Introduction
What is a Machine?
Machine design is important part of engineering applications, but what is a machine?
Machine is the devise that comprises of the stationary parts and moving parts combined
together to generate, transform or utilize the mechanical energy. Some examples of machines
are: lathe, engine, compressor etc.
What is a Machine?
Machine design is an important part of engineering applications, but what is a machine?
Machine is the devise that comprises of the stationary parts and moving parts combined
together to generate, transform or utilize the mechanical energy. All the machines are made
up of elements or parts and units. Each element is a separate part of the machine and it may
have to be designed separately and in assembly. Each element in turn can be a complete part
or made up of several small pieces which are joined together by riveting, welding etc. Several
machine parts are assembled together to form what we call as complete machine.
Here are some examples of the machines:
1) Lathe: It utilizes mechanical energy to cut the metals. The other types of machine tools
also perform the same task.
2) Turbines: They produce mechanical energy.
3) Compressors: They use mechanical energy to compress the air.
4) Engines: They consume the fuel and produce mechanical energy.
5) Refrigerators and air-conditioners: They use mechanical engineering to produce cooling
effect.
6) Washing machines: They use mechanical energy to wash the clothes.
Classification of Machines
Considering the various applications of the machines, they are classified into three main
types, these are:
1) Machines generating mechanical energy: The machines generating mechanical energy
are also called as prime movers. These machines convert some form of energy like heat,
hydraulic, electrical, etc into mechanical energy or work. The most popular example of these
machines is the internal combustion engine in which the chemical energy of the fuel is
converted into heat energy which in turn is converted into mechanical work in the form of the
rotation of the wheels of the vehicle. Some other examples of this group of machines are gas
turbines, water turbines, steam engine etc.
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2) Machines transforming mechanical energy: These machines are called converting
machines because they convert mechanical energy into other form of energy like electricity,
hydraulic energy etc. Some examples of these machines are electric generator in which the
rotation of the shaft is converted into electrical energy, and hydraulic pump in which the
rotation energy of the rotors is converted into the hydraulic energy of the fluid.
3) Machines utilizing mechanical energy: These machines receive mechanical energy and
utilize it for various applications. Some examples of these machines are lathe machine that
utilizes the mechanical energy to cut metals and washing machine that utilizes the rotation of
the rotor for washing the clothes
What are Machine Elements?
All the machines are made up of elements or parts and each element may have to be designed
separately and in assembly. The machines elements are classified into two main types:
general purpose elements like nuts, bolts, bearings, couplings and special purpose elements
like piston, crankshaft etc.
What are Machine Elements?
All the machines are made up of elements or parts and units. Each element is a separate part
of the machine and it may have to be designed separately and in assembly. Each element in
turn can be a complete part or made up of several small pieces which are joined together by
riveting, welding etc. Several machine elements are assembled together to form what we call
as complete machine, which performs various applications.
Classification of Machines Elements
The machines elements are classified into two main types: general purpose elements and
special purpose elements. These have been described below:
1) General purpose elements: The elements which are common to various types of
machines serving different applications are called general purpose elements. Examples of
these elements are nuts, bolts, keys, axles, shafts, couplings, bearings etc.
2) Special purpose elements: The elements that are used only in the specific type of machine
are called as special purpose elements. For instance piston and connecting rods are used in
the engines and compressors, while blades are used in the turbines and blowers. Some other
examples are cam shafts, push roads, crankshaft, cylinder etc
Types of General Purpose Elements
The general purpose elements, which are common in all types of machines, are classified into
two types: fasteners and elements of rotary motion drive. These are described below:
1) Fasteners: The fasteners are the machine elements that connect or join various parts of the
machine. The joints can be of permanent type or temporary type. The permanent joints are
the ones that cannot be separated or disassembled into individual elements without destroying
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or damaging them. The examples of permanent joints are welded joints, riveted joints etc.
The temporary joints are the ones in which the individual elements of the assembly can be
separated easily without destroying or damaging them. The joints obtained by nut and bolt,
and the cotter joints are common and widely used examples of the temporary joints.
