Conveyor Gearbox Shafts | A&K Machine & Fabrication

Why A&K for Gearbox Shafts

From a Worn Sample to a Drop-In Replacement

A failed gearbox shaft takes the whole conveyor down. The hard part isn't waiting on a new one — it's getting one that fits without re-machining the gearbox case or the head pulley. A&K turns gearbox shafts from solid bar with every feature — keyway, spline, snap-ring groove, shoulder, thread — cut to your print or your worn part.

We work from drawings when you have them and reverse-engineer from a worn shaft when you don't. Standard carbon and alloy grades are kept in stock; stainless and tool steels are sourced same-day. Heat treatment is in-house or coordinated locally so lead times stay tight.

Carbon (1045), alloy (4140, 4340, 8620), and stainless (304/316, 17-4 PH H1150) — picked to the failure mode, not just the OEM print

Induction, case-carburizing, nitriding, and through-hardening — heat-treat verified by Rockwell readings on the finished shaft

ANSI B17.1 parallel keyways with sled-runner ends; DIN 5480 or ANSI B92.1 splines on request

Bearing journals to IT6 (ISO 286), surface finish Ra 0.4–0.8 µm, runout (TIR) inspected on the granite plate before ship

Drop-in replacements for SEW (R/K/F/S), Dodge/ABB (TXT, Quantis, TIGEAR-2, Torque-Arm), Falk/Rexnord, Sumitomo (HSM, Cyclo), Nord, Hub City, Bonfiglioli

Emergency turnaround — call us before you buy a new gearbox

Close-up of a CNC-machined steel shaft showing knurling and precision threads — A&K Machine & Fabrication, Jacksonville FL

Shaft Configurations

Drive, Driven, and Everything Between

Every position in a gear train has its own shaft demands. A&K machines all of them.

Input & Output Shafts

Solid and hollow shafts for standard and custom gearbox configurations. Machined to match the existing drive coupling on one end and the driven pulley/sprocket on the other.

Keyed & Splined Shafts

Any standard keyway size (broached or milled) plus custom involute, parallel, and serrated splines. Precise fit prevents fretting and premature wear at the hub interface.

Heat-Treated Shafts

Standard 1045, 4140, 4340, and 17-4 PH stainless. Induction-hardened journals, case-carburized splines, and nitrided surfaces available — heat treatment matched to wear zone.

Stepped & Tapered Shafts

Multi-diameter shoulders for shoulder-bearing seats, tapered ends for QD bushings and Taper-Lock hubs. Every shoulder and taper cut to drawing for slip-fit or interference fit.

Hollow & Bored Shafts

Bored and gun-drilled hollow shafts for shrink-disc connections and through-shaft drive configurations. Saves weight on long-center conveyors without sacrificing torque capacity.

Threaded & Specialty Ends

Threaded ends for retaining nuts, snap-ring grooves for bearing retention, cross-drilled lube holes, oil-galleries — any feature your existing shaft has, we cut on the new one.

Multiple machined steel shafts with tapered ends staged in the A&K shop — A&K Machine & Fabrication, Jacksonville FL

Materials & Heat Treatment

Picked for Your Failure Mode

Most gearbox shafts don't fail the same way twice. The wrong material gets you the same break in 18 months; the right combination of base material and surface treatment runs for the life of the gearbox.

1045 carbon: Workhorse material, moderate-torque general-purpose service. Normalized or cold-rolled per requirement.
4140 / 4340 alloy: Higher tensile strength, better impact resistance. Through-hardened to 28–32 HRC is the heavy-duty default.
8620 carburizing-grade alloy: The OEM standard for carburized splines and gear teeth (9310 for high-end). Case-hardens to 58–62 HRC at 0.040–0.080" effective depth.
17-4 PH H1150 stainless: The corrosion-resistant gear-shaft alloy (~135 ksi yield). Used where 304/316 are too soft and 4140 corrodes.
304 / 316 stainless: Washdown / chemical service only — austenitic, low-yield, non-hardenable. Not a structural gear-shaft alloy.
Induction hardening: Local case on bearing journals — tough core, hard surface, no distortion of the rest of the shaft.
Case carburizing: Splines and gear teeth needing 58–62 HRC surface, ~0.040–0.080" effective case depth for heavy-duty service.
Nitriding: Exceptional wear and fatigue resistance for high-cycle service. Lower distortion than carburizing.

