What is Machine Design?- Types, and Procedure

Machine design engineering incorporates mathematics, materials science knowledge, and engineering expertise to create objects, mechanisms, machines, and tools.

This article will go through the machine design process with practical examples and real-world applications, mainly from mechanical design.

As we delve deeper into the topic, you will discover how engineers use machine design to turn innovative ideas into tangible products.

What is Machine Design Engineering?

Machine Design Engineering (also known as Machine Design, Mechanical Engineering Industry) is an engineering discipline that covers the application of principles of physics for manufacturing or otherwise creating objects, mechanisms, machines, and tools.

It is the branch of engineering that combines mathematics, materials science, and engineering for the design, analysis, manufacturing or operation of machines and tools.

This discipline focuses on the combination of different machine elements such as mechanical components (such as gears, bearings etc.), electrical components (such as wires), hydraulic components (such as pipes) to accomplish a given task.

Machine Design Engineering is a vast field that includes many sub-disciplines such as manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, CAD/CAM, CMM etc.

Machine designing involves a high degree of mathematics and physics to produce desired precision and aesthetics in the machine or tool that is being designed. The built by the engineer should be fully functional and must satisfy the requirements of the end-user.

The machine design engineer should be able to judge what degree of accuracy is expected from a particular machine or tool and then produce a design that will result in the desired level of performance.

What is a machine?

The word machine originated from Latin meaning, “a tool that serves the purpose of a human”.

A mechanical device designed to perform a task uses energy and performs some action on its workpiece.

The action may be the movement of a piston, an electric current through a light bulb, or the transfer of heat from one location to another by means of conduction or radiation.

A machine consists of components such as structural members, fasteners, and electrical and electronic components. These parts are the “building blocks” of a machine, and they often have specialized names such as bearings, gaskets, and washers.

A machine is usually built by assembling many small pieces into a larger whole. For example, an automobile is assembled from thousands of pieces of metal, glass, and plastic that fit together to perform a specific task.

What are Machine Elements?

Machine elements are the discrete building blocks that are used to construct a machine. These components are either solid or fluid in nature and have distinct properties of flow, heat transfer etc.

The most basic machine element is the solid member, which has no capability of traveling through itself at any time. Solid members can be classified further into linear members and non-linear members.

Linear members are subject to displacement under load, whereas non-linear members come into play only when they are subjected to an applied force or torque.

The fluid elements include the following: control piping, air ducts, hydraulic cylinders & hoses, gas storage cylinders, and pressure vessels, etc.

There are many more machine elements that are used in the construction of machines, these include gears, shafts, spindles, couplings, clutches and brakes, bearings, etc.

Types of Machine

Machine design encompasses a wide range of machines and mechanical systems, each designed to serve a specific purpose. Here are some common types of machine design:

• Mechanical Machines: These machines include basic mechanisms such as gears, levers, cams, and linkages. They are designed to convert and transmit mechanical energy to perform tasks like lifting, rotating, or linear motion.
• Power Machinery: Power machines are designed to generate, transmit, and control mechanical power. Examples include engines, turbines, compressors, and pumps. They are employed in various industries for tasks like generating electricity, providing propulsion, or pressurizing fluids.
• Manufacturing Machinery: These machines are used in manufacturing processes, such as milling machines, lathes, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines, and 3D printers. They are designed to shape, cut, form, or add material to create products.
• Transportation Machinery: This category includes machines used in transportation systems, such as automobiles, aircraft, ships, and trains. These machines are designed for efficient propulsion, stability, and passenger or cargo handling.
• Agricultural Machinery: Agricultural machines are designed to aid in farming and cultivation processes. Examples include tractors, harvesters, seeders, and irrigation systems. They are engineered to increase productivity and efficiency in agricultural operations.
• Construction Machinery: Construction machines are designed for tasks related to building design and infrastructure development. These machines include excavators, bulldozers, cranes, and concrete mixers. They are designed for heavy-duty operations, earthmoving, and material handling.
• Robotics and Automation: Robotic machines and automation systems are designed to perform tasks autonomously or with minimal human intervention. They are used in various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics, to improve efficiency, precision, and safety.
• Special-Purpose Machinery: This category includes machines designed for specific applications or industries. Examples include textile machinery, food processing equipment, medical devices, and packaging machines. These machines are tailored to meet the unique requirements of their respective industries.

These are just a few examples of the diverse types of machine design.

Each type requires careful consideration of functional requirements, performance parameters, material selection, safety standards, and manufacturing processes to ensure optimal design and functionality.

Machine designers employ engineering design principles and advanced computer-aided design tools to create innovative and efficient machines for various industries and applications.

Types of Machine Design

As manufacturing technology evolves, we’ve seen impressive leaps when it comes to the creativity and complexity of machine design and mechanical engineering.

Machine elements that once seemed impossible are now commonplace in today’s manufacturing world, and while we all want to strive to be at the forefront of innovation, we can also make use of existing technology to get us moving in the right direction.

