ll discuss how to connect shafts, including those with different sizes, measurement systems, and other specifications.
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What If I Have Two Different Sized Shafts?
Connecting shafts of different sizes is a common issue that can be solved with compatible rigid shaft couplings. Designed for perfectly aligned shafts, rigid shaft couplings mate shafts with identical or different diameters while maintaining high torque transfer and preventing backlash. Many configurations of our shaft couplings have stepped bores to connect shafts that differ in size. We offer standard and custom versions of these types of rigid shaft couplings:
Two-Piece Split Clamp Couplings: easy installation and adjustment, with or without keyways, suitable when access to both shaft ends is not possible.
Three-Piece Split Clamp Couplings: easy installation and adjustment, smooth bores prevent shaft damage. One shaft can remain in place while the other is changed out or adjusted.
A close tolerance fit is a necessity whenever you are putting the coupling on a precision machined shaft. Precision sleeve couplings are uniquely suited for applications requiring extremely precise machined shaft alignment and a close tolerance shaft-to-coupling fit.
Stafford’s exclusive Precision Sleeve Coupling features a solid center section that provides a close tolerance fit on ground shafting, includes a keyway, and the Accu-Clamp™ design which incorporates integral self-centering clamping collars at both ends. This product assures shaft alignment with zero backlash. To assure precise shaft alignment, it maintains <.001″ TIR concentricity while in use. It is precision machined, non-marring, easy to adjust, with high clamping power.
Stafford offers the following types of Precision Sleeve Couplings:
What If I’m Connecting an Inch Shaft to a Metric Shaft?
Inch-metric conversion couplings have a bore on one side measured in inches and the other side in a metric size. Stafford Manufacturing carries a full range of common sizes in our selection of inch-metric conversion couplings. External dimensions and screws are in inches. These couplings can be further modified to include keyways if needed.
Our inch-metric conversion couplings can mate inch and metric shafts with zero backlash and smooth bores, which protect the shafts from damage. They have superior torque capacity compared to set screw type couplings.
Stafford offers the following types of inch-metric conversion couplings:
While shaft couplings can connect shafts of different diameters, shaft adapters enable connections when:
One or both shafts are not long enough to be effectively connected with a coupling
Shafts differ in diameter and a coupling does not accommodate the difference
Shaft damage would result in a poor transfer of power or motion
Shaft replacement is not recommended due to cost or other considerations
Available in step-up or step-down configurations, shaft adapters act as both an extension to an existing shaft and as a way to increase or decrease shaft diameter using a straight-bore or standard stepped-bore coupling. Our rigid shaft adapters use a clamp-style attachment to avoid shaft damage and come in keyed and keyless styles.
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None of These Work for Me — What Do I Do?
Uncommon sizes or combinations of shaft diameters, shapes, keyways, or other configurations can be solved with custom shaft couplings or adapters, avoiding the need for complete shaft replacement or system reconfiguration. Customers can custom-design couplings through our rigid shaft coupling configurator tool, which can provide product recommendations based on your specifications.
Becausemanufacturing custom parts is our specialty, our expert team welcomes requests for customized rigid couplings to meet your precise requirements. Custom modifications we commonly make include:
Bores: adjustments for special diameters, keyways, and threadings
Holding Power: adjustments for extra heavy-duty operation
Circumferential Keyways: to control axial shift
Shaft Shapes: to connect different shaped shafts
Balancing: to minimize misalignment, vibration, and wear
Materials & Finishes: meeting customer material or surface finishing requirements
Shaft Extenders: to accommodate length, duty, configuration, or other needs
Customers may also modify our fully machinable Shaft Adapter Max to meet their specific needs. It is available with keyways or without, offering multiple configurations to easily extend and adapt for hex, square, or threaded shafts.
Custom Fabrication by Stafford Manufacturing
At Stafford Manufacturing, we pride ourselves on our wide range of standard shaft couplings, collars, adapters, and related products. Our innovative designs, extensive catalog of stock components, and customization capabilities illustrate our commitment to industry-leading components and customer service.Contact us to learn more about our standard and custom components for power transmission, motion control, automation, and related applications, orrequest a quote for your next project.
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