Our Process

From Phone Call to Shaft on Your Bench

Diagnose

Send the worn shaft, the gearbox tag, or the drive specs. We figure out the right material + heat treatment for your failure mode.

Measure & Quote

If a sample is shipped, we measure every diameter, length, keyway, and groove on a granite plate. Fixed quote, real lead time — no stock "8 weeks" placeholder.

Machine & Heat Treat

CNC-turn the body, mill keyways and splines, drill any oil galleries, and heat-treat to spec. Inspection against the print before it leaves the machine.

Ship or Install

Wrapped, palletized, and shipped. For customers in our service area, we can also bring it out and install it during your scheduled outage.

Industries

Who We Build Gearbox Shafts For

Mining & Aggregates Agriculture Food & Beverage Wood, Pulp & Paper Recycling Wastewater Power & Utilities Marine Distribution & Warehouse Pharmaceuticals Construction & Roads Airports

Common Questions

Gearbox Shaft FAQ

Can A&K make a shaft if I don't have any drawings?

Yes — most of our shaft work comes from a sample, not a drawing. Send us the worn shaft and we'll reverse-engineer it on the granite plate. If the worn part is missing too, we can usually work from the gearbox case dimensions plus the drive/driven coupling specs.

What's the difference between induction hardening, case hardening, and through-hardening?

Induction hardens a local zone (e.g. the bearing journal) without affecting the rest of the shaft — fast, controllable, ideal for journals. Case carburizing hardens the surface of low-carbon material to 0.02-0.06" depth — great for splines and gear teeth. Through-hardening hardens the entire cross-section — used for high-strength alloys like 4340.

How fast can you turn around an emergency shaft replacement?

Standard carbon-steel shafts can be machined in 2–4 business days when material's in stock. Stainless or fully heat-treated alloy adds a few days for material sourcing and outside processing. Call 904-388-7772 with your specs — we'll tell you straight whether your deadline is realistic before you commit.

Do you balance shafts before shipping?

For high-speed applications, yes. We can dynamically balance shafts in-house or send out for ISO G2.5 or tighter balance grades. Standard low-speed conveyor shafts don't typically need it — but if you tell us the operating RPM and the application, we'll recommend.

Can you replace just the shaft and leave the existing gearbox in place?

Yes, that's the most common case — and it's why a new shaft is often the right answer instead of a whole new gearbox. We measure the gearbox case interfaces and machine the new shaft to slide in without modifying anything else. Bearings, seals, and keyways all line up the first time.

My drive uses a Taper-Lock bushing — do I need to spec the shaft fit differently than for a QD bushing?

Yes. Taper-Lock seats are typically machined to h9 (per OEM convention) and QD/XT seats to h7. Same nominal diameter, different tolerance band — get it wrong and either the bushing won't slide on or it won't grip under load. Tell us which bushing series you're using and we'll match the fit.

Do you provide an inspection report with the shaft?

Yes — Rockwell hardness readings on the heat-treated zones, journal runout (TIR) measured on the granite plate, and dimensional check against the print. Magnetic-particle inspection (MPI) on request for high-cycle or safety-critical applications.

Other Conveyor Components

The Rest of the Drive Train

Sprockets & Couplings

Chain and drag-conveyor sprockets, gear and jaw couplings — the parts that transmit torque from the gearbox shaft to the rest of the system.

Explore Sprockets

Pulleys & Accessories

Drive, head, tail, and snub pulleys with crowned faces and any lagging — the other half of every gearbox-shaft assembly.

Explore Pulleys

All Conveyor Components

Back to the full overview — idlers, scrapers, bearings, take-ups, auger flighting, and more.

Back to Overview

Get a Quote

Start Your Project

Send us your details — drawings, dimensions, or just a description. We'll get back to you within 48 hours on most quotes. For faster response or lead time questions on jobs, just call.

Fast Response

We respond to most quote requests within 48 hours. For faster responses or lead time questions on specific jobs, call us directly at 904-388-7772.

We Ship Anywhere

Based in Jacksonville, FL — we ship finished parts and components throughout Florida, the Southeast, and beyond.

Prefer to Call?

Reach us at 904-388-7772, Mon–Fri 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM (closed Sat–Sun).

When the Drive Train Fails, Production Stops.