Course Project MEC 215 Mechanical Design
Mechanical Design Project #1 Description
Mechanical Design of a Twin-Shaft Paddle Mixer Drive System
Project Scope
The design of mechanical systems is an essential component of mechanical engineering education.
This project aims to develop students' ability to solve practical engineering problems by applying
mechanical design principles to a real industrial application. Through teamwork, students will gain
experience in designing a complete power transmission system, selecting appropriate machine
elements, and verifying the safety and reliability of their designs using engineering standards and
design methodologies.
Project Background
A fertilizer manufacturing company is expanding one of its production lines by installing a heavy-
duty twin-shaft paddle mixer for continuous mixing of granular fertilizers before granulation. The
mixer consists of two parallel shafts equipped with intermeshing paddles that rotate in opposite
directions to achieve uniform mixing. The shafts are synchronized through a gear pair and are
driven by a single electric motor. The company requires a complete mechanical transmission system
capable of transmitting power from the electric motor to the two mixer shafts while ensuring
continuous and reliable operation under heavy-duty service conditions. Students are required to
design the complete mechanical transmission system, select all machine elements, and verify that
the final design satisfies the specified operating conditions and standard design practices.
The students should design a complete mechanical transmission system, including:
• Electric motor selection.
• Belt/chain transmission.
• Speed reduction gears.
• Distribution gear pair.
• Transmission shafts.
• Bearings.
• Keys and locking.
• Bearing support.
• Lubrication system.
• Couplings.
• Frame and bolts.
Benha Faculty of Engineering (Summer 2026) 1
Course Project MEC 215 Mechanical Design
Basic Data and Design Specifications
Basic application data:
• Mixer type: Twin-shaft paddle mixer.
• Number of shafts: 2.
• Shaft center distance: 520 mm.
• Paddle diameter: 650 mm.
• Effective mixing length: 2.5 m.
• Material handled: Granular fertilizer.
• Bulk density: 1150 kg/m³.
• Mixer operates fully loaded.
• Motor supply frequency: 50 Hz.
• Continuous operation 16 hours/day.
• Ambient temperature: 40°C.
• Service condition: Heavy shock.
Team No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6
Mixer speed (rpm) 16 20 24 28 32 36
Output torque at each shaft (kN·m) 9.5 9.0 8.5 8.0 7.5 7.0
Installation constraints:
• Horizontal distance between motor and mixer = 2.2 m.
• Maximum available floor space for the transmission system = 2.5 × 2.0 m.
• Maximum allowable transmission height = 1.1 m.
Design Requirements
The designed mechanical transmission system shall:
• Provide the required output speed and torque under the specified operating conditions.
• Operate safely and reliably throughout the specified service life.
• Withstand the specified service conditions and shock loading.
• Utilize commercially available machine elements and standard components whenever practical.
• Be compact and fit within the specified installation space.
• Ensure proper alignment of all transmission components to minimize vibration and wear.
• Provide adequate lubrication for all moving components.
Benha Faculty of Engineering (Summer 2026) 2
Course Project MEC 215 Mechanical Design
• Facilitate assembly, disassembly, inspection, and routine maintenance.
• Minimize power losses and achieve good mechanical efficiency.
• Comply with applicable engineering standards and manufacturer recommendations.
Project Deliverables and Instructions
Comprehensive technical report:
The report is the major deliverable and must be structured as a professional engineering document.
It should be clear, well-organized, and justified with mechanical design principles and calculations.
Technical report structure:
• Title/Cover Page
• Executive Summary Page
• Table of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction & Project Background
• Chapter 2: Mechanical Design and Component Selection
• Chapter 3: Design Verification and Results
• Chapter 4: Engineering drawings (Assembly, Working, Bill of materials)
• References (At least five references) and finally Appendices (All charts and tables).
Group PowerPoint presentation:
Each group will have a 15-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.
Optional but highly recommended:
• 3D CAD assembly model and motion simulation.
• Finite element analysis of one or more critical components.
• 3D-printed prototype of the mechanical transmission system.
