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Benefits of Flexible Shaft
Flexible Shafts are a preferred rotary motion transmission device because they:
- Eliminate alignment problems: Flexible Shafts have no need for the tight tolerances that solid shafts require
- Provide Greater design freedom : Limitless possibilities in positioning motor and driven components
- Have Higher Efficiency : Flexible Shafts are 85%-95% efficient. Gears, U-Joints Belts and Pulleys give much lower performance due to greater frictional losses
- Allow Large offsets: Flexible couplings allow only 5 degrees of offset and U-Joints 30 degrees, but with a 40-50% decline in efficiency. Flexible Shafts permit a full 180 degree off-set while maintaining their high efficiency
- Are Light weight and powerful: Flexible Shafts have a 3 to 1 weight advantage over other design solutions while transmitting greater power loads
- Have Lower Installation Cost: Flexible Shafts install in minutes without special tools or skills. Solid Shafts, Gears, Pulleys, and Universal Joints require precise alignment and skilled mechanics for their installations.
- Reduce parts cost: Bearings and housings for Solid Shafts and Gears require precise machining operations. Flexible Shafts eliminate the need for such demanding tolerances and their excessive costs.
- Are Easy To Install: Need no special installation tools.
- Can Be Designed At The Latter Stages Of A Project: Unlike other rotary motion devices that need to be designed around because of their rigidness, defined configurations, and large mass. Flexible Shafts allow greater design freedom since engineers have only one piece to work on, eliminating complex coordination of multiple pieces
- Are not affected by vibrations: Vibrations do not affect flexible Shafts performance.
Flexible Shafts are often the preferred choice for rotary motion transmission over gear boxes, universal joints, and belts-and-pulleys in industrial and medical fields as well as in consumer items.
FLEXIBLE SHAFTS VS. GEAR BOXES

- are more economical for right angle bends
- are more efficient
- are less noisy
- occupy less space
- are easier to install-need no special skill or special tools
- require looser tolerancing
- don't require expensive couplings that gear boxes often need

- are less expensive
- have fewer components
- are more efficient
- do not require tight mounting tolerances unlike universal joints
- have constant angular velocity
- require minimal maintenance
- make very little noise
In universal joints, more components are needed beyond 20 degree offsets, adding to cost and space requirements. <!-- InstanceEndEditable -->