Mechanical Design

Introductory book

A very good introductory book about Mechanical Design is:

• [Skakoon2008]Skakoon J.G., The Elements of Mechanical Design, ASME Press, 2008.

The main rules from this book are:

1. Create designs that are explicitly simple - keep complexity intrinsic

2. Keep the functions of a design independent from one another

3. Use exact constraint when designing structures and mechanisms. Never overconstrain a design!

4. Plan the load path in parts, structures and assemblies.

5. Triangulate parts and structures to make them stiffer

6. Avoid bending stresses. Prefer tension and compression.

7. Improve designs with self-help.

8. Manage friction in mechanisms. Use friction deliberately or avoid it completely.

Important topics:

Important topics in Design and Mechanical Design in particular are:

1. Design light and stiff

2. Exact constraint design

3. The engineering design process

4. Design for manufacturability: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_for_manufacturability

5. Design for assembly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_for_assembly

Topics recently of more importance, because we only have 1 Earth, are:

1. Design for repairability

2. Design for sustainability

3. Circular design

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