Keyless Locking Devices for Rotating Shafts

Connecting a Component to a Shaft Without the Need for a Keyway

The traditional way to secure a pulley, gear, or coupling to a rotating shaft is with a key—a small metal component that fits into a machined keyway in both the shaft and the mounted component. Over time, however, that keyway can become a source of its own problems. RBC Bearings offers an alternative with its Keyless Locking Devices (KLDs) under the Climax brand. These mechanical bushings connect power transmission components to rotating shafts without the need for a key. By eliminating the keyway, they also eliminate issues commonly associated with traditional keyed connections, including backlash, fretting corrosion, oxidation, and uneven shaft wear after extended service. This product is part of a broader portfolio of industrial solutions from RBC that includes shaft collars for component positioning, rigid couplings for low-speed shaft alignment without backlash, self-lubricating bearings, ball and roller bearings, and the PIC Design product line of precision gears, timing belts, pulleys, and linear motion systems. These solutions serve industries including industrial manufacturing, aerospace, defense, medical, robotics, and material handling. Eliminating a keyway may seem like a minor design change, but in a shaft that rotates thousands of times every day, any stress concentration—such as the one created by a machined keyway—can become a potential long-term failure point. Addressing the issue at the design stage removes that risk from the start. At BIOSA, we frequently encounter this same issue with customers experiencing premature wear of keyways in pulleys or transmission gears. Switching to a keyless locking system is often a more durable solution than repeatedly replacing a damaged key.