Jigs and fixtures are used extensively for mass production. This article will explain what the 3-2-1 principle is and how it is important for jig and fixture design. One method of reducing manufacturing cost per component is to reduce machining cycle time. The manufacturing cycle time can be reduced by reducing nonproductive time like loading, unloading, and the placing…
The terms “jig” and “fixture” are many times referred as the synonyms of each other, sometimes both the terms are used together as “jig fixture.” Although, both jig and fixture are used in mass production process, functionally the two are different tools. What is a Jig? In simple terms, the jig is a tool that…
This article will explain how to calculate the mass moment of inertia of an irregular geometry. You need not use any tools for calculating the mass moment of inertia. Just learn the basics and calculate the mass moment of inertia manually in six simple steps. The mass moment of inertia is frequently used for mechanical design…
The volumetric efficiency and resonators in an air intake system are two closely related terms for the performance of naturally aspirated internal combustion engines. This article will discuss Helmholtz resonator designs and how intake resonators work. The intake manifolds of modern naturally aspirated IC engines are integrated with resonators. The purpose of the Helmholtz resonator…
This article will explain what area moment of inertia and polar moment of inertia are, and which moment of inertia you need to consider for beam deflection and torsion calculations. Beam deflection and torsion problems are the basics of traditional (non-FEA approach) structural mechanical design calculations. When solving such problems you have to deal with…
The area moment of inertia calculation formulas are readily available for regular cross sections. But, occasionally you may come across many mechanical design problems where you need to find out the area moment of inertia for irregular cross sections. Say, you need to find the area moment of inertia of the following irregular section (ABCDEF) with respect to…
Commonly used in microelectronics, transportation and telecommunications, micromachines play an already important role in our lives that will soon become even more prominent in the future. Introduction Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also popularly referred to as micromachines or transducers, are not so easy to define. The most general definition requires that at least one dimension of a micromachined device be in the micrometer range….
This article contains a technical description of how thrust augmentation nozzles increase the performance of rocket thrusters and solve the problem of rocket engines needing to work as efficiently in near-space conditions as they do near sea level for liftoff. Rocket thrusters are faced with a difficult problem. They must generate a massive amount of thrust…
This article will review the basic characteristics of rocket propulsion, including the application of Newton’s Third Law of Motion, types of propellants, forces acting on rockets during flight, and more. A rocket is an object that is propelled by the ejection of expanding gases that have been generated from propellants, and that does not depend…
Screw Jacks are devices used for raising and lowering heavy objects (weights) through external small manual labor. The article discusses the various calculations involved and explains the relation between weight which is to be lifted and the applied external force associated with these devices. Screw jacks are mechanical devices which are used to raise and lower…