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Many power transmission applications, including gearboxes, require a reliable connection between a solid and hollow shaft. This type of connection, however, only works well if the solid shaft outside diameter and hollow shaft inside diameter have been properly machined to exact dimensional tolerances and finishes. These precision machining factors drive up costs and limit the design freedom of solid-to-hollow shaft connections.

Northern Power Systems, a large United States manufacturer of wind turbines, needed a reliable, economical locking device for their systems. In the past, they tried different splined or keyed shafts, but found that these connection methods were too expensive and created a weak point in the shaft connection.