This is where the fundamentals of machine design come in, and they can be broken down into three categories:

• Adaptive Design,
• Developmental Design
• New Design.

1. Adaptive Design

One of the most basic, but widely used types of machine design is Adaptive Design. Think of the saying “don’t reinvent the wheel”.

Oftentimes, there is a machine component or design element that already exists and has been widely embraced that could be adapted to suit your purposes.

Adaptive Design utilizes basic features and tweaks them slightly to better fit a particular application.

Modifying technology that has already been proven effective can save engineers time and businesses money, and is often far more effective than trying to design apart from scratch.

2. Developmental Design

Similar to Adaptive Design, Developmental Design uses existing concepts and technology but adds or combines new machine elements and components to create something unique.

An example often referred to in Developmental Design is the motorcycle, which is essentially the marriage between a bicycle and a combustion engine.

The motorcycle was certainly a massive development in manufacturing technology and machine design, but it relies on preexisting mechanical elements to serve as the building blocks for something new.

3. New Design

The vast majority of machine design will fall into the previous two categories, but there are still new and unique parts and technology being created all the time.

These one-of-a-kind innovations would be considered New Design, where engineers and designers come up with something entirely original.

This is far less common, and often requires a great deal of time, money, and research. Because we live in a world of shared knowledge and technology, it is usually more productive and efficient to modify that which already exists,

But with the right idea and the proper experience, elements in the New Design space can be extremely lucrative and beneficial to the manufacturing world as a whole.

Designs based on the methods used can be classified as follows:

• Rational Design: This type of design depends on mathematical formulas of the principle of mechanics.
• Empirical Design: This type of design depends on empirical formulas based on practice and past experience.
• Industrial Design: This type of design depends on the product features for manufacturing any machine component in the industry.
• Optimal design: It is the best design for a given objective function under specified constraints. This can be achieved by reducing undesirable effects.
• System Design: It is the design of any complicated mechanical system like a motor car.
• Element Design: It is the design of any part of a mechanical system such as a crankshaft, piston, connecting rod, etc.
• Computer-Aided Design: This type of design relies on the use of computer systems to aid in the construction, modification, analysis, and optimization of a design.

What is a Machine Design Procedure?

Machine design procedures are the written instructions that machine designers use to create a machine. The steps in these procedures can vary, but they typically include:

• Studying the problem or task at hand
• Determining the function of the machine
• Sketching out ideas for a possible design
• Choosing the best design and creating a prototype
• Testing the prototype
• Modifying the design as needed
• Producing the machine

Machine design procedures typically take into account both the function of the machine and the constraints of its environment. For example, a machine that will be used in a factory might need to be able to withstand harsh conditions like extreme heat and noise.

The length of machine design procedures can vary depending on the machine being produced. For example, a machine for an office building may include only two or three steps while one for a space station might contain twenty-five steps.

How do you design a machine?

Steps in the Machine Design Procedure:

• Identifying the need for the Equipment or a Machine
• Selecting the possible Mechanisms
• Analysis of Forces
• Selection of Materials
• Design of Elements
• Modification
• Detailed Drawings
• Production
• Quality Checking

Lets know each one in detail

Identifying the need for the equipment or machine:

We must first locate the source of the problem inside the system. Whether the problem is present or not. Try to find out the problem inside system or outside of the system(problems facing by a person).

We should find out the need for the machine or a system before designing any part or machine. If there is no need of the machine or part they there is no point in the designing or manufacturing it.

Selecting the possible mechanism:

Choose and examine the optimum mechanisms and movements for the particular machine. There should be optimized mechanism for movement of the machine/part.

Be cautious in selecting the right or suitable mechanism, because this will decide the course of the direction of the machine/part.

Analysis of forces:

Then determine the forces affecting each machine part, whether it is moving or stationary. This will help you in selection of right material and dimensions.

Selection of Material:

After deciding the mechanism and analyzing the forces acting on the machine element, we have to select the suitable material to manufacture the element.

According to the application, forces acting on it, availability in the market, and cost we have to select by material by considering this factors

Design of Element:

We must design every component of the machine to determine the right proportions to withstand the stresses after assessing forces and choosing materials.

The stresses must be less than the maximum stresses that the material can withstand. Every element must receive the proper level of safety.

Modification:

Following the overall design of the machine’s component parts, we must change the machine to better utilize available resources and to do it at a lower cost.

Because sometimes when designing a machine, we examine every factor, but in practice, we also need to take the machine’s entire cost into account as well as the resources that are readily available on the market.

Detailed Drawing:

We will create part, subassembly, and assembly drawings for the machine following the modification.

While designing the pieces, we must also take into account the production options on the market. We’ll go on to manufacturing after that.

Production:

Components are made in factories in accordance with the drawing, then assembled in accordance with the designs.

Quality Checking:

The machine will subsequently undergo quality control to guarantee the product’s high caliber and safety.

Therefore, these are the fundamental design principles used while creating any machine or machine component.

FAQs.