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Keys · DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice · Application guide

What Are Feather (Sliding) Keys Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify feather (sliding) keys, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Feather (Sliding) Keys are used for transmitting torque between a shaft and a hub. They are manufactured to DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice, and selection is driven by the key section, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Transmitting torque between a shaft and a hub
Governing standard
DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice
Key section range
5 mm to 20 mm
Category
Keys

Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation.

What Are Feather (Sliding) Keys Used For? application image

Feather (Sliding) Keys (DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice) are specified where the joint requires transmitting torque between a shaft and a hub. The sections below cover the typical end-uses by industry, the size and material decisions for each, assembly practice, and the applications this fastener type is not suited to. Stocked across roughly 5 mm to 20 mm, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Feather (Sliding) Keys

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Power transmission: locking pulleys, sprockets and couplings to a shaft.
  • Gearboxes & motors: transmitting torque from a shaft to a hub.
  • Pumps & fans: driving rotating components without slip.
  • General machine building: fastening covers, brackets, motors and sub-assemblies on production equipment.
  • Maintenance & repair (MRO): a stocked size for servicing existing plant where the original fastener spec must be matched.

How to Specify Feather (Sliding) Keys for Your Application

  • Size: Select on key section, and confirm it against the mating feature in the assembly. This product spans 5 mm–20 mm; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Material: Choose the material and finish for the service environment — plated steel for general use, stainless for corrosion resistance.
  • Environment: For damp, coastal or chemical exposure prefer A4/316 stainless or a suitable coating; indoors, plated steel or A2 is usually sufficient.
  • Standard: This product is supplied to DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Where Feather (Sliding) Keys Are Not the Right Choice

Not for very high reversing torque without an interference fit, and not as an axial retainer.

Technical Drawing

Customize the parameters below — every spec field is editable, and the drawing redraws to match the values you choose. Changing the size will snap the other fields to that size's standard values; you can then override any individual value.

Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

Request a Quote

The form below follows the current technical drawing configuration. Change the drawing values above and the request details update automatically.

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Specification
Business Information

Dimensions & Specifications (DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice)

Key width b (mm)Key height h (mm)Shaft diameter range (mm)Fixing
5512 u2013 17one countersunk screw
6617 u2013 22one countersunk screw
8722 u2013 30two countersunk screws
10830 u2013 38two countersunk screws
12838 u2013 44two countersunk screws
14944 u2013 50two countersunk screws
161050 u2013 58two countersunk screws
181158 u2013 65two countersunk screws
201265 u2013 75two countersunk screws
Inside the plant

Manufactured in our own plant

This part is cold-formed, threaded, heat-treated and finished in-house. The stages below are where its class and finish are actually decided.

  1. Wire rod feeding into a cold heading machine
    01

    Cold heading

    Wire rod is drawn to size and cold-formed into blanks. Forming rather than cutting keeps the grain flow continuous around the head, which is where a bolt is most likely to fail.

    Head dimensions and under-head radius checked at set-up and per shift.

  2. Thread rolling machine producing bolt threads
    02

    Thread rolling

    Threads are rolled between hardened dies rather than cut. Rolled threads are stronger in fatigue than cut threads and hold pitch and flank angle far more consistently across a batch.

    Go / no-go ring gauges to ISO 965 tolerance class 6g.

  3. Baskets of bolts staged for heat treatment
    03

    Heat treatment

    Quench-and-temper brings carbon and alloy steel to the property class ordered — 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — with the furnace charge tracked so a finished lot can be traced back to it.

    Core hardness and tensile tested per lot to ISO 898-1.

  4. Zinc plated bolts in a treatment basket
    04

    Surface treatment

    Zinc, zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanizing, black oxide, phosphate and Dacromet, selected against the service environment rather than against the price list.

    Coating thickness and neutral salt spray hours to ISO 9227.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Feather (Sliding) Keys transmit torque?

The key sits in matching keyways in the shaft and hub, transmitting torque in shear. Size the key to the shaft diameter using the standard, and ensure both keyways are cut to spec.

What material should Feather (Sliding) Keys be for outdoor use?

For damp, coastal or chemical environments specify A4 (316) stainless or a suitably coated steel. For indoor or dry use, A2 (304) stainless or zinc-plated steel is normally adequate.

Are Feather (Sliding) Keys made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice, so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

What are Feather (Sliding) Keys used for?

Transmitting torque between a shaft and a hub. They are supplied to DIN 6885 Form B / sliding key practice.

Can I get a quote for Feather (Sliding) Keys in the size and material I need?

Yes. Use the technical drawing and quote form on this page to set the size and options, then send the exact configuration to our team for pricing and lead time.