Mechanical Design Terms
Mechanical design, the process of designing and creating mechanical systems, requires technical knowledge of different components and their function. Designers must be familiar with many mechanical design terms in order to create a successful design. Here is a comprehensive list of mechanical design terms.
1. Axis: A line that the part or joint rotates or revolves around.
2. Bearing: A bearing is a mechanical part that limits and supports relative motion between another part and provides lower friction motion.
3. Bolts: A threaded fastener used to hold two or more parts together.
4. Clearance: This is the distance between two parts when they are not in contact.
5. Connecting Rod: A mechanical linkage between a piston and a crankshaft.
6. Coupling: A device that connects two parts together, usually by transferring torque.
7. Degree of Control: A set of actuators, sensors, and associated software used to control a system’s behavior.
8. Dowel Pin: A cylindrical pin used to align or secure parts during assembly.
9. Fastener: A device designed to hold two or more parts together.
10. Force: A push or a pull on an object that causes motion or creates a resistance against motion.
11. Gear: A rotating machine part with teeth that interlock with another toothed part.
12. Joint: The connection between two or more components.
13. Pin: A short, cylindrical device that slides into two parts.
14. Power Transfer: The movement of energy from one point to another by a mechanical means.
15. Pressure: The force per unit area acting on or over an area of a surface.
16. Shaft: A supporting structure for the rotation of an object.
17. Spring: An elastic member used to apply a force to a part.
18. Stress: The amount of force applied to a part.
19. Tolerance: The amount of allowable variation of a part as specified during manufacturing.
20. Torque: A twisting force that tends to cause rotation.
21. Welding: A process of joining two pieces of metal together.
Mechanical design requires designers to have technical knowledge of different components and their function. The terms listed above are just a few of the many mechanical design terms someone would have to understand to be successful in a mechanical design career. Engineers and manufacturers must have a strong understanding of mechanical design terms in order to create accurate and reliable designs.
