Mechanical Engineering for Makers: A Hands-on Guide to Designing and Making Physical Things

by Brian Bunnell, Samer Najia

Overview

This practical, user-friendly reference book of common mechanical engineering concepts is geared toward makers who don't have (or want) an engineering degree but need to know the essentials of basic mechanical elements to successfully accomplish their personal projects. The book provides practical mechanical engineering information (supplemented with the applicable math, science, physics, and engineering theory) without being boring like a typical textbook. Most chapters contain at least one hands-on, fully illustrated, step-by-step project to demonstrate the topic being discussed and requires only common, inexpensive, easily sourced materials and tools. Some projects also provide alternative materials and tools and processes to align with the reader's individual preferences, skills, tools, and materials-at-hand. Linked together via the authors' overarching project — building a kid-sized tank — the chapters describe the thinking behind each mechanism and then expands the discussions to similar mechanical concepts in other applications. Written with humor, a bit of irreverence, and entertaining personal insights and first-hand experiences, the book presents complex concepts in an uncomplicated way.

Highlights include:

Provides mechanical engineering information that includes math, science, physics and engineering theory without being a textbook

Contains hands-on projects in each chapter that require common, inexpensive, easily sourced materials and tools

All hands-on projects are fully illustrated with step-by-step instructions

Some hands-on projects provide alternative materials and tools/processes to align with the reader's individual preferences, skills, tools and materials-at-hand

Includes real-world insights from the authors like tips and tricks ("Staying on Track") and fail moments ("Lost Track!")

Many chapters contain a section ("Tracking Further") that dives deeper into the chapter subject, for those readers that are interested in more details of the topic

Builds on two related Make: projects to link and illustrate all the chapter topics and bring individual concepts together into one system

Furnishes an accompanying website that offers further information, illustrations, projects, discussion boards, videos, animations, patterns, drawings, etc.

Learn to effectively use professional mechanical engineering principles in your projects, without having to graduate from engineering school!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680455878
Publisher:	Make Community, LLC
Publication date:	01/28/2020
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	346,657
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Brian Bunnell is a mechanical engineer by education but a tinkerer at heart. He earned his Engineering Degree from Clemson Universityin 2000 and has been working in mechanical design ever since. Brian began tinkering early on (creating crazy projects with his Dad), and Making quickly became his lifelong passion.

Samer Najia holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Duke Universityand an MBA from American University, but he is a passionate serial Maker, particularly of things that move and especially of things that fly. Samer started building at age six and never stopped. His projects just seem to get bigger over time.

Table of Contents

1 Mechanical Engineering - A Maker's Perspective 1

Basic Topics of Mechanical Engineering 1

Simple Machines 3

Materials 4

Stress (in the mechanical sense) 6

Static Structures and Dynamic Systems 7

Thermal/Fluid Systems 8

Electrical Engineering and Electromechanical Systems 9

Design and Design Tools 10

Manufacturing 11

Two Tales of Maker Inspiration 13

2 So You Have and Idea for a Project - Let's Make It Real! 16

Project-Realization Process 17

Define the Project Idea 18

Define the Specifications 18

Conceptualize (Sketch) the Concept 20

Perform the Research 22

Fabricate the Project Idea 23

Test and Refine the Project Idea 28

Air Horn Project 29

Modularization of Design 42

Object-Oriented Programming 44

3 Materials Selection - Plastics, Woods, and Metals 46

Material Properties to Consider 47

Types of Materials 48

Examples of Material Shapes (Focus on Metals) 60

Protection from the Environment 62

Bonding Components Together 62

Tool Availability 63

Material Availability 63

Materials Breakdown for Brian's Tot-Size Tank 64

Materials Breakdown for Samer's Adult-Size Tank 73

4 Fasten-ating World of Fasteners & Adhesives 78

Types of Fasteners 79

Threaded Fastener Units of Measure 84

Assembly Basics 86

Corrosion 88

Fixing Fastener-related Mistakes 89

Adhesives 91

Fasteners Used in the Tot-Size Tank 93

5 Shaping the Ship - Giving Your Project Structure 98

Design Considerations for Structures 100

A Static Structure Example - Tot-Size Tank Body 106

A Dynamic Structure Example - Tot-Size Tank Tracks 108

6 Levers - Handling the Suspense 112

Classes of Levers 114

Classy Lever Contraption Project 117

The Accordion Project 127

7 Pulleys - Get into the Groove 132

Claw and Pulley Experiments 135

The Door Frame Clampy Claw (DFCC) Detour Project 136

Pulley Experiments Project 144

PVC Articulated Crane (PAC) Project 152

8 Gears and Gear Trains - Grinding, Isn't It 166

Types of Gears 168

General Gear Nomenclature - The Simplest Example (the Spur Gear) 171

Gear Ratios 172

The Humble Can Opener - A Gear Ratio Discussion and Intro to Compound Gears 175

Gear-Based Device Discussion: Differetial 176

The Cog Gear Differential (CGD) Project 179

9 Why Stop Now? 188

The Reality of Making vs. Engineering 189

Pneumatic Paper "Rockets" 190

Making a Pneumatic (Paper) Rocket Project 191

Pneumatic Rocket Launcher Project 194

Removable/Replaceable Model Rocket Booster Section 199

Pneumatic Cannon - Harnessing the Power of Air 202

Pneumatic Cannon - How it Works 204

Altitude Payload Dropper - Using Hobby Servos, Sensors & Microcontrollers 206