English for
Technical Engineer
Chapter 2
Mechanical Components
Reading Comprehension
❖What are mechanical components?
Reading Comprehension
Mechanical engineering has become extremely complex with time. An average car today has
about 30,000 machine elements when we count each one down to the smallest screw. These
machine elements work in unison to run the car as intended by the machine design.
Some of these mechanical parts are elementary mechanical elements, whereas some others
are in an assembly with other parts and perform a specific function in the car. The alternator,
engine and carburetor are examples of such parts. In mechanical engineering, a machine
element is the smallest mechanical part or part assembly in a machine. They usually perform a
single function and cannot be replaced with multiple parts. For example, a bearing may be made
of smaller parts such as balls, rings and seals, but it cannot perform its function if it were split up
into its constituent mechanical parts.
Thus, a machine element may be defined as a part constituent (such as a fastener) or a
distinct part (e.g. clutch) in machines. Broadly, machine elements can be divided into two main
types.
• General-purpose machine elements
• Special purpose machine elements
Reading Comprehension
❖Basic mechanical components
Reading Comprehension
a
• Nuts and Bolts c
b
c
• Gears b
• Springs e
• Belts and Pulleys d
• Bearings a
e d
Reading Comprehension
1. Nuts and Bolts (1/3)
Reading Comprehension
1. Nuts and Bolts (2/3)
A nut is a fastener that consists of a block with a threaded hole in the centre.
The hole contains ‘female’ threads that typically correspond to the ‘male’
threads of a bolt or screw. Nuts are used with their ‘mating’ bolt or screw to
fasten materials together.
The most common shape for a nut is hexagonal, as six sides provide more
angles for a tool to approach from, although the corners can be more vulnerable
to becoming rounded off over time which makes them less easy to use with
tools. Square nuts can also be used but are less common.
Reading Comprehension
1. Nuts and Bolts (3/3)
A bolt is a type of mechanical fastener that consists of a shaft with threads and is
used to hold two or more parts together. The shaft of the bolt is inserted through
aligned holes in the parts that need to be fastened, and a nut is then screwed onto
the threads of the bolt to provide clamping force and prevent axial movement.
According to some definitions, whether a fastener is a bolt or a screw depends on
how it is used. A bolt is inserted through unthreaded holes in the parts being
fastened, while a screw may pass through a hole with threads that mate with
threads in one of the parts.
In practice, however, the distinction between bolts and screws is not always clear,
and the term “bolt” is often used to refer to any fastener with a threaded shaft.
Reading Comprehension
2. Gears
A gear (also called a cogwheel) is a type of simple
machine that is used to manipulate the magnitude or
direction of a force. Gears are used in combination
and are linked together by their teeth - referred to as
cogs - in order to form a "gear train". These gear
trains are useful for transferring energy from one
part of a system to another. Systems that utilize gears
and gear trains include bicycles, cars, electric
screwdrivers, and many other common machines.
Reading Comprehension
3. Springs
In their simplest form, mechanical springs such as
coil springs, leaf springs, volute springs and
compression springs are elastic devices that store
mechanical potential energy when deformed by
compression, extension or torsion. It is a device that
changes its shape when an external force is applied
and returns to its original shape when it is removed.
The energy absorbed is stored in the spring and can
be recovered if the spring returns to its original
shape
Reading Comprehension
4. Bearings
Bearings are mechanical components that reduce
friction between moving parts in machinery. They
facilitate smooth motion, supporting axial and radial
loads. Common types include ball bearings, roller
bearings, and plain bearings. Bearings are crucial in
diverse applications, from vehicles and industrial
machinery to everyday household appliances.
Machines that use bearings include automobiles,
airplanes, electric generators and so on. They are even
used in household appliances that we all use every day,
such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and air-
conditioners.
Reading Comprehension
5. Belts and Pulleys
A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two
or more rotating shafts mechanically, most often
parallel. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to
transmit power efficiently or to track relative
movement. Belts are looped over pulleys and may
have a twist between the pulleys, and the shafts need
not be parallel.
A pulley is a wheel that carries a flexible rope, cord,
cable, chain, or belt on its rim. Pulleys are used singly
or in combination to transmit energy and motion.
Pulleys with grooved rims are called sheaves.
Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
➢ True or False
1. Springs are elastic devices that store mechanical potential
energy when deformed
2. Bearings make it difficult to move because it increases friction
3. Systems that use gears are such as battery, cooking pan, drum,
etc.
4. Nuts are used with their bolt or screw to fasten materials
together.
5. Gears that are put on the train, called gear train.
Describing Structures
➢ Shape (1/2)
circle rectangle triangle cylinder sphere
circular rectangular triangular cylindrical spherical
Describing Shapes
➢ Shape (2/2)
cone pentagon hexagon trapezoid ellipse
conical pentagonal hexagonal trapezoidal elliptical
Describing Shapes
➢ Line
solid arrow
dotted
arc
dashed
curve
dash-dotted
Describing Shapes
➢ Practice
• Describe these shapes below
Describing Shapes
➢ Practice
• Describe these shapes below
Describing Shapes
➢ Practice
• Describe these shapes below
Describing Shapes
➢ Practice
• Describe these shapes below
Describing Shapes
➢ Practice
• Describe these shapes below
Describing Shapes
➢ Practice
• Describe these shapes below
References
1. https://www.britannica.com/technology/simple-machine/The-pulley
2. https://www.exportersindia.com/oriental-engg-co/v-belt-pulleys-
5260298.htm
3. https://www.mech4study.com/production-engineering/nuts-and-
bolts.html/#What_Are_Nuts_and_Its_Types
4. https://www.engineeringchoice.com/what-is-a-bolt/#google_vignette
5. https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=424247#ch69
946
6. https://www.hellovaia.com/explanations/engineering/design-
engineering/machine-elements/
7. https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Gear
8. https://engineeringproductdesign.com/knowledge-base/springs/
9. https://koyo.jtekt.co.jp/en/2019/06/column01-01.html
10. https://testbook.com/mechanical-engineering/bearings
11. https://www.rapiddirect.com/blog/types-of-springs-and-applications/
12. https://fractory.com/types-of-machine-elements
