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FundamentalsofMechanicalDesignMechanicaldesignmeansthedesignofthingsandsystemsofamechanicalnature—machines,products,structures,devices,andinstruments.Forthemostpartmechanicaldesignutilizesmathematics,thematerialssciences,andtheengineering-mechanicssciences.Thetotaldesignprocessisofinteresttous.Howdoesitbegin?Doestheengineersimplysitdownathisdeskwithablanksheetofpaper?And,ashejotsdownsomeideas,whathappensnext?Whatfactorsinfluenceorcontrolthedecisionswhichhavetobemade?Finally,then,howdoesthisdesignprocessend?Sometimes,butnotalways,designbeginswhenanengineerrecognizesaneedanddecidestodosomethingaboutit.Recognitionoftheneedandphrasingitinsomanywordsoftenconstituteahighlycreativeactbecausetheneedmaybeonlyavaguediscontent,afeelingofuneasiness,ofasensingthatsomethingisnotright.Theneedisusuallynotevidentatall.Forexample,theneedtodosomethingaboutafood-packagingmachinemaybeindicatedbythenoiselevel,bythevariationsinpackageweight,andbyslightbutperceptiblevariationsinthequalityofthepackagingorwrap.Thereisadistinctdifferencebetweenthestatementoftheneedandtheidentificationoftheproblem.Whichfollowsthisstatement?Theproblemismorespecific.Iftheneedisforcleanerair,theproblemmightbethatofreducingthedustdischargefrompower-plantstacks,orreducingthequantityofirritantsfromautomotiveexhausts.Definitionoftheproblemmustincludeallthespecificationsforthethingthatistobedesigned.Thespecificationsaretheinputandoutputquantities,thecharacteristicsofthespacethethingmustoccupyandallthelimitationsonthesequantities.Wecanregardthethingtobedesignedassomethinginablackbox.Inthiscasewemustspecifytheinputsandoutputsoftheboxtogetherwiththeircharacteristicsandlimitations.Thespecificationsdefinethecost,thenumbertobemanufactured,theexpectedlife,therange,theoperatingtemperature,andthereliability.Therearemanyimpliedspecificationswhichresulteitherfromthedesigner'sparticularenvironmentorfromthenatureoftheproblemitself.Themanufacturingprocesseswhichareavailable,togetherwiththefacilitiesofacertainplant,constituterestrictionsonadesigner'sfreedom,andhenceareapartoftheimpliedspecifications.Asmallplant,forinstance,maynotowncold-workingmachinery.Knowingthis,thedesignerselectsothermetal-processingmethodswhichcanbeperformedintheplant.Thelaborskillsavailableandthecompetitivesituationalsoconstituteimpliedspecifications.Aftertheproblemhasbeendefinedandasetofwrittenandimpliedspecificationshasbeenobtained,thenextstepindesignisthesynthesisofanoptimumsolution.Nowsynthesiscannottakeplacewithoutbothanalysisandoptimizationbecausethesystemunderdesignmustbeanalyzedtodeterminewhethertheperformancecomplieswiththespecifications.Thedesignisaniterativeprocessinwhichweproceedthroughseveralsteps,evaluatetheresults,andthenreturntoanearlierphaseoftheprocedure.Thuswemaysynthesizeseveralcomponentsofasystem,analyzeandoptimizethem,andreturntosynthesistoseewhateffectthishasontheremainingpartsofthesystem.Bothanalysisandoptimizationrequirethatweconstructordeviseabstractmodelsofthesystemwhichwilladmitsomeformofmathematicalanalysis.Wecallthesemodelsmathematicalmodels.Increatingthemitisourhopethatwecanfindonewhichwillsimulatetherealphysicalsystemverywell.Evaluationisasignificantphaseofthetotaldesignprocess.Evaluationisthefinalproofofasuccessfuldesign,whichusuallyinvolvesthetestingofaprototypeinthelaboratory.Herewewishtodiscoverifthedesignreallysatisfiestheneedorneeds.Isitreliable?Willitcompetesuccessfullywithsimilarproducts?Isiteconomicaltomanufactureandtouse?Isiteasilymaintainedandadjusted?Canaprofitbemadefromitssaleoruse?Communicatingthedesigntoothersisthefinal,vitalstepinthedesignprocess.Undoubtedlymanygreatdesigns,inventions,andcreativeworkshavebeenlosttomankindsimplybecausetheoriginatorswereunableorunwillingtoexplaintheiraccomplishmentstoothers.Presentationisasellingjob.Theengineer,whenpresentinganewsolutiontoadministrative,management,orsupervisorypersons,isattemptingtosellortoprovetothemthatthissolutionisabetterone.Unlessthiscanbedonesuccessfully,thetimeandeffortspentonobtainingthesolutionhavebeenlargelywasted.Basically,thereareonlythreemeansofcommunicationavailabletous.Therearethewritten,theoral,andthegraphicalforms.Thereforethesuccessfulengineerwillbetechnicallycompetentandversatileinallthreeformsofcommunication.Atechnicallycompetentpersonwholacksabilityinanyoneoftheseformsisseverelyhandicapped.Ifabilityinallthreeformsislacking,noonewilleverknowhowcompetentthatpersonis!Thecompetentengineershouldnotbeafraidofthepossibilityofnotsucceedinginapresentation.Infact,occasionalfailureshouldbeexpectedbecausefailureorcriticismseemstoaccompanyeveryreallycreativeidea.Thereisagreattobelearnedfromafailure,andthegreatestgainsareobtainedbythosewillingtoriskdefeat.Inthefindanalysis,therealfailurewouldlieindecidingnottomakethepresentationatall.IntroductiontoMachineDesignMachinedesignistheapplicationofscienceandtechnologytodeviseneworimprovedproductsforthepurposeofsatisfyinghumanneeds.Itisavastfieldofengineeringtechnologywhichnotonlyconcernsitselfwiththeoriginalconceptionoftheproductintermsofitssize,shapeandco