What is Universal joint and its applications?

Pic credits: Aravind Reddy, Software used: Nx Simens

Universal joints (also called Hooke’s joints) are used to allow torque (rotational power) to be transmitted through a varying angle. A typical use is in the propshaft of a car or truck, where the torque from the engine is fed to the rear axle. The axle moves with the motion of the suspension, but the engine is fixed to the body, so a universal joint is used to accommodate the movement. Universal joints are also used for driveshafts to non-steering wheels where the wheel motion is more limited, for example in an independent rear suspension design (IRS).
Universal joints normally have to be used in pairs because one of their drawbacks is that they introduce a non-uniform change in rotational speed whenever the angle is not zero. A second Universal joint will cancel this effect. In some applications, such as a steering shaft, this effect may not be important and a single Universal joint can be used.
For driveshafts to a steerable wheel (e.g. front-wheel drive cars), a Universal joing is not used, because the angles involved are quite severe and the non-uniform velocity would be intolerable in terms of vibration and driving quality. In those places, the more complicated “constant velocity”(CV) joint is used instead.



Applications of Universal Joint 

  • Driveshafts
  • Automobile propeller shafts
  • Stone crushers
  • Tapping machinery
  • Centrifugal blowers
  • Centrifugal fans and centrifugal pumps
  • Belt conveyors
  • Control mechanisms
  • Marine equipments
  • Metal forming machinery
  • Sockets

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