Assessment Criteria:
Component Weight
Design calculations 50%
Oral exam performance 20%
PowerPoint presentation 20%
Report quality 10%
Any optional task + 20%
With best of luck and wishes,
Benha Faculty of Engineering (Summer 2026) 3
Course Project MEC 215 Mechanical Design
Mechanical Design Project #2 Description
Mechanical Design of a Sludge Dewatering Screw Press Drive System
Project Scope
The design of mechanical systems is an essential component of mechanical engineering education.
This project aims to develop students' ability to solve practical engineering problems by applying
mechanical design principles to a real industrial application. Through teamwork, students will gain
experience in designing a complete power transmission system, selecting appropriate machine
elements, and verifying the safety and reliability of their designs using engineering standards and
design methodologies.
Project Background
A municipal wastewater treatment plant is upgrading its sludge dewatering facility by installing a
heavy-duty industrial screw press for continuous sludge dewatering. The screw press conveys and
compresses sludge through a perforated cylindrical screen to separate water from the solid
material. The screw rotates at a very low speed while transmitting high torque under continuous
loading conditions. The treatment plant requires a complete mechanical transmission system capable
of transmitting power from the electric motor to the screw shaft while ensuring reliable, continuous,
and energy-efficient operation. Students are required to design the complete mechanical transmission
system, select all machine elements, and verify that the final design satisfies the specified operating
conditions and standard design practices.
The students should design a complete mechanical transmission system, including:
• Electric motor selection.
• Belt/chain transmission.
• Speed reduction gears.
• Transmission shafts.
• Bearings.
• Keys and locking.
• Bearing support.
• Lubrication system.
• Couplings.
• Frame and bolts.
Benha Faculty of Engineering (Summer 2026) 4
Course Project MEC 215 Mechanical Design
Basic Data and Design Specifications
Basic application data:
• Machine type: Industrial screw press.
• Screw outside diameter: 600 mm.
• Screw shaft diameter: 220 mm.
• Effective screw length: 3.0 m.
• Material handled: Wastewater sludge.
• Typical solids content: 18–25%.
• Screw operates under full-load conditions.
• Continuous operation.
• 24 hours/day.
• Ambient temperature: 40°C.
• Service condition: Heavy shock.
Team No. 7 No. 8 No. 9 No. 10 No. 11 No. 12
Screw speed (rpm) 10 13 16 19 22 25
Required output torque (kN·m) 30 26 22 18 14 10
Installation constraints:
• Horizontal distance between motor and screw press = 2.5 m.
• Maximum available floor space for the transmission system = 3.0 × 2.2 m.
• Maximum allowable transmission height = 1.3 m.
Design Requirements
The designed mechanical transmission system shall:
• Provide the required output speed and torque under the specified operating conditions.
• Operate safely and reliably throughout the specified service life.
• Withstand the specified service conditions and shock loading.
• Utilize commercially available machine elements and standard components whenever practical.
• Be compact and fit within the specified installation space.
• Ensure proper alignment of all transmission components to minimize vibration and wear.
• Provide adequate lubrication for all moving components.
Benha Faculty of Engineering (Summer 2026) 5
Course Project MEC 215 Mechanical Design
• Facilitate assembly, disassembly, inspection, and routine maintenance.
• Minimize power losses and achieve good mechanical efficiency.
• Comply with applicable engineering standards and manufacturer recommendations.
Project Deliverables and Instructions
Comprehensive technical report:
The report is the major deliverable and must be structured as a professional engineering document.
It should be clear, well-organized, and justified with mechanical design principles and calculations.
Technical report structure:
• Title/Cover Page
• Executive Summary Page
• Table of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction & Project Background
• Chapter 2: Mechanical Design and Component Selection
• Chapter 3: Design Verification and Results
• Chapter 4: Engineering drawings (Assembly, Working, Bill of materials)
• References (At least five references) and finally Appendices (All charts and tables).
Group PowerPoint presentation:
Each group will have a 15-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.
Optional but highly recommended:
• 3D CAD assembly model and motion simulation.
• Finite element analysis of more than one critical component.
• 3D-printed prototype of the mechanical transmission system.
Assessment Criteria:
Component Weight
Design calculations 50%
Oral exam performance 20%
PowerPoint presentation 20%
Report quality 10%
Any optional task + 20%
With best of luck and wishes,
Benha Faculty of Engineering (Summer 2026) 6