2) Elements of rotary motion drive: These are the elements that help transmit the motion or
power to or from the machines. For example belt connected to the motor and pump helps
running the pump. The fear box helps transmit the motion and power from the engine to the
wheels of the vehicles. Other examples of elements of the rotary motion drive are rope, chain,
gear, worm drives, shafts, axles, couplings, bearings etc.
Machine elements
Machines are assembled from components called machine elements. These elements consist
of mechanisms that control movement in various ways such as gear trains, transistor switches,
belt or chain drives, linkages, cam and follower systems, brakes and clutches, and structural
components such as frame members and fasteners.
Modern machines include sensors, actuators and computer controllers. The shape, texture and
color of covers provide a styling and operational interface between the mechanical
components of a machine and its users.
What is Engineering Design?
There are various branches of engineering like Mechanical, Automobile, Civil, Electrical,
Chemical, Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer, IT, Petroleum etc. At the heart of all
the applications of various branches of engineering is Engineering Design. Let us see what
engineering design is.
Importance of Engineering
Engineering is one of the most important fields discovered by the human beings. Almost all
the applications being used by the human beings have engineering background in some or the
other way. There are various branches of engineering like Mechanical, Automobile, Civil,
Electrical, Chemical, Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer, IT, Petroleum and many
others.
Some branches of engineering are core branches like Mechanical, Civil, Electrical etc for
without them the progress of the humankind is unthinkable. Then there are some branches
like Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer etc that are applications intensive and they
increase the productivity and efficiency of the human brain.
Different branches of engineering have different applications. For instance the applications of
mechanical engineering are automobiles, refrigerators and air-conditioners, various types of
machines like milling, drilling, lathe etc, various types of appliances and much more. Some
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applications of electrical engineering are power supply systems in the big industries,
domestic power supply systems, transformers etc. Some applications of chemical engineering
are various chemicals like caustic, HCL acid, fertilizers, etc. Some applications of electronics
engineering are various appliances like television, lights, washing machines, dishwashers etc.
What is Engineering Design?
At the heart of all the applications of various branches of engineering is Engineering Design.
To understand its importance let us for example consider a car. If the new car is to be
manufactured, the manufacturing engineer just cannot manufacture the car haphazardly on his
or her own. It’s not like say last night the manufacturing engineer dreamt of the car and next
day the production started. The most important part before manufacturing the car is designing
the car. The car has to be designed to give it particular shape considering the aesthetics,
ergonomics, costs, safety, security etc. It cannot be designed all at once rather various
iterations are carried out that means if one option is not suitable the other is considered. The
iterative design and calculations will keep on going unless the beautiful looking car with all
the modern facilities that can be made available at affordable costs to the potential customers
has been designed. Manufacturing the car will be the last step.
Thus designing is the most crucial part of any branch of engineering. Engineering Design can
be defined as the iterative decision making process which creates the plans to convert
resources optimally into systems, processes or devices so as to perform the desired functions
and meet the needs of the humans. In brief, in engineering design we first consider various
resources available and then make plans to convert these resources into suitable systems,
processes or devices to meet certain functional and human needs by making the best use of
the resources at the lowest possible cost.
The main aim of the engineering design course is to help the students apply knowledge that
they have gained from their studies in science, engineering, social studies, and humanities to
the solution of the practical engineering problems. The object of Engineering Design course
is not to teach the new engineering course, rather it is to help the students utilize purposefully
and effectively whatever they have they have already learnt
What is Mechanical Design or Machine
Design?
Mechanical Design or Machine Design is the branch of Engineering Design. Machine design
or Mechanical Design can lead to the formation of the entirely new machine or it can lead to
improvement of the existing machine. Let us see what machine design is.
