The engine rotating shaft is horizontal, the drive pinion spin axis is also horizontal. The problem is that these axes aren’t aligned, they are parallel to one another. The Cardan Shaft redirects the drive shaft to the travel pinion without changing the course of rotation.
Widely used in industry, cardan shafts have verified practical on applications where space is limited-as well when in conditions where an element in the machine train (e.g. paper roll) might need to be actuated (dynamically positioned) to another position when the equipment are not operating. The universal joint allows for limited activity without uncoupling. To make sure enough lubrication circulation, which prevents the universal joints from seizing, cardan shafts are normally installed with an angle from four to six 6 degrees at the universal joints. Knowledge, though, has displayed that the position between your shafts of the driver and powered unit should be kept to the very least, preferably less than 4.36 mrads (0.25 degrees). Ideally, the angles between the driver and motivated shafts and the cardan shaft, displayed as β1 and β2 in Fig. 1, will be equal. Geometrically, this might equate to zero angularity existing between the driver and driven unit: In other words, the shafts of the driver and motivated machine will be parallel to each other.
Usually it involves a tubular shaft, two sets of Universal Joints and glove system – ferrule stepper, among others. It is definitely a component of the 
transmission system, its function is normally to redirect the engine turning activity, after passing through the gearbox and the travel to the wheel, going right through the ‘planetary and satellite’ system etc.
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Cardan shaft, also called cardinal shaft, is an element of torque transmission.