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Oldham coupling (parallel-offset shaft coupling)

How does an Oldham coupling handle offset shafts? · Hardware · basis: Xem Studio drawing; classic mechanism

Also called: oldham coupling, oldham coupler, z axis oldham coupling, acoplamiento Oldham, acoplamento Oldham, Oldham Kupplung, accouplement Oldham

Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.

sizes
3 in table

Notes

  • Two hubs with face tongues at 90° to each other and a centre disc slotted on both faces: the disc slides on both tongues, so shafts that are parallel but offset turn together.
  • Speed is exactly 1:1 (no cyclic error, unlike a universal joint); the disc centre orbits at twice shaft speed with a radius of half the offset.
  • Common on 3D-printer Z lead screws and pumps.
  • Parts (each has its own page): oldham-coupling-hub-40, oldham-coupling-disc-40, shaft-couplers.

Oldham coupling size chart

parametervalue
diameter40 mm
max offset≈2 mm for this size
boresØ5

Where the files are

Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.

Xem StudiodrawingwebPublisher's page; dimensions are facts

Free files

★ Free files 1 parts. Generated by Xem Studio from the standard; threads are plain cylinders at major diameter. CC BY 4.0. index.json

oldham-coupling-assemblyAssembled mechanism, all parts placed (STEP keeps each part separate)STEP · STL
Let your AI pull this. Add https://xemstudio.com/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client (free, no account, one minute) and it can look up exact sizes, mating fits and free STEP/STL from every chat.
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Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=oldham-coupling

Oldham coupling (parallel-offset shaft coupling), isometric render of a generated part
Render of oldham-coupling-assembly from the free STEP; not to scale.

Fits with

Oldham coupling hub Ø40, 5 mm bore, isometric render of a generated part
Oldham coupling hub Ø40, 5 mm bore3 sizes★ 1 file
Oldham coupling centre disc Ø40, isometric render of a generated part
Oldham coupling centre disc Ø402 sizes★ 1 file
Flexible shaft couplers, 5–10 mm bores, isometric render of a generated part
Flexible shaft couplers, 5–10 mm bores6 sizes★ 6 files

Questions

How does an Oldham coupling handle offset shafts?

Two hubs with face tongues at 90° to each other and a centre disc slotted on both faces: the disc slides on both tongues, so shafts that are parallel but offset turn together.