What is Machine Design
Mechanical Design or Machine Design is one of the important branches of Engineering
Design. To understand what exactly machine design or mechanical design is let us consider
the example of the gear box of the car. The gear box transmits the motion and the power of
the engine to the wheels of the vehicle. The gearbox comprises group of gears which are
subjected to not only motion but also the load of the vehicle. For the gears to run at desired
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speeds and take desired loads it is important that they should be designed. During designing
various calculations are performed considering desired speeds and loads and finally the gear
of particular material and specific dimensions that can take all loads and that can be
manufactured at least possible cost giving optimum performance is designed. In similar
fashion all the components of the car, including engine, have to be designed so that they
optimally meet all the functional requirements at lowest possible cost. This whole process of
designing is called as machine design or mechanical design
Machine Design or Mechanical Design can be defined as the process by which resources or
energy is converted into useful mechanical forms, or the mechanisms so as to obtain useful
output from the machines in the desired form as per the needs of the human beings. Machine
design can lead to the formation of the entirely new machine or it can lead to up-gradation or
improvement of the existing machine. For instance if the existing gearbox is too heavy or
cannot sustain the actual loads, entirely new gearbox can be designed. But if the same
gearbox has the potential to lift more loads, it can be upgraded by making certain important
changes in its design.
The Purpose of Machine Design Course
The course in Machine Design help students understand the fundamentals of designing the
most commonly used parts, elements and units of various machines. Small components of
machine on assembling make a big machine, hence the machine as a whole as well as its
individual components have to be designed.
The knowledge of machine design helps the designers as follows:
1) To select proper materials and best suited shapes,
2) To calculate the dimensions based on the loads on machines and strength of the material,
3) Specify the manufacturing process for the manufacture of the designed component of the
machine or the whole machine.
Machine Design is the application of: mathematics, kinematics, statics, dynamics, mechanics
of materials, engineering materials, mechanical technology of metals and engineering
drawing. It also involves application of other subjects like thermodynamics, electrical theory,
hydraulics, engines, turbines, pumps etc. Machine drawing is the integral part of the machine
design, since all the components or the machines that have been designed should be drawn to
manufacture them as per the specifications. Without machine drawing the subject of machine
design is incomplete
Definition of Machine Design
Machine design is the process of engineering design. A machine is made up of mechanisms
that work together to satisfy the requirements of what the machine needs to accomplish.
Mechanisms can still be used independently, such as an umbrella, but cannot accomplish
what a machine can because a machine controls energy in addition to motion. Machine
design takes into account kinetics and kinematics, which deal with motion and the forces on
an object in motion. Machine design is applied through a specific process including
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determining what the machine needs to do, benchmarking and defining goals and
requirements, brainstorming, evaluating and selecting from the different options, creating an
in-depth design, creating and testing a prototype, and finally manufacturing the machine.
Why do you learn machine elements
Identification or selection of proper safety factor to avoid failure before the expected
life of the component;
Fatigue life and fatigue strength of machine elements;
Causes of stress concentration in machine elements;
Analysis of the strength of bolted, welded, riveted and interference fitted joints;
Analysis of pressure vessels, valves and sealing mechanisms;
Design of springs.
Machine Design or Mechanical Design
This is the series of articles on Machine Design or Mechanical Design. Machine design and
drawing are very important subjects of mechanical engineering. No produce can be
manufactured without designing it. Here some basic concepts of machine design or
mechanical design have been covered.
1. What is Engineering Design?
2. What is Mechanical Design or Machine Design?
3. What is a Machine?
4. What are Machine Elements?
5. Factors to be considered during Machine Design: Part-1
6. Factors to be considered during Machine Design: Part-2
7. Machine Design Procedure
8. Skills a Good Machine Designer should possess
Factors to be considered during Machine
Design: Part-1
When the designer designs the elements of the machine or the complete machine, they have
to consider several important parameters. Here are some of the important factors to be
considered while doing machine design.
Factors to be considered while Designing Machine
When the designer designs the elements of the machine or the complete machine, they have
to consider several important parameters. Here are some of the important factors to be
considered while doing machine design:
1) Cost: Cost has always been the major factor of consideration while designing the machine
elements or machine and in this age of competition it has become more important. The best
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machine design is the one which helps get the finished product with all the major
functionalities and highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost. Gone are the days
when expensive and bulky materials were used for making the machine elements.
