Lecture BY: Besufekad G.

Mechanical Engineering Department

Addis Ababa Science and Technology
University
November 2023
 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
Design
Design: To design is either to formulate a plan for the satisfaction
of a specified need or to solve a problem. If the plan results in the
creation of something having a physical reality, then the product
must be functional, safe, reliable, competitive, usable,
manufacturable, and marketable.
 It is an innovative and iterative process.
Mechanical Engineering Design: Mechanical engineering
design involves all the disciplines of mechanical engineering.
Machine design, machine elements design, machine component
design, system design and fluid power design, internal
combustion engine design etc are all focused to mechanical
engineering design.
 Phases and Interactions of the Design
Process
Brainstorming
What is the design process?
How does it begin?
Does the engineer simply sit down at a desk
with a blank sheet of paper and jot down
some ideas?
What happens next?
What factors influence or control the
decisions that have to be made?
Finally, how does the design process end?
 Recognition of the need
Identification
of Need and phrasing
Background
Research
Definition
of Problem
Goal Statement

Design Specification
Synthesis
(Requirement List)

Analysis Concept design

and
Optimizatio
n Construct Mathematical
model that simulates
real system
Evaluation
Selection

Detailed Design
Production Presentatio
n Prototyping and Testing

Figure The phases in design

 Design Considerations
Sometimes the strength required of an element in a system is
an important factor in the determination of the geometry and
the dimensions of the element.
In such a situation we say that strength is an important design
consideration. When we use the expression design
consideration, we are referring to some characteristic that
influences the design of the element or, perhaps, the entire
system.
 Design Considerations
 The broad objective of designing a machine element is to ensure that it
preserves its operating capacity during the stipulated service life with
minimum manufacturing and operating costs.
 In order to achieve this objective, the design engineer should consider the
following basic requirements:

1) Functionality 14)Noise
2) Strength/stress 15)Styling
3) Distortion/deflection/stiffness 16)Shape
4) Wear 17)Size
5) Corrosion 18)Control
6) Safety 19)Thermal properties
7) Reliability 20)Surface
8) Manufacturability 21)Lubrication
9) Utility 22)Marketability
10) Cost 23) Maintenance
11) Friction 24) Volume
12) Weight 25) Liability
13) Life 26) Remanufacturing/resource
recovery
 The design engineers professional
responsibilities
Satisfy the needs of a customer
Use a systematic approach (Understand, Identify,
assumptions, analysis, evaluation, presentation)
 Selection of Materials for Engineering Purposes
• The selection of a proper material, for engineering purposes, is
one of the most difficult problem for the designer.
• The best material is one which serve the desired objective at
the minimum cost.
• The following factors should be considered while selecting the
material :
1. Availability of the materials,
2. Suitability of the materials for the working conditions
in service, and
3. The cost of the materials.

• The important properties, which determine the utility of the

material are physical, chemical and mechanical properties
 Mechanical Properties of Engineering
Materials
Materials are characterized by their properties.

They may be hard, ductile or heavy. Conversely, they may

be soft, brittle or light.

The mechanical properties of materials are the properties

that describe the behavior of the material under the action
of external forces. They usually relate to elastic and plastic
behavior of the material.

Mechanical properties are of significant importance in the

selection of material for structural machine components.
A very useful information concerning the behavior of
material and its usefulness for engineering applications can
be obtained by making a tension test and plotting a curve
showing the variation of stress with respect to strain.
A tension test is one of the simplest and basic tests and
determines values of number of parameters concerned with
mechanical properties of materials like strength, ductility
and toughness.
Mechanical and physical properties of materials

Mechanical Properties Physical Properties

Strength Melting point
Stiffness Density
Elasticity Thermal electric conductivity
Ductility Coeff. Linear expansion
Brittleness luster, colour,
Malleability size and shape
Toughness
Machinability The mechanical properties of the
Resilience metals are those which are
Creep associated with the ability of the
Fatigue material to resist mechanical
Hardness forces and loads
 Resilience is the ability of the material to absorb energy
within elastic range.
Toughness is the ability to absorb energy within elastic and
plastic range.
 Standard and Codes
A standard is a set of specification for the parts, processes
and materials intent to achieve uniformity
A code is a set of specifications for the analysis, design,
manufacture and construction of something.
All of the organizations and societies listed below have
established specifications for standards and safety or design
codes. The name of the organization provides a clue
to the nature of the standard or code. The organizations of
interest to mechanical engineers are:
Aluminum Association (AA) American Bearing Manufacturers Association
American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) (ABMA)7
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) British Standards Institution (BSI)
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI)
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Institution of Mechanical Engineers (I. Mech. E.)
ASM International International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Standards Organization (ISO)
American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) National Institute for Standards and Technology
American Welding Society (AWS) (NIST)8
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
 Stress and Strength
Strength is a property of a material or of a mechanical
element.
The strength of an element depends on the choice, the
treatment, and the processing of the material.
Strength is an inherent property of a part, a property built into
the part because of the use of a particular material and
process.
Stress is a state of property at a specific point within a body
which is a function of load, geometry, temperature and
manufacturing process.
The survival of many products depends on how the designer
adjusts the maximum stresses in a component to be less than
the component’s strength at specific locations of interest.
The designer must allow the maximum stress to be less than
the strength by a sufficient margin so that despite the
uncertainties, failure is rare.
 Uncertainty
Examples of uncertainties concerning stress and strength
include:
Composition of material and the effect of variation on
properties.
Variations in properties from place to place within a bar of
stock.
Effect of processing locally, or nearby, on properties.
Effect of nearby assemblies such as weldments and shrink
fits on stress conditions.
Effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on properties.
Intensity and distribution of loading.
Validity of mathematical models used to represent reality.
Intensity of stress concentrations.
Influence of time on strength and geometry.
Effect of corrosion.
Effect of wear.
Uncertainty as to the length of any list of uncertainties.
Engineers must accommodate uncertainty.

