Mechanical Design Resources

The following sections address some common mechanical design situations.

• Summary Guide: Mechanism
• Flat-Pack Joinery
• Actuators
• Motor Mounting
• Motor Hubs
• Hobby Servo Mounting
• Timing Belt Guide

• Lab Inventory: Fasteners
• Lab Inventory: Axle Components
• Lab Inventory: Actuators
• Lab Inventory: Miscellaneous

• Design Example: Gears
• Design Example: Joinery
• Design Example: Aluminum Extrusion Structures
• Design Example: Open Hub (3D Printed)
• Design Example: GT2 Timing Belt Drives (3D Printed)
• Design Example: Boxes and Enclosures
• Design Example: Stepper-Driven Turntable
• Design Example: Ring Turntable
• Design Example: Pan-Tilt Head
• Design Example: Two-Link Armature
• Design Example: Cam-Action Tubing Clamp
• Design Example: Laser Cutter Test Parts
• Reference: SolidWorks Component Models

• Systems Engineering
• Ideation and Brainstorming
• SolidWorks Overview

Exercises

The exercises are intended to be quick, simple introductions to technique. Part of the exercise is absorbing a set of technical terms; the meaning will become apparent in time through immersion in practice.

• Clay Linkage. Making a four-bar linkage from air-drying clay.

• Laser Cutting Features and Tolerances. Basic laser cutter design; introduction to engineering tolerance.

• Mechanisms for One-Bit Sensing. Using mechanical elements effectively to apply switches as sensors.

• Electromechanical Oscillation. Combining mechanical and electrical feedback to produce dynamics.