2) High output and efficiency: Earlier machines used to be very heavy and consume lots of
power. Now the trend is of full functional machines consuming low power and giving high
output in terms of the number of the of products manufactured. Some computer controlled
machines can manufacture the components very fast and are highly efficient
3) Strength: The machine elements or the machine should be strong enough to sustain all the
forces it is designed for so that it is not damaged or permanently deformed during its life
time. Right at the time of the designing the machine the designer should consider the force
machine can be applied to and consider all the relevant factors that could affects its life.
4) Stiffness or rigidity: The machine should be rigid enough so that under the effect of
applied forces for which it is designed there is no deformation of the machine or machine
elements beyond the specified limits. If there is excessive deformation, there are chances of
the failure of the machine elements and the whole machine.
5) Wear resistance: Wear is the removal of the material from the metallic surface when two
surfaces rub with each other. If there is more removal of the material, the component will
become weaker and eventually break. The wear of the contacting surfaces can be reduced by
the lubrication of the surfaces, increasing the strength or the hardness of the working
surfaces. The effect of wear can also be reduce by increasing the surface, so that during the
lifetime of the mating machine elements they will not fail even if there is some wearing
between them.
6) Lubrication: Lubrication between the two mating surfaces of the elements of the machine
help reducing friction between them and wearing of the two surfaces, which results in the
increase in life of the components of the machine.
7) Operational safety: For the safety of the operator of the machine, the hazard producing
things from the machine should be eliminated and the design should confirm to the safety
codes.
Factors to be considered during Machine
Design: Part-2
When the designer designs the elements of the machine or the complete machine, they have
to consider several important parameters. Here are some of the important factors to be
considered while doing machine design:
Factors to be considered while Designing Machine
8) Ease of assembly: The elements of the machine should be such that the machine can be
assembled very easily. For the mass production of the complex machines like automobiles,
type writers etc, the concept of unit assemblies are common. The unit assemblies are
assembled together to form the complete machine.
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9) Ease and simplicity of disassembly: Like assembly, the disassembly of the machine also
should be easy so as to easily carry out replacement of the parts, and repair and maintenance
of the machine and machine elements.
10) Ease and simplicity of servicing and control: The machine and its element should be
simple enough so that very little maintenance and servicing is required. The repair and
maintenance of the machine should be easy and cheap and simple replacements should be
available.
11) Light weight and minimum dimensions: The machine elements and machine should be
strong, rigid and wear resistant with minimum weight and least dimensions. This can be
achieved by using light weight rolled sections and hardening the metals. Using high strength
grades of cast iron and light alloys can further help getting light materials and minimum
dimensions of the machine elements. Improving the design in this direction is very important.
12) Reliability: The reliability of the machine is a very important if the machine has to find
the huge market in the business.
13) Durability: The longer the life of the machine more it develops the reputation of being
the dependable machine and more will be its sale. Hence the right at the time of designing
reliability and durability should be given priority. For this the machine should be designed for
least maintenance requirements and long-life.
14) Economy of performance: For the proper economic performance of the machine correct
mechanical, hydraulic, thermodynamic and other principles should be applied while
designing the elements of the machine and the whole machine.
15) Accessibility: The machine elements and machine the whole should be easy to handle
and access.
16) Processability: The shape and the materials for the elements of the machine should be
such that they can the processing costs and labor costs are lowest possible.
17) Compliance with state standards: Following the standards makes designing easier and
availability of various parts faster and easier.
18) Economy of repairs and maintenance: While designing the machine elements and
machine the designing should be such that least amount of repairs and maintenance will be
required for the machine.
19) Use of standard parts: There should be maximum possible standard parts in the design
of the machine. This will help reduce the cost of the machine and ensure easy availability of
the parts. With standard parts the design can be modified easily.
20) Use of easily available materials: Materials selected for the machine elements during
the design should be available easily and lowest possible costs.
21) Appearance of the machine: While designing the machine the aesthetics and
ergonomics of the machine should be given due consideration without affecting its
functionality.