Engineers must accommodate uncertainty. Uncertainty always

accompanies change.
Material properties, load variability, fabrication fidelity, and
validity of mathematical models are among concerns to
designers.
There are mathematical methods to address uncertainties.
The primary techniques are the deterministic and stochastic
methods.
The deterministic method establishes a design factor based
on the absolute uncertainties of a loss-of-function parameter
and a maximum allowable parameter. Here the parameter
can be load, stress, deflection, etc.
Thus, the design factor is defined as

If the parameter is load, then the maximum allowable load

can be found from
 Design Factor and Factor of Safety
A general approach to the allowable load versus loss-of-
function load problem is the deterministic design factor
method, and sometimes called the classical method of
design. The fundamental equation is equation where is
called the design factor.
All loss-of-function modes must be analyzed, and the mode
leading to the smallest design factor governs. After the
design is completed, the actual design factor may change as
a result of changes such as rounding up to a standard size for
a cross section or using off-the-shelf components with higher
ratings instead of employing what is calculated by using the
design factor. The factor is then referred to as the factor of
safety, n.
The factor of safety has the same definition as the design
factor, but it generally differs numerically.
Since stress may not vary linearly with load, using load as
the loss-of-function parameter may not be acceptable. It is
more common then to express the design factor in terms of a
stress and a relevant strength. Thus equation of design factor
can be rewritten as

The stress and strength terms in the equation must be of the

same type and units. Also, the stress and strength must apply
to the same critical location in the part.
 Recommended Values for a Safety Factor
For this purpose, the following recommendations of Joseph
Vidosic are suggested. These safety factors are based on
yield strength.
1. SF = 1.25 to 1.5 for exceptionally reliable materials used
under controllable conditions and subjected to loads and
stresses that can be determined with certainty—used almost
invariably where low weight is a particularly important
consideration.
2. SF = 1.5 to 2 for well-known materials, under reasonably
constant environmental conditions, subjected to loads and
stresses that can be determined readily.
3. SF = 2 to 2.5 for average materials operated in ordinary
environments and subjected to loads and stresses that can be
determined.
4. SF = 2.5 to 3 for less tried materials or for brittle materials
under average conditions of environment, load, and stress.
5. SF = 3 to 4 for untried materials used under average
conditions of environment, load, and stress.
6. SF = 3 to 4 should also be used with better known materials
that are to be used in uncertain environments or subjected to
uncertain stresses.
7. Repeated loads: The factors established in items 1 to 6 are
acceptable but must be applied to the endurance limit rather
than to the yield strength of the material.
8. Impact forces: The factors given in items 3 to 6 are
acceptable, but an impact factor should be included.
9. Brittle materials: Where the ultimate strength is used as
the theoretical maximum, the factors presented in items 1 to
6 should be approximately doubled.
10. Where higher factors might appear desirable, a more
thorough analysis of the problem should be undertaken before
deciding on their use.
 Dimension and Tolerances
The manufacture of interchangeable parts require precision.
Precision is the degree of accuracy to ensure the functioning of
a part as intended.
However, experience shows that it is impossible to make parts
economically to the exact dimensions. This may be due to,
(i) inaccuracies of machines and tools,
(ii) inaccuracies in setting the work to the tool, and
(iii) error in measurement, etc.
The workman, therefore, has to be given some allowable
margin so that he can produce a part, the dimensions of which
will lie between two acceptable limits, a maximum and a
minimum.
The system in which a variation is accepted is called the limit
system and the allowable deviations are called tolerances.
The relationships between the mating parts are called fits.
The study of limits, tolerances and fits is a must for
technologists involved in production.
The same must be reflected on production drawing, for
guiding the craftsman on the shop.
 Dimension and Tolerances.
The following terms are used generally in dimensioning:
Nominal size. The size we use in speaking of an
element. For example,
we may specify a 40 mm pipe or a ½ in bolt. Either the
theoretical size or the actual measured size may be quite
different. The theoretical size of a 40 mm pipe is 47.5 mm
for the out-side diameter. And the diameter of the ½ in bolt,
say, may actually measure 0.492 in.
Limits. The stated maximum and minimum dimensions.
Tolerance. The difference between the two limits.
Bilateral tolerance. The variation in both directions from
the basic dimension. That is, the basic size is between
the two limits, for example, 25±0.05 mm. The two parts of
the tolerance need not be equal.
Unilateral tolerance. The basic dimension is taken as one of
the limits, and variation is permitted in only one direction,
for example, 25 +0.05-0.00 mm
Clearance. A general term that refers to the mating of
cylindrical parts such as a bolt and a hole. The word
clearance is used only when the internal member is smaller
than the external member. The diametral clearance is the
measured difference in the two diameters. The radial
clearance is the difference in the two radii.
Interference. The opposite of clearance, for mating
cylindrical parts in which the internal member is larger than
the external member.
Allowance. The minimum stated clearance or the maximum
stated interference for mating parts.
Figure: Illustration of basic size deviations and tolerances