Mechanical engineering design
| Site: | learnonline |
| Course: | Mechanical Engineering Practice resources |
| Book: | Mechanical engineering design |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Tuesday, 16 July 2024, 8:26 PM |
Description
Mechanical engineering design
Table of contents
- The basic design process
- Engineering design worked example
- Workplace health and safety
- Mind maps and brainstorming
- Selection of materials
- Being creative
- Selection criteria
- Calculations
- Modelling and simulation
- Tolerances
- Drawing
- Prototyping
- Electronics fundamentals
- Switches
- Joining techniques, and frames and brackets
- Design testing, results, efficiency and improvement
- Useful references
The basic engineering design process
The engineering design process is a series of steps that engineers follow to come up with a solution to a problem. The process includes a number of standard steps, as Uddin explains here.
As you watch this video, try to think of resources which you would need or which could help you for the following steps:
Establishing the task specifications
Brainstorming initial ideas and concepts
Using simulation to check the feasibility of the design
Producing a prototype
Testing and improving your design
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (1 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' A worked example of the engineering design process
In this video, Uddin works through a example of using the engineering design process to solve a problem.
As you watch the video, we will ask you for design ideas for a device which could solve this problem. Make sure that you stop the video when asked to, and scribble down your ideas before moving on to Uddin's recommendations.
Download this video (94.9 MB) or any of the videos for the 'Engineering Design' lecture series
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (6.5 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Engineering Design' Workplace health and safety in design
Workplace health and safety principles must be critical considerations in the design, and building, and testing of your device. Otherwise, not only may the device fail, but somebody may be badly hurt.
In this video, Mr Jim Toshach, the WHS Manager for the UniSA Engineering Division, talks about how to incorporate WHS into the engineering design process.
In the Your Project lecture series, you will also see a lecture in which Jim discusses the practical aspects of WHS and your design.
Download this video (84.3 MB) or any of the videos for the 'Engineering Design' lecture series
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (469 KB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Engineering Design' Mind mapping and brain storming
Mind mapping and brainstorming are techniques that engineering designers use to generate, express and organise ideas.
Brainstorming is simply thinking aloud and suggesting as many ideas as possible, no matter how mad they seem, without analysing or criticising them. Mind mapping is a way to get all of the ideas in your head down onto paper - a visual representation of your ideas.
There are no right or wrong ways to brainstorm or to mind map - it's whatever works for you and your group.
Before watching the video, try this exercise:
Use a piece of paper to brainstorm and/or mind map as many solutions as you can to the engineering problem of desiging a mechanical device which move to a metre high barrier, lift a payload over the barrier, and pass it to another device which will carry it another 2 meters along a horizontal track.
When you have finished, watch the video to see Michael's ideas. Did any of his ideas match yours?
You will also find other videos on design ideas, and brainstorming in the Your Project lecture series.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (7.4 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Selection of materials
Your selection of material will more than likely have a big impact on many aspects of your design, including effectiveness, cost, build difficulty, and so on. Michael talks about some of the considerations you will need to think about when selecting materials for your design.
After you watch, do some basic online research to find sources of device materials in your local area. Make sure that you double check the sizes and dimensions which they have available. Knowing your standard sizes early may make the device build much easier!
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (13 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Being creative in your design
Prof David Cropley is an internationally recognised expert on creativity and innovation. In this video, he talks about how you produce more creative ideas for your mechanical device.
After watching this lecture, check out other links on creative engineering
Test your creativity: 5 classic creative challenges
Ingenium: A creative problem solving tool for students
Read about what you can do to spark new ideas as a creative engineer
Watch Edward de Bono talk about creativity and thinking outside the box
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (654 KB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Selection criteria to assess your ideas
When you have let your brain and mind run free, and come up with as many design ideas as possible (no matter how crazy!) it's time to start the cold, hard, analytical process of weeding out the worst ideas and deciding on the best. To do this, you need to use objective selection criteria.
In this video, Michael talks about what type of criteria are important in evaluating your ideas and how to measure your ideas against these criteria.
As you watch, think about the following questions:
Why do you think that some bad design ideas make it through the selection process, even when the designer has used selection criteria in the decision making?
How can you guard against this happening to you or to your group in this course?
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (13 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Calculations
When you have decided on the basic design for your device, you will need to do the calculations to make sure that the design will achieve the aim: how much force is required, what size parts are needed, and so on.
Make sure that you double-check your own calculations (or get a classmate to do it for you) and include all calculations in your project documentation.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (496 KB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Modelling and simulation
Modelling and simulation are good ways to check whether your design assembly works without all the hassle of building it.
Using a model or a simulation (for example, in Solidworks), you can easily and cheaply find the weaknesses or mistakes in your design.
Modelling and simulation each demonstrate different aspects of a design prior to the build. What are two aspects which modelling will that simulation won't, and visa versa?
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (1 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Tolerances
it is important to be aware of the tolerances of the various components in your assembly - specifically, those tolerances which may affect the success of your design. You also need to find out the degree to which you need to check the tolerances.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (6.1 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Drawing your design
Even with the most sophisticated CAD programs, there is still an important place for freehand drawings in the design process. Michael makes the point that drawing design well takes practice, and is a valuable skill to for a mechanical designer to develop.
After watching this video, practice your drawing: start by producing a drawing of a simple household mechanical device (such as a can opener) and then try to work up to more challenging designs!
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (7 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Prototyping
A prototype is basically a demonstration of your device (in this course, the prototype may also be the final device). It is the fully operational version of the engineering solution, although it can be made with different materials (which are cheaper and easier to work with) than the final version.
Prototypes allow you to test how your solution will work - and you can show the solution to others for feedback.
After watching this video, check out the Eight rules for prototyping.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (14 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Fundamental electronics for your mechanical design
Although we tend to classify engineers into different specialisations (such as mechanical, electrical, civil, etc), the reality is that there are very few mechanical projects these days which don't include any electronics.
Your device will need to use electronic software and hardware for its operation. In these two videos, Michael talks about the best types to use, and how to make the most of them.
You can find more information on electronics for your device in the Your Project lecture series, in the videos on Electronics Software and Hardware.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (2.7 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Putting switches into your design
Your device will probably need to include momentary or latching switches. In this video, Michael talks about the types of switches available and what you need for the desired result. he also discusses the micro-controllers you will need.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (2.5 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Holding it all together: joining techniques, frames and brackets
Have you ever come across a device with quality individual parts which were let down by poor joining strategies, or by a weak frame? Joining and outer frameworks, although they may not have a big input into the achievement of the device aims, could be a major cause of its lack of success!
Quality effective components may be meaningless if they are not held together effectively.
In this first video, Uddin discusses different methods of joining components for your device assembly, and how to avoid assembly weaknesses.
At one stage in the video on Joining techniques, you are asked to study a poorly joined device and come up with some possible improvements. What lessons are there here for your own design and build?
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
In this video, Uddin talks about frames and brackets to hold your device together.
Testing your design, interpreting results and improving efficiency
So ... the design is done, the prototype is built and you are ready to see if it works.
The testing and improvement process needs to be very carefully organised and documented, as Uddin explains here ...
As you watch, think about what you need to consider when testing and improving your own mechanical device.
Under what conditions will the testing need to be conducted?
How will you best implement any necessary improvements?
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Download the slides for this video (1.2 MB), or the slides for any of the other videos on 'Mechanical Engineering Design' Useful references
In this video, Michael discusses some books which might help in your design project.
Watch a YouTube playlist of all the videos for the 'Mechanical Engineering Design' lecture series
Note that there are no slides for this video.