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22) Number of machines to be built: Designing of the machine will depend a lot on the
number of machines to be manufactured. If few numbers of machines are to be manufactured
then expensive materials and high production costs can be considered, but for the mass
production economy of the machine should be top priority.
Machine Design Procedure
There is no fixed machine design procedure for when the new machine element of the
machine is being designed a number of options have to be considered. When designing
machine one cannot apply rigid rules to get the best design for the machine at the lowest
possible cost.
There is no fixed machine design procedure for when the new machine element of the
machine is being designed a number of options have to be considered. When designing
machine one cannot apply rigid rules to get the best design for the machine at the lowest
possible cost. The designer who develops the habit of following a fixed line of steps for
designing the machine or machine elements cannot come out with the best product. When the
new product is to be developed the problems keep on arising at design stage, and these can be
solved only by having flexible approach and considering various ways.
Importanct Steps of Designing Machine
Though the machine design procedure is not standard, there are some common steps to be
followed; these can be followed as per the requirements wherever and whenever necessary.
Here are some guidelines as to how the machine design engineer can proceed with the design:
1) Making the written statement: Make the written statement of what exactly is the problem
for which the machine design has to be done. This statement should be very clear and as
detailed as possible. If you want to develop the new produce write down the details about the
project. This statement is sort of the list of the aims that are to be achieved from machine
design
2) Consider the possible mechanisms: When you designing the machine consider all the
possible mechanisms which help desired motion or the group of motions in your proposed
machine. From the various options the best can be selected whenever required.
3) Transmitted forces: Machine is made up of various machine elements on which various
forces are applied. Calculate the forces acting on each of the element and energy transmitted
by them.
4) Material selection: Select the appropriate materials for each element of the machine so
that they can sustain all the forces and at the same time they have least possible cost.
5) Find allowable stress: All the machine elements are subjected to stress whether small or
large. Considering the various forces acting on the machine elements, their material and other
factors that affect the strength of the machine calculate the allowable or design stress for the
machine elements.
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6) Dimensions of the machine elements: Find out the appropriate dimensions for the
machine elements considering the forces acting on it, its material, and design stress. The size
of the machine elements should be such that they should not distort or break when loads are
applied.
7) Consider the past experience: If you have the past experience of designing the machine
element or the previous records of the company, consider them and make the necessary
changes in the design. Further, designer can also consider the personal judgment so as to
facilitate the production of the machine and machine elements.
8) Make drawings: After designing the machine and machine elements make the assembly
drawings of the whole machines and detailed drawings of all the elements of the machine. In
the drawings clearly specify the dimensions of the assembly and the machine elements, their
total number required, their material and method of their production. The designer should
also specify the accuracy, surface finish and other related parameters for the machine
elements.
Skills a Good Machine Designer should
possess
Machine designer is the one who designs the machine and its various elements. A good
machine designer possesses some skills that help him/her design the machine elements and
machine that meet all the needs of the designer and that helps develop the high quality
machine at lowest possible costs.
Introduction
Machine designer is the one who designs the machine and its various elements. A good
machine designer possesses some skills that help him/her design the machine elements and
machine that meet all the needs of the designer and that helps develop the high quality
machine at lowest possible costs. These skills help the machine design engineer consider all
the relevant parameters in the broad sense and understand their effects on machine. The good
designer has knowledge of wide range of subjects related to the machine that helps them find
out the best solution to the problem. Their communications skills help them communicate
their problem to others and get find the solution of the problem from different sources.
Some Importanct Skills the Machine Designer should possess
Here are some important skills that a good machine designer should possess.
1) Inventiveness: This skill is the foundation stone for a good machine design engineer. Any
new design starts with the need or some objective. A good designer should have
inventiveness, which is the ability to think of or discover valuable and useful ideas or
concepts for the things or processes to achieve the given objective. Without inventiveness the
designer cannot start the process of machine design.
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2) Engineering analysis: Engineering analysis is the ability of the designer to analyze the
given component, system or the process using engineering and scientific principles. The
designer who possesses this skill will be able to find answer to the engineering related
problems very quickly for he or she knows what exactly the problem is and where it is.
