Mechanical Design Course

Lesson 1 • Material Properties and Selection Basics

Surveys metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites with key mechanical properties. Connects material choice to performance, cost, and manufacturability.

Lesson 2 • Engineering Drawing and Notation

Teaches orthographic projection, dimensioning, and standard drawing conventions. Enables accurate communication of design intent across engineering teams.

Lesson 3 • The Engineering Design Process

Covers iterative design stages from problem definition to validation. Provides the procedural framework used throughout the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Axial, Shear, and Bending Analysis

Derives internal force diagrams for beams and columns under combined loading. Directly informs cross-section sizing and material selection decisions.

Lesson 2 • Free Body Diagrams and Equilibrium

Trains systematic isolation of bodies and application of equilibrium equations. Forms the analytical backbone for all load-path calculations in design.

Lesson 3 • Deflection and Stiffness

Applies integration and energy methods to compute beam and shaft deflections. Enables stiffness-driven design where deformation limits performance.

Lesson 4 • Torsion and Shaft Loading

Analyses circular and non-circular shafts under torsional and combined loads. Prepares students to design power-transmitting shafts in mechanical systems.

Lesson 1 • Fatigue Failure Criteria

Applies Goodman, Gerber, and Soderberg diagrams to combined mean and alternating stress. Enables safe-life design decisions for fluctuating load scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Reliability and Statistical Design

Applies statistical distributions to strength and load variability for probabilistic design. Connects reliability targets to factor-of-safety selection.

Lesson 3 • Cyclic Loading and S-N Curves

Introduces stress cycles, mean stress, and endurance limits from S-N data. Establishes the empirical basis for all fatigue life calculations.

Lesson 4 • Fracture Mechanics Fundamentals

Introduces stress intensity factors and crack growth to predict fracture-critical life. Supports damage-tolerant design where cracks may exist in service.

Lesson 1 • Polymers and Composites in Design

Covers thermoplastics, thermosets, and fibre-reinforced composites for lightweight structures. Addresses anisotropy, creep, and joining challenges unique to these materials.

Lesson 2 • Tribology and Wear in Design

Analyses friction, wear mechanisms, and lubrication to minimise surface degradation. Informs material pairing and surface finish decisions for sliding contacts.

Lesson 3 • Metals and Alloys in Design

Examines steels, aluminium, titanium, and cast iron for structural applications. Connects alloy composition and heat treatment to achievable mechanical properties.

Lesson 4 • Surface Treatments and Coatings

Reviews hardening, plating, thermal spray, and conversion coatings for wear and corrosion resistance. Links surface engineering choices to service life improvement.

Lesson 1 • Tolerance Stack-Up Analysis

Performs worst-case and statistical (RSS) stack-up analysis for multi-part assemblies. Balances tight tolerances against manufacturing cost to meet functional gaps.

Lesson 2 • Fits and Clearances for Assemblies

Applies clearance, transition, and interference fit systems to shaft-hole assemblies. Enables correct fit selection for rotating, sliding, and press-fit applications.

Lesson 3 • Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Introduces GD&T symbols, datum reference frames, and feature control frames. Provides unambiguous geometric specification beyond simple plus-minus tolerancing.

Lesson 1 • Shaft Design and Couplings

Integrates bending, torsion, and fatigue criteria to design power-transmitting shafts and select couplings. Produces a complete shaft layout with keys, shoulders, and fits specified.

Lesson 2 • Belt, Chain, and Flexible Drives

Sizes V-belt, synchronous belt, and roller chain drives for torque and speed requirements. Addresses tension ratios, service factors, and centre distance constraints.

Lesson 3 • Rolling Element Bearing Selection

Applies dynamic load ratings, L10 life, and speed limits to select ball and roller bearings. Connects bearing selection to shaft geometry, lubrication, and mounting constraints.

Lesson 4 • Gear Design and Analysis

Designs spur, helical, and bevel gears for bending and contact stress using standard rating methods. Integrates gear geometry, material, and lubrication into a complete gear set design.

Lesson 1 • Design for Manufacturability Principles

Applies DFM rules to reduce part complexity, tool changes, and scrap rates. Translates manufacturing constraints directly into geometry and tolerance decisions.

Lesson 2 • Design for Assembly Principles

Uses DFA metrics to minimise part count, assembly time, and error potential. Guides redesign of assemblies for manual and automated assembly processes.

Lesson 3 • Manufacturing Process Overview for Designers

Surveys casting, forging, machining, forming, and additive processes from a design perspective. Connects process capabilities to achievable geometry, tolerance, and surface finish.

Lesson 4 • Cost Estimation in Early Design

Applies parametric and feature-based cost models to compare design alternatives early. Enables cost-driven design decisions before detailed drawings are produced.

Lesson 1 • Design Documentation and Release

Produces a complete design package including drawings, BOM, and specifications for release. Covers engineering change control and configuration management fundamentals.

Lesson 2 • System-Level Design and Architecture

Decomposes system requirements into subsystem functions and interfaces using structured methods. Establishes the design architecture before detailed component work begins.

Lesson 3 • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

Applies FMEA to identify, rank, and mitigate potential failure modes before production. Integrates risk reduction directly into the design iteration process.

Lesson 4 • Design Review and Verification Planning

Structures formal design reviews and builds a verification matrix linking requirements to tests. Ensures every requirement is traceable to a validation activity.