CNC Turned Stainless Steel Stepped Shaft and Sleeve
Stepped shafts and matching sleeves machined from 316L, with a journal ground to h6 and round within 0.004 mm at Ra 0.4 µm, a sleeve bore honed to give 0.02 to 0.04 mm clearance, and every pair checked assembled for runout and feel before it is packed.
- Journal Ground to h6
- Sleeve Bored to Give 0.03 mm
- Pair Checked as an Assembly
- Shoulders Square to 0.02 mm
*Send the load direction and whether the pair rotates or slides. A rotating pair needs 0.02 mm clearance; a sliding pair under side load needs 0.04 mm or it will pick up on the journal.
Stainless Shaft and Sleeve Pair Overview
A shaft and sleeve pair is a fit, not two parts. The clearance between them decides whether the assembly turns freely or picks up, and that clearance only holds if both parts are measured together.
The shaft is turned, ground on centres and checked for roundness; the sleeve is bored, honed to the measured journal and trial fitted by hand before both parts are marked with the same pair number.
316L Stainless
316L is used where the pair runs in washdown, coolant or a marine atmosphere. It galls more readily than steel, so the journal finish and the clearance both have to be right rather than relied on.
Nitronic 60 or 17-4 PH
Nitronic 60 is chosen for a pair that slides under load because it resists galling without a coating, and 17-4 PH where the shaft has to be harder than the sleeve.
Two stainless surfaces of the same grade will gall at 0.01 mm clearance; either the clearance goes up to 0.03 mm or one surface is nitrided or coated.
Shaft and Sleeve Pair Specifications
Grinding and honing data for matched pairs, with the clearance and runout values that decide whether the assembly slides.
| Specification | Machining Data | Specification | Machining Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Stepped Shaft with Matching Sleeve | Machining Process | CNC Turning, Cylindrical Grinding, Honing |
| Material | 316L Stainless | Envelope | Shaft Ø 10 – 50 mm, 80 – 350 mm Long |
| Journal | h6, Roundness 0.004 mm | Journal Finish | Ra 0.4 µm Ground |
| Sleeve Bore | H8 Honed, Clearance 0.02 – 0.04 mm | Pair Runout | 0.02 mm Assembled |
| Shoulders | Square to the Axis Within 0.02 mm | Step Concentricity | 0.01 mm |
| Hex Section | Across Flats ±0.05 mm | Threads | M8 – M20, 6g |
| Weight | 0.2 – 1.4 kg per Pair | Coating | Passivated, No Coating on the Journal |
| Customization | Step Layout, Hex or Flat, Groove, Sleeve Length, Pair Marking | Lead Time | 7 – 9 Days Sample, 15 – 20 Days Batch |
| Inspection | Air Gauge Bore, Micrometer Journal, Assembly Feel Check | Packing | Pair Bagged Together, Journal Wrap |
Key Features of These Pairs
Honed to the measured shaft, trial fitted, marked as a pair.
Sleeve Honed to Its Shaft
The bore is honed after the journal is measured, so each pair gets a clearance in the middle of the band rather than two parts at random ends of their own tolerances.
Journal Ground, Not Turned
Grinding holds roundness to 0.004 mm at Ra 0.4 µm, which is the finish that lets a 316L pair slide without picking up on the first stroke.
Shoulders Faced in the Same Set-up
Every shoulder is faced square to the axis within 0.02 mm so the sleeve sits against its step without a gap that shows as end float.
Pair Number on Both Parts
Shaft and sleeve carry the same laser mark; mixing pairs after a repair is the usual cause of a fit that was correct in the workshop and tight on the machine.
Pair that must slide without picking up?
Finishes for Shaft and Sleeve Pairs
Both sliding surfaces stay bare; only the outside of the sleeve is finished for looks.
| Finish | Main Purpose | Finish | Main Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passivation | Removes free iron after grinding | Electropolishing | Ra 0.2 µm on a hygienic pair |
| Masked Journal | Ground fit stays h6 | Bead Blasting | Even matte on the sleeve OD |
| Pickling | Removes heat tint if welded | Laser Marking | Pair number on shaft and sleeve |
| Assembly Oil | Light film for the sliding fit | Journal Wrap | Protects the ground surface |
| Pair Trial Fit | Checked by hand before packing | Bore Plug | Keeps grit out of the sleeve |
| Salt Spray | 500 h on 316L | Clearance Recheck | Measured as a Pair Before Packing |
*Electropolishing a 316L journal removes 5 to 8 µm and reduces galling, but it also changes the measured size, so the bore is honed after polishing, not before.
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Machining a Shaft and Sleeve Pair
The sleeve is honed to the shaft that goes with it, so the pair slides with 0.03 mm of clearance instead of being assembled from two parts at opposite ends of tolerance.
01. Fit and Duty Review
Confirm whether the pair rotates or slides, the side load and the environment, then set the clearance and the surface finish for each part.
02. Turn the Shaft
Turn between centres, leave 0.3 mm on the journal, face the shoulders square and cut the thread and hex section.
03. Grind the Journal
Grind the journal between centres to h6, measure roundness in two planes and record the actual size on the pair card.
04. Bore and Hone the Sleeve
Bore the sleeve, hone to suit the measured journal with 0.02 – 0.04 mm clearance, and trial fit the pair by hand before marking.
05. Clean, Passivate, Pack
Ultrasonically clean both parts, passivate, oil the journal lightly, mark the pair number and pack them together.
Send the stroke, load and environment, and we will quote a pair honed to suit each other with the clearance recorded on the pair card.
Shaft and Sleeve Pair FAQs
Because the shaft is never exactly nominal. Honing to the measured journal puts the clearance in the middle of the band instead of the pair landing at 0.06 mm and rattling.
0.03 mm minimum for 316L on 316L at a sliding fit. Below that the surfaces cold-weld at the high spots and the sleeve picks up within a few strokes.
Yes, nitriding on the shaft or a DLC coating on the sleeve, but the coated surface is then ground or honed back to size, never left at coating thickness.
The sleeve is slid onto the shaft by hand, rotated through 360° and checked for tight spots, then the assembly runout is indicated at the far end.
Yes, from the worn parts. We measure the journal where it has not worn and the sleeve bore at both ends, then cut to give the clearance the application needs.
Yes, the measured journal size and the honed bore are recorded against the pair number, so a replacement sleeve can be made to suit the existing shaft.
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