3) Engineering science: This is another skill without which the designer will just not be able
to do any designing. A good designer is the one who has thorough knowledge of and in depth
training in the engineering science in which they are doing designing. For instance, if the
person doesn’t know what the refrigerator is and other basics of mechanical engineering how
will they be able to design the refrigerator?
4) Interdisciplinary ability: A good design engineer is the one who has the ability to solve
the problems not only those related to his/her specialty, but also have the ability to
competently and confidently deal the basic problems or ideas from other disciplines which
are in some or the other manner linked to the machine they are designing.
5) Mathematical skills: All types of designs involve lots of mathematical calculations and
iterations. A good designer should have the knowledge of all the basics and advanced
mathematical concepts so that they can be applied fruitfully and effectively wherever
required.
6) Decision making: During designing many times a number of uncertain situations arrive, in
such cases the designer should be able to take the decision with balanced mind considering
all the relevant factors involved. If the person doesn’t maintain the balance of mind and
doesn’t consider all the relevant factors there are greater chances of taking the wrong
decision.
7) Manufacturing processes: The design engineer should have the knowledge of the
manufacturing process like cutting, drilling, milling etc and the knowledge of all the
machines. They should also the knowledge of potential and limitations of all the machines
and manufacturing processes which may be old or new.
8) Communication skills: Communication skill is the ability of the design engineer to
express oneself clearly and persuasively orally, graphically as well as in writing.
These are the important skills that the machine design engineer or rather any designer should
posses. Apart from this there are many other skills desired from a good designers, these are:
skill in design, good judgment, simulation skill, measurement skill, thought skill, work in
team, ability to make conclusion etc
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Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a
system (as in architectural blueprints, engineering drawing, business process, circuit diagrams and
sewing patterns) while "to design" (verb) refers to making this plan.[1] No generally-accepted
definition of "design" exists,[2] and the term has different connotations in different fields (see design
disciplines below). However, one can also design by directly constructing an object (as in pottery,
engineering, management, cowboy coding and graphic design).
Machine
Definitions (3)
1. General: Semi or fully automated device that magnifies human physical and/or mental capabilities
in performing one or more operations.
2. Mechanics: Device that makes mechanical work easier by overcoming a resistance (load) at one
end by application of effort (force) at the other end.
3. Systems: Purposefully organized set of components whose interconnections and inner workings
are known or apparent. The behavior of a properly functioning machine is entirely predictable: its
present state determines its next state, and the same inputs always yield the same outputs
Read more: [Link]
ournal of Mechanical Design
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Volume: Page/CID:
Design theory and methodology (including creativity in design and decision analysis), design
automation (including risk and reliability-based optimization, design sensitivity analysis,
geometric design, and integration of engineering design with market, economic, and aesthetic
considerations), design for manufacturing, design of direct contact systems (including cams,
gears and power transmission systems), design of mechanisms, design of macro-, micro- and
nano-scaled mechanical systems, machine component and system design, and design
education
Machine elements
Machines are assembled from components called machine elements. These elements consist
of mechanisms that control movement in various ways such as gear trains, transistor switches,
belt or chain drives, linkages, cam and follower systems, brakes and clutches, and structural
components such as frame members and fasteners.
Modern machines include sensors, actuators and computer controllers. The shape, texture and
color of covers provide a styling and operational interface between the mechanical
components of a machine and its users.
Material selection is a step in the process of designing any physical object. In the context of
product design, the main goal of material selection is to minimize cost while meeting product
performance goals.[1] Systematic selection of the best material for a given application begins
with properties and costs of candidate materials. For example, a thermal blanket must have
poor thermal conductivity in order to minimize heat transfer for a given temperature
difference.
Systematic selection for applications requiring multiple criteria is more complex. For
example, a rod which should be stiff and light requires a material with high Young's modulus
and low density. If the rod will be pulled in tension, the specific modulus, or modulus divided
by density , will determine the best material. But because a plate's bending stiffness
scales as its thickness cubed, the best material for a stiff and light plate is determined by the
cube root of stiffness divided density .
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