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Week 12: Mechanical Design and Machine Design

Week 12 Assignment:

  1. Group Assignment

  2. Individual Assignment

Notes from the Lecture

  • Parts: Stock parts and Custom parts

  • Stock Parts: Adding stock parts to your design dramatically opens up the space of possibilities. However, it cost money and take time to ship.

  • Buttonhead Screws -> fasterners, classic screw for attaching parts together with a strong normal force

  • Flathead Screws -> fasteners, these screws can be seated such that they are flush with the material that they are holding

  • Shoulder Screws -> fasteners, these screws have a smooth shaft along most of their length, ideal for pivot points and joints

  • Heat-set Inserts -> Gives parts a strong screw feature when your parts will be inserted/removed often

  • Dowel Pins -> parts for motion, these steel pins are smooth throughout. they can be pressed into materials permanently and also serve as shafts

  • Small L-brackets -> fasteners, tiny & thin stainless steel brackets, good for laser-cut corners

  • Push-in Plastic Rivets -> fasteners, removable and great for pivot points

  • Mechanisms: a device that transforms input forces and movement into a desired set of output forces and movement. For example: joints, cams, linkages, gears, pulleys. Making mechanisms with digital fabrication and stock parts opens up a moving-things design space!

  • Mechanisms include:

  • Joints

  • Cams

  • Linkages

  • Gears

  • Pulleys

  • Compliant Mechanisms

  • Consider friction and force needed to move your mechanisms!

  • Bearings