READOS / Engineering
Machine Elements and Mechanical Design
Choosing materials, joints, drives, bearings, seals and structures that carry their loads and last.
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- 01Choosing metals for engineered parts: steels, stainless, aluminium, copper alloys and specialty metalsMaterial choice fixes a part's strength, stiffness, weight, corrosion life and cost. How to read the main metal families and grades, and how to choose and specify them with confidence.
- 02Heat treatment and surface hardening explained for designers and buyersA drawing that just says "harden" invites cracked, distorted or soft parts. How heat treatment works, which process suits which part, and how to specify and verify the result.
- 03Protecting metal parts from corrosion and wear: coatings, design details and surface rebuildingMost metal parts fail at the surface. How corrosion and wear happen, how to choose coatings and platings for the environment, design out corrosion traps, and rebuild worn surfaces.
- 04Structural steel sections and grades in Australia: reading designations and choosing the right shapeHow Australian structural steel sections and grades are designated, what section properties mean, why shape matters for bending, buckling and torsion, and what to check on compliance.
- 05Designing against fatigue: why parts crack under loads they can easily carryHow fatigue cracks start and grow, S-N curves and endurance limits, the effects of mean stress, notches, surface finish and welds, and practical design rules that prevent fatigue failures.
- 06Pressure vessels and thin-walled cylinders: stresses, design codes, relief valves and inspectionWhy pressurised cylinders split lengthwise, how hoop and longitudinal stresses are calculated, how vessels are designed to codes, and how relief valves and inspection keep them safe.
- 07Choosing a joining method: bolting, welding, riveting, adhesives and brazing comparedHow parts are joined decides strength, cost, weight, serviceability and corrosion life. How to compare bolting, welding, riveting, bonding and brazing, and choose the right one.
- 08Choosing fasteners and threads: thread systems, grades, screws for sheet and plastics, inserts and pinsFasteners are cheap, numerous and easy to get wrong. How to identify thread systems, read grades, choose screws, inserts and pins, and cut fastener variety without cutting reliability.
- 09Bolted joints that stay tight: preload, torque, fatigue and lockingA bolt holds a joint by clamping it. How preload works, why torque is an unreliable proxy, how to resist fatigue and loosening, and how to specify bolted joints that last in service.
- 10Designing adhesive bonded joints: adhesive types, joint geometry, surface preparation and process controlHow to design bonded joints that last: choosing among epoxies, acrylics, polyurethanes and anaerobics, loading joints in shear not peel, preparing surfaces, controlling cure and proving durability.
- 11Shafts, keys, couplings and alignment: connecting rotating machinery reliablyShafts crack at keyways and shoulders, couplings wear and misalignment quietly destroys bearings and seals. How to size shafts, join hubs, choose couplings and align machines properly.
- 12Retaining rings and circlips: choosing types, designing grooves and installing them so they stay putHow internal and external circlips, E-clips, spiral rings and push-on rings locate parts on shafts and in bores, how grooves and abutting parts set their capacity, and how to avoid common failures.
- 13Selecting bearings and lubrication for reliable machines: types, life, fits, sealing and failure causesMost bearings fail from contamination, poor lubrication or bad fitting, not fatigue. How to choose bearing types, size them for life, fit, seal and lubricate them, and diagnose failures.
- 14Gears and gearboxes: choosing reducers and geared motors that lastA gearbox chosen on ratio and price alone can overheat, waste energy or let a load run back. How gear types differ and how to select, install and maintain reducers and geared motors.
- 15Belt or chain drive: selecting, installing and maintaining flexible power transmissionBelt and chain drives are simple until they slip, stretch or wreck bearings. How to choose between them, size a drive properly, set tension and alignment, and maintain it for long life.
- 16Power screws and linear motion: leadscrews, ball screws, linear guides and camsTurning rotation into accurate straight-line motion is central to machines and automation. How to size leadscrews and ball screws, choose guides and actuators, and design cam motion.
- 17Clutches, brakes and torque limiters: choosing, sizing and keeping them safeHow friction, positive, one-way and electromagnetic clutches and brakes work, sizing for torque, energy and heat, why fail-safe brakes matter and how torque limiters protect drives.
- 18Specifying springs that work, last and are easy to make and assembleSprings look simple, yet poorly specified ones sag, break, jam in bores and slow assembly. How to calculate rate and stress, choose materials and ends, and specify springs makers can build.
- 19O-rings and static seals: gland design, materials, gaskets and why seals failHow O-rings seal, how to size the groove for squeeze and fill, choosing elastomers for fluids and temperatures, back-up rings, gaskets and sealants, and how to read seal failures.
- 20Hydraulic fittings and hose assemblies: connection types, sealing and leak-free installationHow the main hydraulic connection types seal, why mixing look-alike fittings causes leaks, how to specify and route hose assemblies, and the cleanliness and safety practices that matter.
- 21Selecting electric motors and drives: sizing, efficiency, starting, enclosures and variable speedA motor's running cost usually dwarfs its price. How to size motors for the load, choose enclosures and starting methods, use variable speed drives well and keep motors reliable.
These topic-based reading collections are organised alphabetically; chapters may be read in any order.
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